The day my son turned two, Nelson Sanchez handed me divorce papers.

"Norma Swanson, I don't love you anymore. A marriage like this will never make either of us happy."

"I'll take care of Tommy Abbott. We have forty thousand in joint savings. We split it down the middle. Sign the papers and call me."

He turned and walked out. The candles were still burning. Tommy was babbling his way through "Happy Birthday" in that tuneless little voice of his.

I stared at Nelson's retreating back, too stunned to move.

For over three years, we'd been the couple everyone envied. Tommy's arrival had only made things better, filling our home with more joy than I'd ever thought possible.

I couldn't understand why he wanted a divorce.

Not until the computer screen flickered to life.

Nelson had left his messages open. A chat window was blinking, topped by the profile picture of an ex-girlfriend he'd supposedly broken up with years ago.

Eunice, I already asked her for the divorce. She has no house, no car, no job. Custody is mine for sure.

Once the divorce is finalized, we can finally be together with our child. Forever.

The words hit me like a bucket of ice water.

My hands shaking, I turned to look at Tommy. The baby I'd nearly died bringing into this world.

How was he suddenly their child?

...

Tommy refused to blow out the candles.

He tilted his little face up at me, stubborn in that squeaky toddler voice of his. "Wait for Daddy. Wait for Daddy to blow together."

Wax tears slid down the candles and pooled in the frosting.

I pulled him into my arms and pressed my cheek against his soft hair.

Three years ago, I never could have imagined I'd have a healthy, beautiful child like him.

Before the wedding, Nelson had come to me with something he called honesty. His family carried a hereditary condition. The odds of it affecting him were slim, he said, but he wanted to get tested anyway, so he'd never become a burden to me.

I'd been so moved I could barely speak. I told him I didn't care, that I'd stand by him no matter what, sick or healthy.

But he insisted on the screening. He was a medical doctor, after all. So I went along with it.

His results came back clean. Mine didn't. I was diagnosed with fertility complications.

He didn't flinch. Didn't pull away. Instead, he held my hand and told me we could try IVF. The sooner we started, the better our chances.

And by some miracle, it worked on the first try.

The moment I heard that tiny heartbeat, steady and strong on the monitor, every needle, every injection, every ounce of pain felt worth it.

He doted on me through the entire pregnancy. His parents took turns dropping off home-cooked meals and fresh groceries.

When Tommy was born, I hemorrhaged. I nearly didn't make it.

But I heard him. I heard his very first cry, loud and clear.

That was my baby. He came from my body.

So why was Nelson saying Tommy belonged to him and Eunice Summers?

A low ringing filled my skull.

Nelson was the youngest vice president at his hospital. Brilliant. Ambitious. Respected.

And our entire IVF process had been done at that very hospital.

If he'd wanted to tamper with anything along the way, I would never have known.

The candles burned down to nothing. The last flame wavered, then guttered out with a soft puff.

Tommy didn't understand. His lower lip trembled, and then he burst into tears.

"Daddy not home yet! Candle light! Light!"

I scooped him up and patted his back gently.

"Daddy went to get Tommy a birthday present, remember?"

"It's your birthday today. Don't you want a present?"

He hiccupped, tears still clinging to his lashes. "What present?"

"You'll find out when Daddy gets back. How about we eat some cake first?"

Tommy nodded.

I cut him a slice, and he buried his little face right into it, taking an enormous bite. When he looked up again, frosting covered both cheeks, and all I could see were two bright, shining eyes.

He grinned at me, wide and goofy and perfect.

I smiled back.

And the tears slipped down my face before I could stop them.

His eyes, his brows—they looked so much like mine. How could he possibly be someone else's child?

But once doubt took root, it lodged itself like a thorn.

I couldn't pretend I hadn't seen what I'd seen. I got up, grabbed a pair of scissors, and while Tommy was busy attacking his birthday cake, I carefully snipped a small lock of his hair.

I sealed it in a plastic bag and tucked it against my body.

Then I cut myself a slice of cake.

Two years ago today, I'd been lying on a hospital bed, being wheeled out of the operating room.

Nelson had been standing at the door holding an enormous bouquet of roses.

His eyes were rimmed red—this man who never showed weakness.

He'd grabbed my hand, his voice shaking. "Norma, you're the hero of this family. I swear I'll never let you down."

The memory turned the cake in my mouth bitter.

We'd spent two blissful years together. His devotion to Tommy put me to shame as a mother. Every evening, the first thing he did when he got home was scoop Tommy up. On weekends, he took us to the park. When Tommy fussed in the middle of the night, Nelson was the one who jumped out of bed to soothe him.

How had such a warm, happy life fallen apart like this?

Then something hit me.

Today was Tommy's second birthday.

After a child turned two, a father could legally contest the mother for custody.

That message in his chat with Eunice echoed in my mind:

She has no house, no car, no job. Custody will be mine.

He'd planned this from the start.

Had they been counting down to this day all along?

I contacted the most reputable testing lab in Southport.

When the technician came to collect the sample, the doorbell rang while Tommy was sprawled on the couch playing with his blocks. He had sharp ears. The second he heard the sound, he scrambled down and toddled toward the door, calling out, "Daddy! Daddy!"

