I didn't hold back. While Wesley wasn't looking, I scooped her up and ran.

Downstairs. Into the car. Engine on before he even made it out.

I checked the rearview.

Wesley was chasing us. Reporters right behind him.

I hit the gas.

In the back seat, Lily's tears were gone. Her eyes turned cold.

"Mom, even if you do a hundred tests, it won't change anything. I'm your daughter."

A smug smile curled on her lips.

I said nothing. I cut across lanes.

The older she got, the more something felt off.

It started with a kindergarten physical. Her blood type came back A.

I'm O. Wesley's B. No way she could be A.

I called the school. They said it was a mistake.

Later, I took her to the hospital myself. This time, it came back B. Wesley kept saying I was just stressed, overthinking it.

That night, Lily walked into my room with a knife.

I'm a light sleeper. I jerked awake. "What are you doing?"

"Mom, can you just die?" Her voice was soft, almost sweet—but it cut cold.

I flipped on the light. She slipped the knife behind her back, face all innocence.

I pressed her all night. Nothing. Just tears.

By morning, she was back to her usual self—sweet, well-behaved.

I even wondered if Wesley or his mom—Caroline—put her up to it. No proof.

It felt like she was two people.

In front of everyone, she was obedient, adorable.

But at night, when it was just us, she flipped—cold, selfish.

When Lily realized we weren't heading to the usual hospital, she frowned. "Where are you taking me?"

"To the hospital," I said. "Just not the one we went to before."

She looked out at the unfamiliar streets—then panicked, slamming her fists against the window.

"Let me out! I don't want another DNA test! I am your daughter!"

My phone rang. Wesley.

I picked up.

"Maya Madison! Where are you taking Lily? If anything happens to her—"

"To the hospital."

"You're going the wrong way!" His voice spiked, panic breaking through.

I kept my voice calm, almost amused. "Bellemont Medical Center. We've been to St. Rosaline Hospital too many times."

He started tripping over his words. "Go to St. Rosaline! I'll let you do the test—I won't stop you!"

"Dad, save me! Mom said she's taking me to die with her! Save me! I don't want to be with her!" Lily suddenly screamed.

I caught her in the rearview mirror. Her face twisted, vicious.

I hung up and hit the gas.

At Bellemont Medical Center, I dragged her straight to the second-floor lab.

I'd already booked it.

Lily's face kept draining, paler with every step. When we hit the second floor, someone called out—

"Maya, what are you doing here?"

Sasha Reed. My best friend.

Wesley rushed up right then. The second he saw her, the panic on his face eased.

"Sasha can go with us too. I'm not stopping you. Just go to St. Rosaline. Don't you trust Sasha?"

Sasha lost her parents young. Her grandparents raised her.

They were always busy, barely scraping by.

My mom felt bad. She brought Sasha over all the time.

Whatever I had, she had too.

We grew up side by side.

After graduation, my mom helped her land a job at St. Rosaline.

We were basically sisters.

She'd handled every DNA test before this.

"Sasha!" Lily ran over, grabbing her hand, eyes on me, wary.

Sasha blinked. "Another DNA test? That makes a hundred, right?"

Then her face shifted, concern creeping in. "Are you under too much stress? Postpartum depression? You should see a psychiatrist."

She glanced at me, saw how tight I was, and sighed. "If you really want to do it here, fine. I'm here for an exchange program anyway. I'll watch them run it. That should ease your mind."

I looked down, thought for a second, then nodded.

Reporters flooded into the hospital. Some were already livestreaming.

She grabbed a collection tube and rolled up Lily's sleeve. The bruises made her eyes soften.

"Maya, let's use hair instead. Tech's better now. It'll still be accurate."

I watched the livestream on my phone. The comments were blowing up with insults.

"This is child abuse!"

"I know her! The crazy lady in our neighborhood who keeps doing DNA tests!"

"Call the cops! That kid isn't safe with her!"

I didn't react. "Draw blood."

Wesley slapped me across the face. "You're hopeless!"

My cheek swelled on the spot. I tasted blood at the corner of my mouth.

I covered my face, eyes cold.

He froze for a second, panic flashing in his eyes.

Then he glanced at the phone screen. The panic faded—replaced by something like satisfaction.

The livestream lit up with cheers.

"Well done!"

"She had it coming!"

