Chapter 77 Annabelle
Annabelle
Scarlett was being discharged that afternoon, and Annabelle had left and gone to the store to pick up all her favorites.
James’s parents were at the hospital with Scarlett and would wait there until Annabelle came back to pick her up.
At their house, she grabbed the mail from outside and brought it in with her.
After she unloaded the groceries, she sorted through the pile of mail and frowned when she came to a plain white envelope with her name and address.
It looked as though the letters had been cut out from magazines or newspapers—like the ransom notes you see on television.
She slid her thumb under the flap and opened it.
A folded white paper was inside. She sucked in a breath when she saw what it was.
A receipt printout from the Phoenix Motel for one night, paid in cash.
The same place she’d dreamed she saw James with another woman.
She looked at the date. A little less than a month ago.
Did this mean that James was cheating on her?
She was still holding the paper in her hand, trying to make sense of it all, when he walked in.
“I thought you had appointments this morning?” she said, surprised to see him.
“I had them rescheduled. I wanted to go with you to bring Scarlett home.” He looked at her hand. “What’s that?”
“Why don’t you tell me?” Annabelle thrust it at him.
He took it from her. His eyes widened and then his face became a mask. “I have no idea. Where did you get this?”
“Someone mailed it to me. Are you having an affair? Because I dreamt that you were there with some woman.”
“Come on, Annabelle. This is beyond getting old.”
“I’m serious! What the hell is this? Did your girlfriend send it?”
“This is absurd! I have no idea who sent this. Someone paid cash for a room and mailed you a receipt. It proves nothing! I have no idea why you would dream it or who would send it. Someone is clearly trying to gaslight you. We’ve been through hell. Scarlett is finally coming home. Let’s not fight.”
She stood there, frozen. Why would she have seen him at that motel in her dreams?
Something had to be going on. But she had no real proof.
Anyone could have sent this. And as she’d learned, her dreams didn’t always translate literally.
But still, what did that motel have to do with them?
James came closer and put his arms around her.
“I love you, Annabelle. You’re my whole world. It’s been so lonely here with only Olivia and me. I want my family back under one roof.”
But her family was not complete. She moved back out of his arms and looked at him. “I can’t stop thinking about Lucas. I’ve gone over that night in my head so many times, and it still makes no sense. Once I get Scarlett home and settled, I’m going to that hospital to figure out what happened.”
“What good is that going to do? What’s done is done. Isn’t it more important to see where we go from here?”
Annabelle looked at James in perplexion. “What’s done is done? What are you talking about? Someone has to be held accountable. My son was taken from me. How can you be so cavalier?”
He heaved a heavy sigh. “I was the doctor in charge that night. So whoever made the mistake, it’s all going to come back on me. We’ve talked about this—it was a crazy night. It was a mistake, Annabelle. Let’s just move forward. This could negatively affect my practice.”
She stared at him for a long moment. She distinctly remembered watching them put the bracelet on her son.
She’d even looked at it, a thrill running through her when she read the date.
It was her mother’s birthday. It had seemed like a good omen at the time.
The only way the babies could have been switched was if someone had done it intentionally.
“James, someone did it on purpose. There’s no way that bracelet slid off. ”
He didn’t answer.
Another thought occurred to her. “When Scarlett was born, you said something that struck me as odd, but I dismissed it.” Her pulse quickened. “You said, I’m happy to be the man who made you a mother. ”
“I don’t remember, but if I did, so what? That means nothing.”
“No, no. You were worried I’d take Randy back. You kept asking me about it. And then, after what happened, you took over, made me depend on you.”
“Just let it go.” His hands were balled into fists.
Annabelle’s stomach tightened. It was all becoming clear. “Tell me the truth. It was you. Wasn’t it?”
“You’re crazy.”
“Tell me the truth! I have a right to know!”
James scowled. “You were so ambivalent and worried about being a good mother. You kept talking about a do-over. How it wasn’t the right time for you to have a child.
You didn’t want it! And they had lost so many children.
They were dying for a child, and all you could do was whine about how you didn’t think you’d be a good mother.
