Chapter 2 - The Judge Behind the Hospital GownSubtitle: The Badge They Never Knew ExistedBy midnight, the hospital corridor looked like a crime scene.
Security officers stood outside my door.
Two uniformed detectives had arrived.
The district attorney's chief investigator was on his way.
And Mrs. Sterling was still screaming that everyone had misunderstood her.
"I was only trying to protect my grandson!"
Nobody listened.
Not anymore.
Mike stood beside my bed.
He had known me for almost seven years.
Not as Elena Sterling.
As Judge Elena Vance.
Only a handful of people knew that the woman in the hospital bed was the same judge whose rulings had made headlines across the state.
My husband's family certainly didn't.
I'd made sure of that.
When I married Daniel, I wanted one thing.
A family that loved me for me.
Not my title.
Not my salary.
Not my influence.
So when Mrs. Sterling asked what I did, I simply said I was unemployed.
Daniel had laughed.
"My wife is taking a break."
His mother had translated that sentence into something uglier.
Lazy.
Dependent.
Useless.
I never corrected her.
Because I wanted to see whether she loved people or status.
I had my answer.
Mike pulled a chair beside me.
"Your Honor, the officers recovered the document."
I nodded.
"Forgery?"
"Looks like it."
My stomach twisted.
"So Karen knew?"
"Karen's name is on the document."
I stared at the page.
The signature appeared beneath a statement claiming I had voluntarily surrendered Leo.
Voluntarily.
After being cut open less than twelve hours earlier.
"There's more," Mike said.
I looked up.
"What?"
"The document wasn't notarized today."
My blood ran cold.
"When?"
"Three weeks ago."
Three weeks.
Before my children were born.
Before anyone knew whether I'd deliver one baby, two babies, early, late, naturally, or by C-section.
They had prepared it in advance.
This wasn't an argument.
It was a plan.
"Mike."
"Yes?"
"Who knew about the twins?"
"Your husband. His mother. Karen. Your obstetrician and the hospital staff."
I stared at him.
Then I remembered something.
Three weeks earlier, Daniel had asked me a strange question.
"What would happen if one of the babies needed to stay in the NICU?"
I'd assumed he was anxious.
Now I wondered.
"Where's Daniel?"
"On his way."
I laughed bitterly.
"Of course he is."
Twenty minutes later, the elevator doors opened.
Daniel walked down the corridor.
He looked exhausted.
But not worried.
His eyes went straight to his mother.
She ran toward him.
"Daniel!"
He hugged her.
"They attacked me!"
Then he looked toward my room.
Through the glass panel, our eyes met.
He didn't come inside.
That was when I knew.
He wasn't shocked.
He was afraid.
A detective walked toward him.
"Mr. Sterling, we'd like to ask you some questions."
Daniel glanced at me.
"About my wife?"
"No."
The detective held up the document.
"About your children."
Daniel's face drained of color.
"What about them?"
"Why was a relinquishment agreement prepared three weeks before their birth?"
Silence.
Daniel looked at his mother.
She looked at Karen.
Then Karen appeared at the end of the hallway.
She had been waiting.
She was wearing a white cashmere sweater and holding a leather purse.
She looked at Leo through the glass.
There was something disturbing in her expression.
Not sadness.
Not longing.
Possession.
She walked toward us.
"Elena."
I stared at her.
"Did you prepare those papers?"
She shook her head.
"I didn't hurt you."
"That's not what I asked."
Her eyes flickered.
Then she whispered:
"I just wanted a baby."
"One of mine."
She looked down.
"Karen..."
"I can't have children!"
Her voice cracked.
"You have no idea what it's like."
"No," I said. "I don't."
She looked at Leo.
"You don't need two."
My hands tightened around the blanket.
"Neither do you."
Karen's face hardened.
Then she leaned toward me.
"Daniel promised me."
I froze.
"What?"
Mrs. Sterling grabbed her arm.
"Karen, stop."
But it was too late.
"Daniel promised me," Karen repeated. "He said your son would be mine."
Daniel shouted from the corridor.
"Karen!"
Everyone turned.
Karen covered her mouth.
The detective slowly looked at Daniel.
"Mr. Sterling..."
Daniel didn't move.
I stared at my husband.
He stared back.
And in that moment, the last fragile piece of our marriage shattered.
May you like
Because Karen hadn't stolen my son from me.
My husband had promised him to her.
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