I snatched the syringe from Sasha and drew Lily's blood myself.

Then I drew my own and handed both tubes to Sasha.

She looked at me, helpless—like I was too far gone.

I sat outside the lab, silent, waiting.

My mom rushed in and grabbed my hand. "If Wesley hadn't called, I wouldn't even know you've been doing this! What's wrong with you? If something's bothering you, tell us. Let's go home. No more tests."

Her eyes flicked to the cameras around us.

My vision blurred. I could ignore everyone else—just not her.

If this DNA test came back the same, with all those cameras—

I'd be done. Hated. I might drag her down with me.

But I didn't back off. I pulled my hand free. "Mom, you'll understand when the results come out."

"You! How can you be this stubborn?" She clutched her chest, her vision going dark—then collapsed.

"Mom! Mom!" I lunged to catch her, but my dad shoved me aside.

"You ungrateful girl! You put your mother in the hospital! We don't have a daughter like you!"

They rushed her into the ER.

At the doors, I turned and walked toward the lab.

Wesley glared at me. "Maya, I didn't know you could be this cold. Your mom's in the ER because of you, and you're still thinking about a DNA test? You're heartless."

My steps dragged. My chest felt packed tight. I could barely breathe.

I kept walking.

The results came out fast.

Sasha held the report, voice steady. "Maya, I watched them run it myself. There's no way it's wrong. You need to come to your senses. Go home and make it up to Lily. She's been terrified these past few months."

I crossed my arms and didn't take it. I stared her down. "Nothing wrong with it? You willing to stake your career on that?"

She froze. Then she glanced at the cameras, her face turning hurt. "Don't take this out on me. I swear on my integrity."

Wesley stepped in front of her. "Maya, you've gone too far. How can you accuse Sasha like that? Just because the results aren't what you want, you take it out on her?"

He flipped the report open. Didn't even look—just threw it at my face.

I caught it, frowning.

Bold black letters: biological relationship.

A reporter snatched it from my hand and passed it around.

Everyone around me looked at me with pure disdain.

"I told you. Ninety-nine tests, and every one said the same thing. How would this be any different?"

"She's completely lost it."

"Now she's blaming the doctor, trying to stir things up. Disgusting."

A security guard came over and shoved me. "Don't make a scene. We don't tolerate harassment here."

I almost stumbled.

I looked around. Every face—mocking, disgusted, full of contempt.

Two uniformed officers walked in. "Who is Maya Madison?"

Wesley pointed at me. "Her! I'm her husband—I called the police! She abuses children! She abuses my daughter!"

He looked pained, but I caught the smile in his eyes.

Lily wrapped her arms around an officer's leg. "Officer, Mommy hits me. It really hurts."

The livestream blew up—cheers, people telling me to rot in prison.

The officers exchanged a look. "Maya Madison called us. We got a report of child trafficking."

I stepped forward, holding up my ID. "I'm Maya Madison. I'm reporting Sasha Reed for child trafficking. She trafficked my child."

Everything froze.

Even the crowd went quiet.

They just stared, like their brains couldn't catch up.

Sasha's face went pale. She rushed to explain, "Lily is your child! Officer, here's the DNA test!"

Wesley jumped in. "She's my daughter! My wife gave birth to her! My wife's unstable—everyone knows she's been imagining our daughter isn't hers."

My phone rang. I smiled and put it on speaker.

"Maya, all the hospitals in the city finished the tests! Just like you thought! I'm downstairs at Bellemont—I'm coming up now!"

I hung up. "Officer, wait. The evidence is on the way."

Before I came here, I'd already pulled some of Lily's hair—mine too—and had my cousin Keira run tests.

I was going to confirm it quietly.

Didn't expect Wesley to call the press and drag me through the dirt.

Murmurs rippled through the crowd.

"They already did a hundred tests."

"Why do more?"

"What's it gonna change?"

I lifted my chin and pointed at Sasha. "It changes everything. Every test before went through her. I sent our hair samples to every hospital in the city that can run DNA tests. If they all match, I'll accept it. But if they don't—Sasha Reed, I want to know where you took my real child."

Right as I finished, Keira walked in, arms full of reports.

"All of them. One from each hospital."

The crowd surged forward, grabbing the reports.

They read—then froze.

Shock hit all at once, spreading across their faces.

Every single report said the same thing in bold black letters—

[not biologically related.]