Chapter 1 - The Hands in the Frosting
"GET YOUR HANDS OFF MY DAUGHTER!"
Andrew Bishop's voice cracked across the dining room just as Zoe Bennett pulled six-year-old Emma away from the ruined cake.
White frosting covered the child's lashes and nose.
She coughed against the nanny's shoulder, her lilac dress twisted where she'd fought to lift herself from the platter.
Clara stood on the other side of the table with icing on her fingers.
Her mother, Judith, was still gripping the silver cake stand.
Twenty baby-shower guests had seen enough to know why Emma was crying, but most looked at their shoes.
"She ruined my shower," Clara said.
"She tried to grab the cake."
"That's not what happened," Zoe answered, wiping Emma's face with a clean napkin.
"You held her down, and Judith kept the cake from sliding."
Andrew crossed to Emma and crouched.
"Sweetheart, can you breathe?"
"I didn't touch it," Emma whispered.
"She said nobody wants me."
Andrew stood.
"You put my daughter's face in a cake?"
"Don't talk to me like I'm some criminal," Clara snapped.
"She's been trying to ruin everything about this baby."
His open hand struck Clara's cheek before he stopped himself.
She stumbled into a chair and caught her pregnant stomach with both arms.
A horrible silence followed.
Andrew stepped backward, horrified by what he'd done.
"I shouldn't have hit you," he said, voice shaking.
"Zoe, please get medical advice for Emma. Clara, you need to be checked if you're hurt."
Judith pointed toward the door.
"You monster. Get out of my daughter's house."
"It's my daughter's home too," Andrew replied.
"And nobody here gets to hurt her again."
He carried Emma into the sitting room and stayed with her while Zoe called the clinic.
Clara's voice rose behind the closed door, but Andrew refused another argument in Emma's hearing.
Then Zoe sat beside him, pale and determined.
"There's something else," she said.
"Clara gave me boxes yesterday. She told me to empty Emma's room before the baby comes."
Andrew stared at her.
May you like
"What boxes?"
"The ones labeled REMOVE EVERYTHING THAT BELONGED TO NORA."
