Chapter 10 - They Wanted Me Declared Unstable
I had never been admitted to a psychiatric hospital.
I had never threatened myself, Sophie, Ryan, or anyone else.
But Cole had photographed a petition alleging that I suffered from postpartum psychosis and was a danger to my child.
At the bottom were spaces for two affidavits.
RYAN MITCHELL.
LINDA CARTER.
My own mother had planned to tell a court I was dangerous.
“Where did this language come from?” Daniel asked.
Cole shrugged. “Ryan said a doctor helped.”
I remembered Dr. Kevin Lane, a psychiatrist and family friend. Months earlier Mom had insisted I talk to him at a party because I “looked tired.” We spoke for maybe ten minutes.
Daniel called him.
“I never evaluated Emily,” Dr. Lane said. “And I never diagnosed her.”
“Did Linda Carter contact you?”
“Yes. She asked general questions about postpartum psychosis.”
“Did you sign anything?”
“No.”
Yet a draft declaration carried Dr. Lane’s forged signature.
That afternoon police searched my parents’ home and seized Dad’s office computers.
Mom called while officers carried boxes outside.
“You did this to your father.”
“No. You did.”
“He could lose everything.”
“You should have thought about that before stealing my identity.”
“He is your father.”
“And Sophie is my daughter.”
Mom started crying.
Then she said, “If you keep pushing this, you’re going to learn things about Grandma you won’t like.”
“What does that mean?”
Her crying stopped.
“It means ask who really created that account.”
The line went dead.
May you like
Grandma had heard every word.
For the first time since I arrived, she looked afraid.
