The Temporary Wife - By Jeannie Moon Page 0,84
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“Noooo, Mommy! NO! I don’t want to go. Mommy!!! No, let go of me! Mommmmmy, M-m-o-ommy.” Her sobs were only drowned out by Meg’s as she followed the sheriff and Molly to the car.
“Molly, oh, no, please. Don’t do this. Molly.” The court worker sat with Molly in the back of the sheriff’s car, and the deputy held Meg back. Molly was still screaming and lunging for the closed window. Once he let her go, Meg pressed a trembling hand to the glass. The sobs were choking her. She couldn’t cry, couldn’t scream; everything was bottled up inside, and before she could do anything the sheriff’s car pulled away.
Chasing it about halfway down the driveway, Meg stumbled and landed on her knees, crumbling onto the pavement. She let out a howl of pain that sent the birds scattering from the trees.
Unable to stand, she stayed on her knees in the cold driveway until a pair of designer shoes appeared in front of her.
“You were never going to win,” Alicia Campbell said. “The marriage is a sham. Everyone knows it, and we petitioned the court to grant us custody based on your fraudulent adoption application.”
“It’s not a sham. It’s not. We love her, and we’re going to be a family.”
“No, Megan. Jason never had any intention of making this permanent. You should know by now he can’t be trusted. Look what he did to you last time. Did you really think he would change?”
Meg was sobbing now, freezing, and still on the ground. She wanted to turn on her side and curl into a ball. The pain of losing Molly and hearing that Jason knew about this was killing her. If she couldn’t have them, she’d just as soon curl up and freeze right here.
“Learn your place, Megan. You’ll never win against us. Never. I wouldn’t stand for it.”
***
Meg didn’t know how long she was curled up in the driveway when she heard another car pull in. She slowly realized she was still clutching the court documents that remanded Molly to the Campbells’ care, unable to believe this was happening to her. “Why? Why did they do this?”
“Meg? Oh, my God. Meg, what happened?”
It took Meg a second to realize the voice belonged to Harper.
“Are you hurt? Meg, say something!” Harper looped her arm around Meg and helped her sit. The cold took hold and Meg started to shiver, her teeth chattering uncontrollably. “God, you’re freezing. Let’s get you inside.”
“They took Molly.”
“What? Who? Who took her? Was she kidnapped?”
Meg shook her head and held out the court papers. Her hand was shaking, but it didn’t take Harper long to read the first document and see what had happened. “Son of a bitch. Oh, no.”
Meg still hadn’t moved. She was bone tired, shivering, and had nothing left. Nothing that mattered.
“Come on.” Harper grabbed her under the elbow and got her to her feet, wrapping her arm around her as they walked to the house. “You need to warm up, and I have to mobilize the troops.”
“She said she knew our marriage was a fake and they told the court the adoption was a scam. But it’s not, Harper. It’s not. We want to be a family.”
Harper nodded as she moved her through the house to Jason’s office. “I know, Meg.”
“Mrs. Campbell said Jason knew this was going to happen, that he . . . he . . .” Tears started to choke her as she dropped into a large chair. “He wouldn’t do this. Why would she say he would? He wouldn’t.”
“Not a chance.”
***
An hour later, Meg was sipping hot tea that Harper was forcing her to drink, and she was feeling warmer, but not any more hopeful. “They always win, don’t they?”
Harper was sitting at Jason’s desk, working on her laptop. She turned and pushed her hair behind her ear and then moved herself next to Meg.
“People like the Campbells don’t care about anyone. I’ve known a lot of people like them, and they don’t care who they hurt as long as they come out on top.”
“They said Jason knew what they were doing. That he betrayed me once and he was doing it again.”
“I don’t believe that. And I hope you don’t, either.”
Meg shook her head. “No. Have you talked to him?” Harper glanced away and pressed her lips together. Meg had a pretty good idea that she hadn’t. “Has he ever been out of contact like this?”
“Yes,” Harper said. “The last time he was on Crete. Look, this has