I wish I could say I was just overreacting. That my suspicions were nothing more than the stress of balancing work and motherhood. But deep down, I knew I wasn\u2019t crazy. I wasn\u2019t imagining things.<\/p>\n
And I would give anything\u2014anything at all\u2014to have been wrong.<\/p>\n
My name is Martha. I have a four-year-old daughter, Beverly, and a husband, Jason. Both of us work full-time, which means Bev spends most weekdays at daycare. It\u2019s not ideal, but it works. She\u2019s happy, we\u2019re happy, and life moves forward.<\/p>\n
One morning, as we packed Bev\u2019s lunch, Jason said, \u201cBev is going to be fine, love. You know she\u2019s thriving there.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI know, and I don\u2019t mind her being at daycare,\u201d I replied, trying to mask my guilt. \u201cBut I just don\u2019t want her to think she\u2019s being forgotten by us.\u201d<\/p>\n
A month ago, Cheryl, my mother-in-law, made a suggestion that seemed too good to be true.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy don\u2019t I take Beverly on Wednesdays?\u201d she offered one evening, cutting into her chicken. \u201cIt\u2019ll give her a break from daycare, and we can have some bonding time. It\u2019ll be good for her.\u201d<\/p>\n
A part of me, honestly, was relieved. It meant Beverly would be with family, and for that, I was grateful.<\/p>\n
So, I agreed.<\/p>\n
At first, everything seemed fine. Cheryl would come over, and Bev would go off with her happily. But then, something started to shift.<\/p>\n
It was little things at first.<\/p>\n
\u201cI only want to eat with Daddy, Grandma, and her friend today,\u201d Beverly said one night, turning her nose up at the dinner I made.<\/p>\n
\u201cWho\u2019s Grandma\u2019s friend, sweetheart?\u201d I asked, frowning.<\/p>\n
Beverly gave me a mysterious smile as she sipped her juice.<\/p>\n
\u201cWho\u2019s your friend, Bev?\u201d I pressed gently, but she just smiled and turned away.<\/p>\n
Then, a few days later, she whispered something that chilled me to the core.<\/p>\n
\u201cMommy,\u201d she asked softly, clutching her stuffed unicorn, \u201cwhy don\u2019t you like our friend?\u201d<\/p>\n
I felt a chill run down my spine. My stomach twisted with unease.<\/p>\n
\u201cWho told you that, sweetie?\u201d I asked, my voice trembling slightly.<\/p>\n
Bev hesitated, biting her lip. And then, with a voice far too mature for a four-year-old, she said, \u201cOur friend is part of the family, Mommy. You just don\u2019t see it yet.\u201d<\/p>\n
My hands clenched around the bedsheets. Something was off. I didn\u2019t know what it was yet, but I felt it deep in my gut.<\/p>\n
The next time I saw Cheryl, I decided to ask about it. She came over on a Saturday morning for breakfast. Jason and Bev were in the kitchen, finishing up pancakes.<\/p>\n
\u201cHas Beverly made any new friends?\u201d I asked casually, trying to sound nonchalant. \u201cShe\u2019s been talking about someone a lot lately.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cheryl didn\u2019t even look up from her coffee as she answered, \u201cOh, you know how kids are. Always making up imaginary friends. Nothing to worry about.\u201d<\/p>\n
Her voice was too smooth, too practiced. I smiled, but something felt wrong. It felt like she was lying.<\/p>\n
That night, I made a decision I never thought I\u2019d have to make.<\/p>\n
I installed a hidden camera. I didn\u2019t want to do it, but I had to know. The camera had been installed when Beverly was a baby, back when we had a night nanny, and Jason worked late shifts. But when Bev grew older, we had removed it. Now, it was time to put it back.<\/p>\n
The next Wednesday, I left for work, leaving Cheryl and Bev snacks in the fridge. My mind raced as I tried to focus during my meetings.<\/p>\n
By lunch, I was shaking as I checked the footage on my phone. At first, everything seemed normal. Beverly was playing with her dolls on the floor, a bowl of cut fruit beside her. Cheryl was lounging on the couch, flipping through a book.<\/p>\n
But then Cheryl checked her watch.<\/p>\n
\u201cBev, sweetheart, are you ready?\u201d Cheryl asked with a smile. \u201cOur friend will be here any minute now!\u201d<\/p>\n
My heart skipped a beat.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes, Gran! I love her! Do you think she\u2019ll play with my hair again?\u201d Beverly\u2019s voice was full of excitement.<\/p>\n
Cheryl beamed. \u201cIf you ask her, I\u2019m sure she will, little love. And remember, what don\u2019t we tell Mommy?\u201d<\/p>\n
Bev\u2019s voice, impossibly sweet, replied, \u201cNot a word to Mom.\u201d<\/p>\n
I felt sick to my stomach. My fingers were trembling as I watched, my head spinning.<\/p>\n
And then, I saw it. The doorbell rang. Cheryl stood, smoothing her clothes as she walked to the door. I couldn\u2019t breathe. What was happening?<\/p>\n
Then, the door opened.<\/p>\n
And there she was.<\/p>\n
Jason\u2019s ex-wife, Alexa. The woman Jason had left years ago. The woman I was told had moved to another state. The woman I was told was no longer in Jason\u2019s life.<\/p>\n
And Beverly ran straight into her arms.<\/p>\n
I don\u2019t remember grabbing my keys. I don\u2019t remember how I got to the car. All I know is one moment I was watching my world crumble on the tiny screen, and the next, I was speeding home.<\/p>\n
I threw open the door so hard it slammed against the wall.<\/p>\n
