Chapter 1 - The Precinct and the Note
The drive to the Oakridge Police Department felt like a fever dream. The morning sun glared through my windshield, a harsh contrast to the icy dread pooling in my stomach. I gripped the steering wheel so tightly my knuckles turned white. Abandoned. The word echoed in my mind, syncing with the frantic beating of my heart. Liam and Chloe hadn't just crossed a line; they had obliterated it.
When I pushed through the heavy glass doors of the precinct, the sterile smell of floor wax and stale coffee hit me. Officer Harrison, a tall, broad-shouldered man with exhausted but kind eyes, was waiting for me near the front desk.
“Ms. Vance?” he asked, stepping forward.
“Where are they?” I demanded, my voice trembling despite my best efforts to keep it steady. “Where are my nieces and nephews?”
Officer Harrison led me down a narrow hallway into a small, brightly lit breakroom. There, huddled on a faux-leather sofa, were the four children. Tommy, the oldest at ten, had his arms wrapped tightly around his seven-year-old sister, Lily. Five-year-old Sam was staring blankly at a cartoon playing on a mounted TV, while three-year-old Emma was asleep, her tear-stained face pressed against Tommy’s shoulder.
My heart shattered. I rushed over, dropping to my knees in front of the sofa. Tommy looked up at me, his eyes wide and terrified.
“Auntie Maya,” Tommy whispered, his voice cracking. “Mom and Dad said they were going on a special trip. They said you were coming to get us. But you didn't come, and Emma got hungry, and I didn't know how to turn on the stove.”
I pulled him into a fierce hug, burying my face in his hair. “It’s okay, buddy. I’m here now. I’m so sorry.”
Officer Harrison cleared his throat gently. He handed me a piece of paper enclosed in a clear plastic evidence bag. “A neighbor called us after seeing Tommy wandering down the street in his pajamas, looking for a grocery store. When my partner and I entered the house, we found this taped to the refrigerator.”
I took the bag. The note was written in Chloe’s elegant, looping cursive.
Maya — Liam and I are absolutely exhausted. This pregnancy has been so hard on me, and we desperately need a babymoon before number five arrives. Our flight to Cabo leaves at 5 AM. We know you said no last night, but you’re family, and family steps up. The kids’ schedules are on the counter. We’ll be back in two weeks. Consider this your practice! xoxo, Chloe.
A red-hot fury, unlike anything I had ever experienced, ignited in my chest. Two weeks. They had left four young children completely alone to catch a flight to Mexico, assuming their unpaid servant would just magically appear and fall into line.
“This is child abandonment,” I said, looking up at the officer, my voice cold and hard.
“Yes, ma'am, it is,” Harrison replied grimly. “Child Protective Services is already on their way. Unless an approved family member takes emergency custody right now, these kids are going into the foster system.”
May you like
I looked at the four innocent faces staring at me. They had been treated as props by their parents and a burden by my parents. But to me, in that moment, they were everything.
“They’re coming with me,” I said firmly. “Whatever paperwork you have, give it to me.”
