Chapter 3 - The Slap

"Emily?" Daniel called from the entryway.

I stood in his office with the papers pressed against my chest.

My heart was pounding so hard the baby kicked under my ribs.

A second voice floated up the stairs.

Margaret.

Of course she was with him.

I walked down slowly.

Daniel looked up first. The second he saw the envelope, all the color left his face.

Margaret didn't blink.

"What is this?" I asked.

Daniel closed the front door. "Emily, let me explain."

"No. Read it. Explain the part where you call me unstable. Explain the part where you plan to file for sole custody after I give birth."

Margaret set her purse on the table. "You're hysterical right now, which is not exactly helping your case."

I turned on her. "My case?"

"You need to calm down."

"You are trying to take my baby."

"We're trying to protect him."

"From what? Me?"

She gave a tiny shrug. "You cry constantly. You panic. You can't even manage a clean kitchen."

"I'm eight months pregnant!"

"You're not special. Millions of women have babies."

I stepped closer. "You went through my home. You photographed my things. You twisted my private messages."

"Emily," Daniel said, "please sit down."

"Don't tell me to sit down."

Margaret moved between us. "This is exactly what I've been talking about. Aggressive. Uncontrolled."

"Get out of my house."

"Lower your voice."

"GET OUT."

Her hand moved before I understood what was happening.

The slap cracked across my face.

My head snapped sideways.

I stumbled backward. The legal papers slipped from my hands and scattered across the floor like white birds.

"Emily!" Daniel shouted.

My heel caught the edge of the rug.

I fell.

I couldn't get air.

My breaths came fast and shallow.

"My baby," I gasped.

I covered my stomach with one hand.

Daniel dropped beside me. "Call 911!"

Margaret's voice sounded far away. "She's performing. Daniel, don't reward this."

When I opened my eyes, Daniel was kneeling beside me. The papers were everywhere.

One page lay inches from my hand.

His signature was visible under Margaret's.

I whispered, "You knew?"

He said nothing.

Then I slapped my husband across the face.

He stared at me, stunned.

I grabbed the stack of legal papers and threw them into his face.

"You can keep your mother," I said. "You don't get to keep me."

I turned and walked out.

Behind me, Margaret shouted, "If you leave, you'll prove everything we've said!"

I kept walking.

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Then Daniel yelled one sentence that stopped me cold.

"Emily, if you take my son, I'll call the police."