I did it for you. And for us!” He was yelling now.
Her blood rushed to her head, and all she heard was a pounding in her ears. “How could you give them my baby?”
“Once I did it, there was no turning back. I thought, you know, you’d get over it.
It seemed like fate. The Sommers family came in on the same night.
She’d had so many miscarriages. They were so excited that she finally went full term.
And then I delivered her baby, and I could tell he wasn’t going to make it.
I tried my best, but he died soon after he was born.
Then you had that seizure, and you were out.
They were both in the nursery, and something told me to do it.
You weren’t ready to be a mother, and she wanted nothing but to be a mother.
Your mom was getting sicker, and she needed you.
It wasn’t the right time for you. Between taking care of your mother and trying to start a career, you were overwhelmed.
It seemed like it would be a clean slate for you to start your life.
And I knew you could have more. This was their last chance. ”
Annabelle was speechless. Immobilized. Almost outside of herself.
But then she exploded. “How could you? You stole my child from me. You ripped my heart out, do you know that? Do you have any idea of how many nights I’ve cried for him?
How empty I still feel? You can’t decide to give away someone else’s child.
But you did! You had no right!” She pushed James, fury filling her as she looked at him, this man she’d spent all these years with, and realized he was a total stranger.
“You comforted me. Swooped in and made me depend on you. You proposed shortly after, and I was so devastated and lost that I said yes. You took advantage of me!”
His face turned red, and his eyes bulged.
“I saved you! You had nothing. I took you in, took care of you after that asshole cheated on you, and yet you still pined after him. I was the one who loved you, who wanted to give you a good life. But you were never grateful! I changed my career because of you! Everything I’ve ever done is because I love you, but all you can do is mourn the past. I’ve given you a wonderful life!
I’ve given you the life you always wanted. ”
“No! It’s the life you’ve always wanted!
And now we almost lost Scarlett because of you.
You’re horrible! All these years, living with me, seeing what it did to me, and the whole time, you knew?
” Annabelle was screaming now. “Get out! Get out! You’re going to pay for this! I can’t bear to even look at you!”
“I’m not going anywhere! This is my house. My family. You’re not going to take it all away. You can’t throw away our marriage over one mistake.”
She scoffed. “Mistake? It was a deliberate act. You’ve deprived me of my child for all these years. How could you possibly think that I could stay with you after that?”
His demeanor changed again and James softened his voice. “Annabelle, please. I know it will take time, but you have to forgive me. Yes, I did a horrible thing, but I really thought it was the right thing at the time. And I’ve given you two other children.”
Her mouth dropped open. “What are you saying? That it’s okay that you took one child from me, because you replaced him with two? Are you out of your mind?”
“No, of course not. I’m just saying that I love you and our family, and I don’t want to see you destroy everything over something that I deeply regret.”
“I’m not the one who’s destroyed everything. What you did is criminal. I’ve looked into it, James. Not only could you lose your medical license, but you could be arrested for kidnapping.”
“Kidnapping! What are you talking about?”
“Yes, kidnapping. You kidnapped my baby when you took him and gave him to someone else.”
“You can’t be serious. You’d actually have me arrested?
You can’t do that! I’d lose my license, my liberty, everything.
After I’ve dedicated my entire life to taking care of you…
you would…you would do that?” The look in his eyes hardened.
“I won’t let you destroy everything I’ve worked so hard for. ”
“You’re a monster. And you’re going to pay.”
He moved toward her and the menacing look on his face made Annabelle shrink back. His hands encircled her throat before she even registered movement. She was pinned between him and the counter. His fingers dug into her neck, cutting off her air.
“James! S-s-stop,” she sputtered.
But it was as if he couldn’t hear her. His fingers tightened, and she began to choke. She couldn’t breathe. Frantically, she reached behind her and pulled a knife from the butcher block and swung her arm around ready to stab him. His eyes widened and he dropped his hands, backing away from her.
Her hands came up to her neck as she massaged it and continued to cough. He turned and walked out of the house.
The dream that started it all. Now she understood. She needed to call a lawyer.