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“Then what’s wrong?” Ellie leaned back to look at Alison. “What are you scared of?”
“Harker.”
“Harker?” Ellie stared at her like she was nuts.
“Yes. He’s going to take my baby.”
“He said that?”
“No, but it’s in the contract.” She wiped her eyes.
“I thought you were sharing custody?”
“That’s what I thought too but the contract…it’s…it’s…” She didn’t know the right word. “Dan and Terry called it slippery. Harker can take my baby from me and for some reason I still want him.” She bit her lip. “What’s wrong with me?”
“Oh, Alison. You’re going to have to talk slower. I know it’s hard, but you have to because I’m not following you.” Ellie glanced at Adrian, and he shook his head.
Alison took a deep breath and explained everything that Terry had told her about the contract.
“That bastard.” Ellie almost bristled. “That’s not going to happen.” She took Alison’s hand. “There is no way—contract or no contract—that he’ll take your baby.”
“He might. He’s rich.” She squeezed her friend’s hand, feeling better at Ellie’s outrage.
“No.” Adrian moved over on the couch, closer to Ellie. “You can go to court. No judge will take a baby away from its mother unless she’s an addict or abusive and you aren’t either of those things.”
“But I did sell my child for a…a piece of software.” She hiccupped. “I’m a horrible person.” Her phone beeped but she didn’t have to look to know it was Harker again.
“You didn’t sell your child,” said Ellie. “It’s in the contract that you agreed to joint custody. The rest of that is just a trick. Any judge will see that.”
“But…but he’s rich and I’m not and money wins. Always.”
“What does your lawyer say about this?” Adrian took Ellie’s other hand in his. “If he needs evidence against Harker, we can find it. Everyone has secrets especially rich guys like him.”
“Terry doesn’t think I have to worry about losing custody but that’s just because he doesn’t think Harker will enforce that part of the contract.”
“Do you think he will?” asked Ellie.
“I don’t know.” Alison wiped her eyes. “Sometimes I know he won’t but then I get so scared that he might.”
“Did you ask him?”
“Yeah. He offered to change the contract. To remove that clause.” Her phone beeped and she ignored it again.
“But…” Ellie stared at her.
“But I’d have to agree to stay with him until the baby is old enough for Harker to keep him or her overnight without me.”
“And you don’t want to do that because…” Ellie glanced at Adrian. It was clear neither of them understood.
“Because I’d have to live with him longer.”
“How long could that be? Six months or something?” Ellie’s phone beeped.
Adrian grabbed it from the end table and handed it to her. “It’s Harker.”
“Ignore him,” said Alison.
“Does he know you’re here?” asked Ellie.
