Forged My Marriage, Stole My Baby—Now I’m the Judge You Kneel To - Chapter 23: Chapter 23
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She pushed open the door and headed toward Shane's room, but stopped when she heard Gina's playful voice drifting out"Shane,Rowena's gonna be pissed?"
"Nah." Shane's voice was low and sure. "She's pretty chill about this stuff."
Rowena's fingers paused on the doorknob for a beat, then she knocked.
Dead silence, then footsteps. Shane opened the door looking completely normal. "Rowena, what's up?"
She looked past him into the room. Gina was perched on the bed with the baby, and the second she saw Rowena, she plastered on this apologetic smile. "Oh, Rowena! Don't get the wrong idea—I was just trying to get him down for a nap..."
Rowena didn't even acknowledge her. She walked straight to the bookshelf and pointed at the white ring. "I take this back."
Shane followed her gaze, his brow furrowing. "Why now all of a sudden?"
"Just missing my parents." Her tone was completely flat.
Shane went quiet for a second, then moved to get it. "Yeah, okay. Let me grab it for you."
But Gina suddenly jumped up. "Oh, let me help with that."
She reached for it, but the moment her fingers made contact with the ring, she stumbled forward—
*CRASH!*
The white ring hit the hardwood floor and exploded into fragments.
Rowena's pupils dilated, and she dropped to her knees instinctively, trying to gather the pieces. The second her fingers touched the cold shards, blood started seeping out, and it felt like someone was squeezing her heart in a vice.
She shot to her feet. "What the hell did you touch it for?!"
"Oh my God, I'm so sorry! I totally didn't mean to!" Gina was all frantic apologies, tears starting to well up. "I just—slipped, I swear..."
Shane frowned and reached out to steady her. "You hurt?"
Gina shook her head, turning to Rowena with this guilty expression. "Rowena, I'll replace it, I promise. I'll find one exactly like it."
Rowena picked up the biggest remaining piece and gripped it tight.
"Replace it? With what?"
Shane let out a heavy sigh. "Rowena, come on. Don't make this a big deal. I'll get someone to track down another one..."
She stood up and looked at him, her expression eerily calm.
"Don't."
She turned and walked out, her shoulders set but somehow fragile.
Shane's words of comfort died in his throat as he watched her go, this weird knot of anxiety starting to form in his chest.
At dinner, Rowena sat at the table staring at the spread.
Basically every dish screamed "new mom recovery food."
"Rowena, how come you're not eating?" Gina was sitting next to Shane with the baby, her voice all fake-concerned. "Is everything okay?Feeling bad?"
Rowena glanced up. "I'm not hungry."
Right then, the baby let out this sudden, piercing wail.
Rowena's temple immediately started pounding.
Gina started bouncing him around, looking all flustered, but kept shooting glances at Shane. "Why's he crying like this? Maybe it's..." She let the sentence hang, giving Rowena this loaded look.
"What?" Shane put his fork down.
"Well, maybe..." Gina bit her lip. "Could be Rowena's perfume? Babies are super sensitive to smells..."
Rowena stared at her. "I don't wear perfume."
Gina's face went stiff for a split second, then she switched back to that soft voice. "Oh... well, maybe he just wants daddy?" She gave Shane these big, pleading eyes. "Shane, please,could you try? He's getting himself all worked up..."
Shane hesitated but reached for the baby anyway. His movements were way too smooth, too practiced, as he pulled the kid against his chest.
The second the baby settled into Shane's arms, the crying stopped cold. The little guy even cracked this gummy smile up at him.
Gina practically bounced in her seat. "See? He totally loves his dad—" She slapped her hand over her mouth, eyes going wide. "Oh shit! I meant—he's just confused, thinks Shane's his dad or whatever... Rowena, I didn't mean anything by it."
She turned back to Shane, her eyes getting all watery. "Poor little guy... his real father's such a deadbeat..."
The dining room went dead quiet.
Shane stared down at the baby for a long moment, then suddenly said, "You know what? From now on, I am his dad."
He looked over at Rowena and added, "Kid stops crying the second I hold him. That's gotta count for something, right? Maybe I should just... step up."
"Rowena," his voice got firmer, "you don’t mind, right?"
