Abandoned
Daniel appeared in the doorway — silent, ashamed, unable to meet her eyes.
“Daniel,” she sobbed, “please don’t let her take him…”
He said nothing. He turned and walked away.
The slam of the door echoed like a final verdict. Her world — her body, her family, her motherhood — vanished in a single cruel moment.
Weeks passed in a fog of despair. Daniel and Margaret moved away, cutting all contact. Emma was transferred to a rehabilitation center, her body frail and her mind shattered. Each night she whispered her son’s name — “Noah” — into the darkness. The nurses pitied her, but there was little they could do.
“You have to focus on recovery,” one said gently.
But Emma didn’t want to heal. She wanted her child back.
