My Son, Their Prop- A Mother's Wrath to Burn It All Down

Chapter 3

"This couple's been working out of town for years. When they got married, they asked us to handle their wedding planning, but they never had any kids. Now that they're getting older, they wanted a celebration to collect gifts, so they asked me if they could borrow a child for the event. Norris seemed like the perfect choice. It was just for the day, and I was planning to bring him back after dinner."

I was in shock. Vivien was doing this just for money? It was obvious Emeline knew about it, and had even accepted the payment. Norris, though usually well-behaved, was at an age where he'd be wary of strangers. The thought of him spending an entire day surrounded by unfamiliar faces and places made me furious. My anger toward Vivien was off the charts. All I wanted was to get Norris out of there.

"Take me to Norris, right now. I'm taking him home!"

Vivien quickly grabbed my arm, her face filled with concern. "Sandi, I just checked on Norris. He's asleep, and dinner's about to be served. How about you and Frederic stay for dinner, and then we'll leave right after?"

I yanked my arm free and snapped, "I'll say it again. I want to see Norris, now!"

Vivien went silent. I turned on my heel and headed toward the house behind me. Inside, the atmosphere was relaxed, people chatting, snacking, and lounging. I scanned the room but couldn't spot Norris. My anxiety began to spiral. I started checking each room one by one.

An elderly woman stood up, scowling. "Hey, who do you think you are? You can't just barge into someone's house!"

I ignored her, my heart racing faster with each passing moment. Still no sign of my son.

Vivien and Frederic rushed after me. "Sandi, Sandi! This is someone else's house. You can't just do this!"

Vivien made a quick gesture to Frederic, signaling him to stop me.

"Vivien, is this how your company runs things? This is insane."

The old woman walked toward us, looking like she was about to explode. I grabbed her arm and demanded, "Where's my son? Where is he?"

She glanced at Vivien, then back at me, her eyes darting around defensively. "What are you talking about? How would I know where your kid is? It's crazy for you to be searching for him in my house."

Then, from the stairs, a woman appeared, carrying a crying child. The moment I saw the familiar outfit, my stomach dropped. I rushed toward her, nearly in tears. "Norris! Norris!"

The woman recoiled, clutching the child to her chest, and the old woman quickly stepped in front of her. "What's wrong with you? Who is this crazy woman?"

Vivien rushed over, apologizing frantically. "I'm so sorry, so sorry. I'll get her out of here."

Frederic tried to pull me back. "Sandi, please, let's talk outside. There are too many people here."

A crowd had started to gather, whispers rippling through the room. My eyes never left Norris, who, despite the chaos around him, was still asleep in the woman's arms. Something wasn't right.

"Frederic! Are you just going to stand there while your sister hands our son over to strangers?"

The murmurs grew louder.

"I knew it! I never saw that woman pregnant, and now she has a kid that's already a year old?"

"I heard the couple had trouble getting pregnant. I guess they finally worked it out."

"I've heard of borrowing money, cars, but a kid? That's something new."

"Exactly. And now that I think about it, the kid doesn't even look like them!"

The whispers turned into a buzz. The old woman's face twisted with anger as she turned to point at me and Vivien. "Your child? He's my grandson! I know it! You two are in on this! What kind of mother lets her child stay with strangers all day? Help me! This woman is trying to steal my grandson!"

Her words hit hard. The crowd started eyeing us suspiciously.

Vivien immediately waved her hands, trying to calm everyone. "No, no! She's not a kidnapper. This is all a misunderstanding!"

"Then explain yourselves!" the old woman demanded. "Why were you trying to take the child? The lady's right. What kind of mother would let her kid stay with strangers?"

"Yeah, exactly! You look like a decent woman, but now you're involved in something shady?"

The situation was spinning out of control. Without thinking, I made a decision.