"Nah." Shane's voice was low and sure. "She's pretty chill about this stuff."
Rowena's fingers paused on the doorknob for a beat, then she knocked.
Dead silence, then footsteps. Shane opened the door looking completely normal. "Rowena, what's up?"
She looked past him into the room. Gina was perched on the bed with the baby, and the second she saw Rowena, she plastered on this apologetic smile. "Oh, Rowena! Don't get the wrong idea—I was just trying to get him down for a nap..."
Rowena didn't even acknowledge her. She walked straight to the bookshelf and pointed at the white ring. "I take this back."
Shane followed her gaze, his brow furrowing. "Why now all of a sudden?"
"Just missing my parents." Her tone was completely flat.
Shane went quiet for a second, then moved to get it. "Yeah, okay. Let me grab it for you."
But Gina suddenly jumped up. "Oh, let me help with that."
She reached for it, but the moment her fingers made contact with the ring, she stumbled forward—
*CRASH!*
The white ring hit the hardwood floor and exploded into fragments.
Rowena's pupils dilated, and she dropped to her knees instinctively, trying to gather the pieces. The second her fingers touched the cold shards, blood started seeping out, and it felt like someone was squeezing her heart in a vice.
She shot to her feet. "What the hell did you touch it for?!"
"Oh my God, I'm so sorry! I totally didn't mean to!" Gina was all frantic apologies, tears starting to well up. "I just—slipped, I swear..."
Shane frowned and reached out to steady her. "You hurt?"
Gina shook her head, turning to Rowena with this guilty expression. "Rowena, I'll replace it, I promise. I'll find one exactly like it."
Rowena picked up the biggest remaining piece and gripped it tight.
"Replace it? With what?"
Shane let out a heavy sigh. "Rowena, come on. Don't make this a big deal. I'll get someone to track down another one..."
She stood up and looked at him, her expression eerily calm.
"Don't."
She turned and walked out, her shoulders set but somehow fragile.
Shane's words of comfort died in his throat as he watched her go, this weird knot of anxiety starting to form in his chest.
At dinner, Rowena sat at the table staring at the spread.
Basically every dish screamed "new mom recovery food."
"Rowena, how come you're not eating?" Gina was sitting next to Shane with the baby, her voice all fake-concerned. "Is everything okay?Feeling bad?"
Rowena glanced up. "I'm not hungry."
Right then, the baby let out this sudden, piercing wail.
Rowena's temple immediately started pounding.
Gina started bouncing him around, looking all flustered, but kept shooting glances at Shane. "Why's he crying like this? Maybe it's..." She let the sentence hang, giving Rowena this loaded look.
"What?" Shane put his fork down.
"Well, maybe..." Gina bit her lip. "Could be Rowena's perfume? Babies are super sensitive to smells..."
Rowena stared at her. "I don't wear perfume."
Gina's face went stiff for a split second, then she switched back to that soft voice. "Oh... well, maybe he just wants daddy?" She gave Shane these big, pleading eyes. "Shane, please,could you try? He's getting himself all worked up..."
Shane hesitated but reached for the baby anyway. His movements were way too smooth, too practiced, as he pulled the kid against his chest.
The second the baby settled into Shane's arms, the crying stopped cold. The little guy even cracked this gummy smile up at him.
Gina practically bounced in her seat. "See? He totally loves his dad—" She slapped her hand over her mouth, eyes going wide. "Oh shit! I meant—he's just confused, thinks Shane's his dad or whatever... Rowena, I didn't mean anything by it."
She turned back to Shane, her eyes getting all watery. "Poor little guy... his real father's such a deadbeat..."
The dining room went dead quiet.
Shane stared down at the baby for a long moment, then suddenly said, "You know what? From now on, I am his dad."
He looked over at Rowena and added, "Kid stops crying the second I hold him. That's gotta count for something, right? Maybe I should just... step up."
"Rowena," his voice got firmer, "you don’t mind, right?"
End of Forged My Marriage, Stole My Baby—Now I’m the Judge You Kneel To Chapter 23. Continue reading Chapter 24 or return to Forged My Marriage, Stole My Baby—Now I’m the Judge You Kneel To book page.