I scooped him up. Something in my chest twisted so hard I couldn't breathe.

"It's not Daddy."

"Mommy ordered food, okay? Mommy's going to get it. You wait right here like a good boy."

He nodded, not quite understanding, and went back to his blocks.

I clenched my jaw and texted Nelson:

Remember to bring Tommy a present when you come home. He wouldn't blow out the candles without you. He cried the whole time.

A few minutes later, he replied:

I'm not coming home tonight. Honestly, I don't know what kind of mother you are. You can't even handle one kid. I'll have my mom come pick him up later.

My suspicion from earlier hit me like a fire alarm. My fingers flew across the screen:

No need. If you're not coming back, I'll just buy Tommy a present myself. Don't bother your mom.

He didn't respond.

Even though I'd guessed what they were planning, it didn't matter whether Tommy shared my blood or not. He'd grown inside me. He was a piece of me.

Nelson was right about one thing. The house, the car—all purchased before the marriage, all in his name. He had an Ivy League PhD and a vice presidency at the hospital.

Meanwhile, I'd been kicked out by my parents right after high school. I'd barely kept myself fed for years, and every cent I'd managed to save went toward my dowry. After Tommy was born, I'd quit my job entirely to take care of him full-time.

I had nothing. I didn't stand a chance against him in court.

All I could do was pretend I knew nothing and figure out a plan.

A sudden knock came at the door. Before I could react, it swung open.

Jean Sanchez stood in the doorway. The moment she spotted me sitting on the couch, the smile slid right off her face.

"Norma, I swear I don't know who raised you to be this lazy."

"You're living in my son's house, and you can't even be bothered to answer the door when I knock?"

I stared at the woman sneering in my doorway. Just yesterday, she'd sent me a text saying she'd made braised short ribs and invited me over for dinner.

So much could change in a single day.

I walked over and lowered my voice. "Mom, I just got Tommy down for his nap. He's sound asleep. Why don't you head home?"

"So what if he's asleep? Wake him up. I didn't come all this way for nothing."

I pressed my weight against the door, refusing to let her in.

"Mom, he's really sleeping. Please come back tomorrow."

Jean's face collapsed into something ugly. She whipped out her phone and dialed.

"Nelson, sweetheart, look at the wonderful wife you married. I came to celebrate Tommy's birthday, and she won't even let me see him!"

She shoved the phone in my face. I heard silence on the other end, a few seconds of nothing, then two words: "Wait there."

Jean let out a cold laugh. She didn't leave. She just planted herself in the doorway like a guard dog with something to prove.

About fifteen minutes later, Nelson came back.

He wasn't alone.

Behind him stood Eunice Summers, makeup flawless, poised and haughty as ever.

I genuinely hadn't expected him to be shameless enough to bring her to our home. My whole body trembled with rage.

"Nelson, what is this woman doing here? What the hell is going on?"

He didn't even look at me.

"What's going on? Mom comes to see the kid and you won't let her?"

I didn't answer. I stared at him, unblinking.

"When did you start seeing Eunice? We're still married!"

"I already gave you the divorce papers. Who I'm with has nothing to do with you anymore."

"Why?" My fists clenched so tight my nails bit into my palms. "You two broke up years ago. If you still loved her, why did you come after me?"

Nelson let out a mocking laugh.

"Come after you?"

"Norma, when I ran into you again, I thought you were a novelty. A few years out of high school, and sure, you'd gotten prettier."

"But you never even went to college. Every single day with you was torture."

"Do you know what it's like when two minds truly connect? I only feel that with Eunice."

Eunice tugged lightly at his sleeve. "Nelson, there's no need for this."

"No. I want her to know exactly what she is."

"Nagging, hovering, can't do a single thing right."

"Your parents made the right call back then. You couldn't even handle the SATs. Even with a whole extra year to study, you still would've bombed."

The shouting in the living room woke Tommy.

He came shuffling out, rubbing his eyes, bare feet padding across the floor.

He saw the people in the living room, froze for a second, then his eyes lit up.

"Daddy! Mama Eunice! Did you come to bring Tommy presents?"

That tiny voice hit me like thunder.

I swallowed my shock, crouched down in front of him.

"Tommy, what did you just call that woman?"

A flicker of unease crossed Nelson's face, but before he could say a word, Tommy chirped again:

"Daddy always takes me and Mama Eunice to the park! And Mama Eunice buys me lots and lots of toys!"

My mind went blank. A roar filled my ears.

"Nelson. What is this?"

He dropped the act entirely. He walked over to the couch and sat down.

"Well, since it's all come out anyway, I might as well tell you."

He reached over and pulled Eunice against him by the waist.

"Tommy's so smart, so adorable. You really think he could be yours and mine? He's mine and Eunice's."

A buzzing filled my head.

"That's impossible..."

"When we did the IVF, the embryo they implanted in you was fertilized with my sperm and Eunice's egg."

His tone was perfectly calm.

"The breakup was all an act for your benefit. Eunice is afraid of pain. I couldn't bear to put her through ten months of pregnancy."

"And then you came along. That's how you got the honor of marrying me."

The last time I'd seen Nelson before all this was at a hospital, years after high school.