“Youbroke into my house?”
Sharon hesitates. I can see the internal debate in her eyes. Does she admit to something else illegal? Does it matter, given the circumstances?
As I watch the play of emotions across her face, all the things she just told me begin to slot together.
For some reason, Justin claimed that he never knew about Haley. Which means Sharon doesn’t know about the months,years, I begged him to meet her.
Sharon thinks I’ve been keeping Haley to myself intentionally.
She might even believe that Justin wanted a relationship with Haley, instead of trying to pretend she didn’t exist.
She thinks I’ve been sleeping around. Exposing my daughter to a series of casual hookups.
She just confessed to breaking into my house. Which means…
Is Phil innocent? Was he here for a different reason?
And what about the drugs in my bedroom? Why?—
I gasp as the possibility hits me.
“Did you put the bag of cocaine in my bedroom?” I ask. The gun fades in importance compared to the truth. “You broke in that night. You just admitted it. Did you leave the drugs there? Why?”
Sharon lifts her chin defiantly. “It would have worked. If the police didn’t arrest your scruffy boyfriend, at least. But I read the news. He had drugs in his apartment. So they assumed the drugs were his, instead of yours.”
My blood chills. “You put the drugs there to frame me. Didn’t you?”
“They would have taken Haley from you,” she retorts. “I had it all planned out. The school would get an anonymous tip. The police would get involved. And they’d find the drugs in your house. CPS would step in. And Justin wouldfinallyget his daughter back.”
“You put drugs in my house,” I say. My voice shakes with rage. “My home. Where my daughter lives. What if the police didn’t find them? What if she did? Did you think of that?” As she stares at me, I get louder.“Did you?Did you think about what could happen if a nine-year-old child got her hands on cocaine?”
Sharon flinches. Then she shakes her head quickly. “She wouldn’t have. I’m sure?—”
“You don’t know that!” I yell. “You put drugs in my house! Haley could have gotten sick! She could have?—”
“She should have been with Justin!” Sharon shouts back. “Her father! And me! We would take care of her. The right way! Not surrounded by a bunch of losers?—”
“How dare you!” I’m so angry I can feel myself shaking. “Justin never wanted her. I told him as soon as I found out I was pregnant. He said I was on my own.”
Sharon shakes her head, sending her hair every which way. “He wants Haley. He never knew.”
“Yes. He did.” My voice turns cold. “He knew. And he never met her. Not once. He never offered me child support. He didnothing.”
“Because you hid her!” Sharon retorts. “You lied! And now you’re hiding behind your fancy lawyer?—”
“Fancy?” I snort. “I don’t have money for fancy lawyers. Because I’m raising Haley on myown. Because your son decided he didn’t want to be a father.”
“Yes, he does!” Sharon’s face is bright red. Her shirt is completely untucked. She lifts the gun so it’s aimed at my chest. “He wants her. And you’re going to set things right.Finally.”
My lungs seize.
Crap. What am I doing? I’m supposed to be buying myself time. Keeping her distracted. Not escalating things.
“Okay.” I lift my hands in surrender. “No one needs to get hurt. Clearly, emotions are running high right now. But we can work?—”
“You’re going to sign over custody,” Sharon interrupts. Then she reaches into her pants pocket and pulls out a folded piece of paper. “You’re going to grant full custody to Justin. Right now.”
“What?”