Lahat ng Kabanata ng The Ex-wife He Regrets Losing!: Kabanata 71 - Kabanata 80

MABEL I sat in my lawyer's office thirty minutes later, my meeting with Vanessa postponed until afternoon. Katherine Holden, the family law attorney Damian had recommended, listened to my explanation about Margaret without interrupting. When I finished, she leaned back in her chair. "She's bluffing," Katherine said flatly. "Are you sure?" "Reasonably. A mother who voluntarily abandoned her minor children, one of whom has serious medical needs, has virtually no chance of regaining custody." She pulled up notes on her computer. "Especially after three years of zero contact." "But she said courts favor mothers…" "They favor fitness. Stability. The best interests of the child." Katherine looked at me over her glasses. "A woman who walked out on a nine-year-old diabetic and didn't look back for three years is not fit. Any judge would see that." Relief flooded through me. "So she can't take Lily?" "Can't? No. But..." Katherine hesitated. "But what?" "She can make things messy. An

MABEL Three PM came. Katherine's office. A small conference room with glass walls and uncomfortable chairs. Margaret arrived ten minutes late, wearing clothes that looked new. Probably bought with the expectation of my money. "Let's get this over with," she said, sitting down. Katherine slid the termination papers across the table. "Read through these carefully. Once you sign, you're permanently giving up all parental rights to Lily James." Margaret barely glanced at them. "Where do I sign?" "Mrs. James, I need you to actually read…." "I don't need to read them. I know what they say." Margaret looked at me. "You have the money?" I held up the cashier's check. "After you sign." Margaret grabbed a pen and started signing, flipping through pages quickly. Katherine looked uncomfortable. "Mrs. James, I really must insist you take time to review…." "I've reviewed enough." Margaret signed the last page and pushed the papers back. "There. Done. Now give me my money." I slid the ch

MABEL I went straight back to the hospital. Lily was still in her room, watching TV. When she saw me, her face crumpled. "I saw the news," she said quietly. My heart sank. "Lily…." "They're saying Mom wants me back. That she's fighting for me." Lily's voice was small. "Is that true?" I sat on the edge of her bed. "Yes." "But she left us. She doesn't even know me anymore." "I know, sweetheart." "So why is she doing this?" Tears filled Lily's eyes. "Why now?" I couldn't tell her the truth. That her mother was using her as a pawn to get money. That this was all about greed, not love. "I don't know," I lied. "People are complicated." "The news said you tried to buy me. That you're trying to steal me from my real family." Lily looked at me with confused, frightened eyes. "Is that true?" "No. I'm trying to protect you and Bella. That's all." "But they're saying…" "They're wrong. They don't know the whole story." I took her hand. "Lily, I would never try to steal you. You're my

MABEL I took a deep breath. This was it. The moment everything changed. "I believe Liam is my biological son," I said. "He was stolen from me at birth five years ago." The words hung in the air like a bomb waiting to explode. Vanessa stared at me, her face completely blank. "What did you just say?" "Liam is my son. Biologically." I pushed the DNA results across the desk toward her. "These prove it." Vanessa didn't move. Didn't look at the papers. Just stared at me like I'd grown a second head. "That's impossible." "It's not. It's true." "No." She shook her head. "No, you're confused. Mistaken. Liam was adopted through a legitimate agency…" "The adoption was falsified. By my ex-husband's mother, Claire Hoss." I kept my voice steady. "She paid off hospital staff. Forged documents. Made it look legitimate." "That's insane…" "I know how it sounds. But it's true." I gestured to the DNA results. "Look at them. They're certified. From a reputable lab. 99.9% match." Vanessa fina

VANESSA The door closed behind Mabel. I stood frozen in my office, staring at the space where she'd been sitting. The DNA results lay scattered on the floor where I'd thrown them. This couldn't be real. It couldn't be. Liam was my son. I'd adopted him legally. Through a reputable agency. Everything had been verified, approved, legitimate. Mabel was lying. Had to be lying. But even as I thought it, doubt crept in. The timing. The hospital. The same day. No. I grabbed my phone with shaking hands and dialed my lawyer. Richard Morse. The best family attorney in New York. He'd handled my adoption five years ago. He answered on the second ring. "Vanessa. What can I do for you?" "I need to see you. Immediately." "I'm in the middle of—" "I don't care. This is an emergency." My voice broke. "Richard, someone is trying to take my son." A pause. "I'll clear my schedule. Come to my office. Twenty minutes." I grabbed my bag and the DNA results from the floor. My hands were still