Chapter 1 - THE PAPERS
Amber Brooks grabbed the decorative spear from beside the fireplace and hurled it toward Tessa.
Tessa jerked sideways.
The spear struck the wall.
Amber pointed at her pregnant stomach.
“You’ll raise this one too!”
Tessa stormed forward.
“RAISE YOUR OWN DAMN KIDS!”
Amber grabbed her arm.
“You don’t get to say no!”
Tessa ripped free and shoved her backward.
Amber slammed both hands onto the kitchen counter.
“You raised the other four!”
“Because you’re a terrible mother!”
Daniel Carter stood near the dining counter.
Tessa’s husband.
Quiet.
Tense.
Then the front door flew open.
Mark Brooks stormed inside holding a white envelope.
Amber froze.
“Mark?”
He slammed several pages onto the counter.
“Explain this.”
Amber looked down.
Her face drained.
Mark crossed the room and slapped her.
“NONE OF THE FOUR KIDS ARE MINE!”
Amber recoiled.
Mark shouted:
“WHO THE HELL DID YOU SLEEP WITH?!”
Silence.
Tessa stared at her sister.
Then something pulled her attention sideways.
Daniel.
His face had gone completely pale.
He would not look at her.
Tessa’s anger changed direction.
She charged and grabbed his shirt collar.
“Look at me.”
Daniel’s hands rose.
“Tessa—”
“LOOK AT ME.”
His eyes finally met hers.
She saw fear.
Not surprise.
Fear.
Mark noticed too.
The room went quiet.
Amber whispered:
“Daniel, don’t.”
Tessa released him slowly.
“What did she just say?”
Daniel closed his eyes.
Mark looked from Amber to Daniel.
“No.”
Amber backed toward the wall.
Tessa’s voice became almost calm.
“Daniel.”
He opened his eyes.
Then Mark said:
“You’re the only man who knew all four birth dates before I did.”
Tessa froze.
“What?”
Mark threw another page onto the counter.
Not DNA.
A list.
Hospital visitor logs.
For each of Amber’s four deliveries, Daniel had entered the maternity floor before Tessa.
Sometimes hours before.
Tessa had never known.
Daniel looked at Amber.
Amber looked at him.
And Tessa understood the worst part.
May you like
Whatever this was—
it had been happening for years.
