Chapter 2: The Child No One Could Find The question spread through the ballroom like wildfire. "Where's the baby?" "Who has the child?" "What is going on?" Emily lowered her eyes. Rebecca answered instead. "The baby is alive." Relief washed across Ethan's face. Vanessa immediately pointed at Emily. "She's hiding him!" Rebecca shook her head. "No." "The child is under temporary protective custody." The room fell silent again. Vanessa frowned. "What does that even mean?" Rebecca opened another page. "Three days after delivery, the hospital received an anonymous report claiming the intended parents planned to obtain custody through fraudulent documentation." Ethan stared at his wife. "I never filed anything." Rebecca nodded. "We know." Vanessa quickly interrupted. "This is ridiculous!" Rebecca continued reading. "Because the report involved possible document fraud, the hospital notified Child Protective Services and suspended the release process." A bridesmaid covered her mouth. "So... the baby never went home?" Rebecca looked at Emily. "No." Emily's voice finally broke the silence. "I refused to let them hand him over until someone investigated." Vanessa slammed both hands onto the table. "That child belongs to me!" Emily slowly met her eyes. "No." "I carried him for nine months." "I almost died delivering him." "I only wanted to make sure he went home to honest parents." The words landed harder than any scream. Ethan looked completely lost. "You mean..." Emily nodded. "I never wanted to keep him." "I wanted to protect him." Rebecca carefully slid another document across the table. "This is why CPS delayed custody." Ethan picked it up. His hands began shaking. At the top of the report were six words. Evidence of altered legal documents. He slowly turned toward Vanessa. She refused to meet his eyes. For the first time since the wedding began... Ethan wondered if he had married a stranger.

5 chapters