I Died the Day My Husband's Girlfriend Did a Magic Trick novel · Chapter 17 of 24

Chapter 17: The Order

I opened the front door and stood in it.

The chief of police had his hat in his hand, and he looked as if he had swallowed it.

Imogen stood a step behind him in her cream coat with a paper folder pressed to her chest.

"Cora," she said. "Thank God he's safe. We were sick with worry."

"He walked two miles on his own."

"Because he's confused, poor lamb."

"Ma'am," the chief said, and cleared his throat. "I've got a temporary order here from the family court. It puts the boy with his biological mother through Monday morning, when a judge will hear the whole matter."

He held out the paper.

I read it standing on Hattie's porch.

It had the county seal, and a signature, and Keegan's affidavit stapled behind it.

It also had a line about "a pattern of instability following a traumatic injury," and a line about "the minor's unsupervised flight from his guardian's care."

"He ran to me," I said.

"That's how it reads," the chief said unhappily. "I'm sorry. The judge signed it this afternoon."

"Over the weekend of her show."

"Cora, please." Imogen's voice cracked, exactly on cue. "It's only three nights. It's not a punishment. He's my son."

Behind me, I could feel Abel in the hallway, as still as a post.

I knew what he wanted.

So did I.

I wanted to shut the door and bolt it, and put my body between my child and every adult in the county.

I looked at the chief's face.

He was an ordinary, tired man who didn't want to carry a crying boy out of a funeral home, and who would do it anyway, in front of the street.

← Chapter 16 · All chapters · Chapter 18 →

Want to keep talking to characters like these? Chat with AI romance characters: AI Boyfriend · AI Girlfriend · Dark Romance · Fantasy Romance · BL (Boys’ Love) · Billionaire Boyfriend · Mafia Boyfriend · Possessive Boyfriend · Hockey Boyfriend · Older Boyfriend · K-Drama Boyfriend · Anime Boyfriend · Vampire Boyfriend · Werewolf Boyfriend · Demon Boyfriend · Fae Romance · GL (Girls’ Love) · Anime Girlfriend · Goth & Alt Girlfriend · Gamer Girlfriend · Tsundere Girlfriend · Fantasy Girlfriend