And there they were. Cheryl, Alexa, and my daughter, sitting together on the couch like it was all perfectly normal.<\/p>\n
Alexa looked up, surprised. \u201cOh. Hi, Martha,\u201d she said nonchalantly. \u201cI didn\u2019t expect you home so soon.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat the hell is she doing here?\u201d I demanded, my voice sharp and shaky with anger.<\/p>\n
Beverly looked up, her face confused. \u201cMommy, why are you ruining the union?\u201d she asked innocently.<\/p>\n
Union? I didn\u2019t understand.<\/p>\n
Cheryl sighed and leaned back on the couch, as though she were bored by the entire situation. \u201cYou always were a bit slow on the uptake, Martha,\u201d she said smoothly.<\/p>\n
I was reeling. \u201cWhat union? What reunion? What is my child talking about?\u201d<\/p>\n
Alexa shifted uncomfortably. \u201cLook, I\u2026\u201d she began.<\/p>\n
\u201cShut up,\u201d I snapped, and to my surprise, she did.<\/p>\n
Cheryl smiled a sly smile. \u201cIt\u2019s time to accept reality, Martha. You were never really meant to be here. I think the only good thing to come from you is Beverly.\u201d<\/p>\n
I felt a cold chill run through me.<\/p>\n
Cheryl leaned forward, her eyes cold. \u201cAlexa is the one who was meant to be with Jason. Not you. You were a mistake. And when Jason figures that out, Beverly will already know where her real family is.\u201d<\/p>\n
Alexa wouldn\u2019t meet my eyes. She stared at the throw pillow on her lap, picking at the fabric.<\/p>\n
I couldn\u2019t hold it in anymore. \u201cYou manipulated my child, Cheryl!\u201d I shouted. \u201cYou let her believe I didn\u2019t matter\u2026 that she didn\u2019t matter?\u201d<\/p>\n
Cheryl raised an eyebrow. \u201cWell, aren\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n
Something inside me snapped. If Beverly weren\u2019t in the room, I might have lost control entirely.<\/p>\n
I turned to Alexa. \u201cAnd you? You went along with this? Why? You left Jason! What do you want from him now?\u201d<\/p>\n
Alexa swallowed. \u201cCheryl convinced me Beverly should know me. Maybe if Jason and I\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
I took a step forward. \u201cIf you and Jason what? Got back together?\u201d I spat.<\/p>\n
She didn\u2019t answer.<\/p>\n
I turned to Cheryl, my voice icy now. \u201cI\u2019m done with you. You will never see Beverly again.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cheryl smirked. \u201cMy son will never allow that.\u201d<\/p>\n
I returned her smile, cold and unflinching. \u201cOh, we\u2019ll see.\u201d<\/p>\n
I scooped Beverly up into my arms. She didn\u2019t fight me, but her eyes were confused, and that broke me in ways I couldn\u2019t explain.<\/p>\n
In the car, as I held her close, I made a promise to myself: no one, absolutely no one, was going to take my daughter from me.<\/p>\n
Not Cheryl. Not Alexa.<\/p>\n
And if Jason didn\u2019t stand by me when he found out? Then not even him.<\/p>\n
We went for ice cream, and I told Beverly the truth in simple terms. \u201cMom? What happened? Did I do something wrong?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo, honey,\u201d I said softly, watching her pick at her ice cream. \u201cGrandma did the wrong thing. She lied to you and me. And she was very naughty. We\u2019re not going to see her again.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd Aunty Alexa?\u201d Beverly asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re not going to see her either. She hurt Daddy a long time ago, and\u2026 she\u2019s not a nice person. And what do we say about people who aren\u2019t nice?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe stay away from them!\u201d she said with a smile, recalling our rule.<\/p>\n
When we got home, neither Cheryl nor Alexa was there. But Jason was.<\/p>\n
\u201cHi, baby,\u201d he said to Beverly, who jumped into his arms.<\/p>\n
\u201cJason, we need to talk,\u201d I said quietly.<\/p>\n
We sent Beverly off to play, and I showed Jason the footage. He sat there, pale and silent for what felt like forever.<\/p>\n
Finally, he spoke. \u201cShe\u2019s never seeing Beverly again. Never. I don\u2019t care.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cheryl tried calling, defending herself, but I blocked her number.<\/p>\n
Some people don\u2019t deserve second chances.<\/p>\n
And some people don\u2019t deserve to be called family.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
I wish I could say I was just overreacting. That my suspicions were nothing more than the stress of balancing work and motherhood. But deep down, I knew I wasn\u2019t crazy. I wasn\u2019t imagining things. And I would give anything\u2014anything at all\u2014to have been wrong. My name is Martha. I have a four-year-old daughter, Beverly, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-29639","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29639","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=29639"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29639\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":29640,"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29639\/revisions\/29640"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=29639"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=29639"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=29639"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}