3!

MABEL

At night, I stood in the nursery doorway and watched him sleep.

He looked peaceful now. Soft cheeks.

Little fingers curled around the blanket. Like the screaming never happened.

I should have felt better. Relieved.

But I didn't. Because it wasn't me who got him to sleep. It was Claire.

She swooped in like some damn baby whisperer the second we got home, cradled him, hummed some old lullaby, and he was out in less than five minutes.

Me? I'd been trying for hours.

I pressed a hand to my chest. It felt empty. Like there was a hole growing deeper every day.

I heard the door creak.

I turned, expecting the nanny. But no. It was Ethan.

My husband. My absentee husband. Ever since I gave birth to our son, he's found one reason or another to get out of the country on his so-called business.

Yes, his business demands he travels, but not at the expense of his wife and newborn baby.

He looked tired. Hands in his pockets. Hair messy like he ran his fingers through it too much.

He hadn't even texted that he was back.

I straightened. "You're home."

He nodded. Didn't smile.

"Your mother put him to sleep," I said, nodding at the crib.

He stepped in, glanced at his son with so much love in his eyes. I haven't seen that look in a long time.

Then his eyes met mine. "You okay?"

Was I okay? Was I okay?

I wanted to laugh, or cry. Or scream. But all I said was, "I'm fine."

He nodded again. Like we were strangers. Like I was someone he bumped into at a gas station.

But I wasn't just some woman to him. I was his. I still am, right?

Or... maybe that's just what I keep telling myself so I don't fall apart.

We used to be so in love. Wild and intense, not caring about whatever people said about us, not even his mother.

But all that changed when Hailey dropped back into our life like a hurricane.

Suddenly she was the best friend I had never heard about. I thought I was his best friend.

He cupped my face, both hands holding me like I was something fragile. His fingers trembled a little. He always did that when he was nervous.

Then he kissed me.

It felt soft, familiar. Like he hadn't left. Like he still loved me.

And I let him.

My body gave in before my brain had a chance to argue. I sighed into his lips, leaning into him like I had been holding my breath for too long.

God, I missed this. Missed him. Missed us.

But then... Why now?

Why did it feel like he was kissing me... but thinking of someone else?

He pulled away, just enough to breathe.

"Hailey told me he cried a lot today," he said.

My heart stopped.

Of course. Even now, even here, her name had to come up.

I pulled back slowly. "She shouldn't be telling you anything about my child."

His voice came out flat. "He's my child too."

That was it. That's all he had to say.

And suddenly, I felt cold again.

His hands were still on my skin... but I had never felt more alone.

"I'm tired, Ethan," I whispered, drawing away.

He looked at me, finally really looked.

And then he said, "Then maybe Hailey should stay here for a while. Help you out."

"What?!" The word escaped before I could stop it.

"It's just a suggestion, Mabel. You don't have to throw a fit over it," Ethan said as he walked out of the nursery.

"Where are you going, Ethan?" I asked as I followed him. "We're not done talking about this."

"I believe we are," he said as he headed to the kitchen. "And I've made my decision. Hailey will stay here."

He dropped the words like they wouldn't have an effect on me.

"You just said it was a suggestion!" I almost went crazy. "Now you're making it the law."

"Keep your voice down," he said with gritted teeth, and his eyes drifted to the nursery. "You shouldn't wake Jason up. It will be hard to put him back to sleep."

His words felt like a stab in my heart.

My own husband taunting me with the same words his mother and best friend would use to make me feel like a useless mother.

"I didn't mean it like that," he said, and I scoffed, taking my eyes away from him.

"Or maybe I did," he said as he dropped his cup on the kitchen counter.

"What?" I asked, looking at him. I've been using that word a lot lately.

Maybe because of all the shock I've been feeling for the past six months.

"What's that supposed to mean, Ethan?"

"You need Hailey's help," he said softly.

"Especially with the activities we'll be having here in the house tomorrow."

I folded my arms around my body. "What

celebration?"

"We haven't introduced Jason to the world. That will be happening tomorrow," he said, and I felt my throat tighten.

"Introduce Jason to the world. Whose idea was this?"

"My mother. What does it matter?" He shot at me.

"It matters that my son will be paraded all over the internet like a damn trophy," I said to him.

"He isn't a trophy, Mabel. He's the heir to the Hoss legacy, and the world has to see him," he said.

"Then let that happen when he's sixteen, not six months!" I emphasized my opinion.

"The decision has been made, Mabel. Mother is handling the whole thing. You wouldn't have to lift a finger," he said. "Just make sure Jason bonds with you tomorrow."

He walked up the stairs. I looked at him with tears in my eyes.

"We can't have you struggling with him in front of the world."

With that, he ascended up the stairs and slowly disappeared from view.

I gasped as I held one of the bar stools, struggling to breathe.

I didn't know how long I stood there, clinging to the bar stool like it was the only thing keeping me upright.

My chest felt heavy. My lungs struggled for air. I wasn't sure if I was breathing or just surviving.

The heir to the Hoss legacy?

God. Is that all my son was to them?

Not a child. Not a blessing. Just a name, a brand to protect, to parade around in front of flashing cameras and strangers.

Tears blurred my vision, but I blinked them

back. I refused to cry again. Not tonight.

I walked back toward the nursery, quietly pushing the door open. Jason was still asleep, his little chest rising and falling in perfect rhythm. He looked so peaceful. So unaware of the circus waiting for him tomorrow.

My son. Mine.

Not Claire's. Not Ethan's. And certainly not Hailey's.

I dropped to the rocking chair in the corner and rested my head against the cushion, wrapping my arms tightly around myself.

My mind wouldn't stop racing.

How did we get here?

How did Ethan go from holding me like I was his world... to handing me over like I was the problem?

And now Hailey... in my house. Breathing my air. Playing mother to my baby.

What was I supposed to do? Smile? Say thank you?

I was sitting in the rocking chair, watching Jason sleep, when my phone lit up.

Unknown number again. Different from last time.

Against my better judgment, I opened it.

This time, there was a photo.

Hospital security footage. Grainy, black and white, timestamped the day I gave birth.

Two babies in bassinets, side by side.

Two nurses standing over them.

One of them was the kind nurse from my delivery.

The other was the woman who handed me Jason when I woke up.

And in the photo, they were... switching the bassinets.

My breath caught.

I zoomed in, hands trembling.The message below read: "They took him from you."

Another photo appeared. A clearer shot of the babies' wristbands.

Different names. Different ID numbers.

"You want the truth? Check Claire's office. Third drawer. Red folder."

Then:"Tick tock, Mabel. They're coming for you."

The messages deleted themselves before my eyes.

I sat there, frozen, staring at my phone.

This couldn't be real.

This had to be some elaborate... what? Prank? Hoax?

But what if it wasn't?

What if Jason really wasn't—

"What are you doing?"

I jumped. Claire stood in the doorway, her eyes sharp and cold.

"Nothing," I said quickly, shoving my phone under my thigh. "Just checking emails."

She looked at me for a long moment. Too long.

"Get some rest, Mabel," she said finally. "Big day tomorrow."

Then she closed the door, and I heard the unmistakable sound of a lock clicking into place. From the outside.