My Husband's Old Flame Gave Me My Daughter, Then Stole My Son

t the school nurse called. Lily, my bright, artisti

son was a punch to the gu

sinister conspiracy. Bea Baker, his old flame, was back, and Lily was her daugh

fect' life was a lie, meticulously crafted by a man I barely knew. He'd even deve

iage.' She hinted at Northwood Pharma, experimental testing and my sto

her to live with us! This charade ends now. My quest for truth had just begun. How d

the school nurse's

n from town, looked at Eleano

iscuss Lily's blood t

ter. "Is something

lood type on her school records is O-negative. We re-teste

a mistake. I'm O-negative. Gra

d an O-negative mother and an A-positive father, if he's heterozygous AO, could have A or O. If

l words hun

t. The room felt cold.

nnot be your biological daughter

in her chest. This was impossible. Lily was her daughter. She remembered the adoption process, yes, but this w

id thi

Her hands shook on

choed. Cannot be you

narrowly missing a deliver

nfusion clouded her thoughts. Thi

her bright, artisti

ould destro

New England lane. Her house looked perfe

crack had

rrible vulnerability. She needed to talk to Grant

Grant's voice came from h

tomorrow. I've arranged the

rant's old college girlfrie

yments are up to date for her foundation. Consider it an ongoing e

ced Eleanor. Anger followed, h

o his business part

just bad luck for them. She has no idea my devel

. Developed by Grant into that s

oblivious to El

arcus, you still have a reliable sour

uffled voi

ks she just can't conceive again. Simpler

nor. Birth control pills

ssness. Grant had

iculously crafted lie, and Grant was the architect. His public persona, t

alked out of the study. He

harming smile. "Ellie,

er. Eleanor flinch

ong?" He feigned innocence, hi

nfusion warred with dist

t birth control pills, Grant?

ed. "Birth control? Oh, Marcus was asking about so

m around her. "You loo

d to reconcile the man she thought she k

caller ID. A different kind of smile

his." He stepped back into t

s, I was just confirming every

affair wasn't just old

nor. Resolve began to for

eting Bea

fingers trembled as she typed Be

ea" Baker, environmental lawyer. Photos of her in exotic

a and Grant, arms around each other,

d bitter, mixed

ence Grant had supposedly attended alone. Bea in a restaurant in

y longer. Her quest for truth had just begun. This was not just

desk. It was from their one-year anniv

ilver frame. A picture of Grant and Bea from c

sharp, surged t

the smiling face, the woman who was a ghost

the photo from the frame. She ripped it into

bolic. Defiance. A rej

ion fluttered within her

She dialed Aggie's number.

ring, her voice warm and fa

ky. "Can I come over? Or can you

rtainty gnawed at he

ay? You sou

about to change. Drasti

my way." Aggie's voice was

around the beautiful living

n her. Determination bur

ld leav

ut the complete

happened to her own abilit

nful, but she wouldn't l

coming out. And t