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I Raised An Abandoned Baby… Then Her Rich Family Came Back — Transcript

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0:00My biggest [music] regret was telling my
0:01daughter to go find her real family.
0:03Around 2:00 a.m., my heart almost gave
0:06out as I heard broken screaming outside
0:08in the snow. I hauled [music] the fire
0:10station's bay doors up to find a newborn
0:12wrapped in only a blanket. Small lips
0:14[music] gone blue from the cold. Pinned
0:16to the blanket was a note on pink
0:18stationery. A woman's handwriting. She
0:20has [music] unlucky hair. Don't look for
0:21us. Anger burned my insides. How could
0:24anyone abandon a child in the snow? Her
0:26small body shivered and a red curl stuck
0:28out. I gently held the baby against my
0:30skin and gasped at how [music] cold she
0:32was. She needed more than warmth and
0:34quickly. So, I zipped her under my coat
0:36running to my truck. Our EMTs were out
0:38on a call and she needed [music] the
0:40hospital or she wouldn't survive. I
0:42whispered to her, "It's okay. You're
0:43safe now." Then I called my husband from
0:45the road. "Dean, I'm headed to Mercy
0:47General. I found a baby at the station."
0:49[music] Dean didn't sound surprised. "A
0:50baby? Did you find out who left her
0:52there?" "I don't know, but I really need
0:54your support. Can you come quickly?
0:55[music] I'm not sure if the baby will
0:57survive the night." "I'm already on the
0:59way. I'll see you at the hospital." and
1:00hung [music] up. The only sound in my
1:02truck was the baby's ragged breathing,
1:04which stuck in my head for the hours the
1:06doctors worked on her in the hospital.
1:07Guilt [music] gnawed at me. I'd been
1:09putting off shoveling snow for an hour.
1:11I should have found her sooner. This was
1:13my fault. Finally, a doctor explained,
1:15"Hypothermia kills newborns easily and
1:17this is one of the worst cases I've
1:19seen. She's lost hearing in her right
1:21ear and a pinky [music] toe and probably
1:23won't survive the night. Will you stay
1:24with her?" I nodded and walked over to
1:26the temperature-controlled case where
1:28they laid the baby. Her small rasping
1:30for [music] breath clenched my heart. I
1:31couldn't leave her alone. She deserved
1:33someone to care and I could do that
1:35much. Dean arrived with gas station
1:37coffee. [music] "Is she okay?" I shook
1:39my head. "The doctors don't think so,
1:41but I want to hold out hope." His eyes
1:43softened. [music] "You would have made
1:44an amazing mom." The tears I'd been
1:46holding back finally fell. We'd wanted
1:48kids for years, [music] but Dean's
1:50infertility had closed that door for us.
1:52This moment only made the pain worse.
1:54>> [music]
1:54>> Watching a baby I could never have pass
1:56away before me. He looked at the baby
1:58and said, "Let's [music] take her home.
2:00However long she lives, we can care for
2:02her." A light bloomed in my chest and I
2:04realized it was hope. I kissed him
2:06passionately. "Let's do it." Dean pulled
2:08away smiling. "I'll go get the paperwork
2:10started." As he left, [music] I couldn't
2:11stop smiling until my captain texted,
2:14"The station's outside camera caught a
2:15man dropping the baby off, [music] but
2:17he hid his face." He sent a grainy
2:19screenshot and I could have sworn I
2:20recognized the man, but the note in my
2:22pocket was definitely written by a
2:24woman. I decided [music] it didn't
2:26matter. Whoever they were, they'd given
2:27up something precious that I would
2:29treasure. I admired a loose red [music]
2:31curl and promised, "I won't ever be late
2:33again." 14 years later, I walked into a
2:36police station with Dean looking for the
2:38same redhead. My patience [music] was
2:39crumbling like a cracker. "We're here
2:41for our daughter, Piper." As we were led
2:43back, an officer [music] explained, "She
2:45keyed a teacher's car bumper to bumper.
2:47When we showed up, she ignored [music]
2:49us. We had to restrain and arrest her."
2:51I wish I could say I was surprised, but
2:53Piper had been acting out ever [music]
2:54since we told we weren't her biological
2:56parents. Dean, however, still saw that
2:59little baby and not the terrible teen
3:01she'd become. He snapped, "You know
3:02she's [music] deaf, right? I'll sue all
3:04of you if she was harmed." The officer's
3:06eyes widened. "Yes, we learned that
3:08after the fact. She's in the captain's
3:09office now." Confused, I asked, [music]
3:11"Why is she there?" "Well, we didn't
3:13have a translator and didn't want to put
3:15her in holding with criminals." [music]
3:16I cut in, "She's deaf in one ear, not
3:19both. She doesn't need a translator."
3:21Piper had been using that lie to get out
3:22of trouble since she [music] was six. We
3:24entered the captain's office and I
3:26turned to my troubled teen. "No phone
3:28for a week. You're banned from this
3:29weekend's [music] concert you wanted to
3:31go to. And I swear if you lie to the
3:33cops one more time about being
3:34completely deaf, [music] I'll have them
3:36charge you as an adult." Piper glared at
3:38me through her wild red curls. "I hate
3:40you." I smiled, [music] glad she was
3:42unharmed. "I love you, too. Let's go
3:44home while your dad handles this mess."
3:46Piper screamed, "You're not even my real
3:48parents anyway." I snapped [music] back,
3:50"Fine. Go find your real family then.
3:52See how that goes. I regretted my words
3:55the moment I said them, and [music] she
3:56stormed out, slamming the door behind
3:58her. Piper took me up on my threat
4:00faster than I expected when the doorbell
4:02rang during family dinner. [music] My
4:04stomach churned as Piper set down her
4:06fork and confessed, "So, a few weeks
4:08ago, I used [music] Dad's credit card on
4:10a DNA kit. I found and messaged my bio
4:12parents, then invited them to dinner
4:14tonight." For the first time, [music] I
4:16worried that Piper might replace me, and
4:18I wouldn't be her mother anymore. The
4:20doorbell rang again, and I knew
4:21everything [music] was going to change.
4:23Panic etched my voice. "Go wait
4:25upstairs, Piper." She rolled her eyes
4:27and got up. I cut her [music] off. "Hey,
4:28we don't know these people. Let me talk
4:30to them first, right, Dean?" I'd hoped
4:31for support, [music] or at least someone
4:33to relate to my fear. Instead, my
4:35husband sat frozen in his chair. Piper
4:37opened the door. "Hi, [music] come in."
4:39Their names were Lorna and Gideon, and
4:41they walked in dripping money and
4:42Southern charm. Lorna [music] scrunched
4:44her nose in disgust as she took in our
4:46home. "Why, what a quaint home you have
4:48here. So cozy." I scoffed. [music] These
4:50people were rude as hell. Dean finally
4:52moved from his chair and walked past me
4:54to leave the room, hiding his face with
4:55his hands. "Excuse [music] me, I have
4:57work to do." "Oh, hell no." I caught his
4:59arm. "Why are you leaving me alone with
5:01these people?" He pushed my hand off. "I
5:03just can't deal with this right [music]
5:04now." and left for his office. I forced
5:06Piper to stand next to me as I
5:08questioned her supposed real parents.
5:11[music] "So, why did you abandon your
5:12daughter at a fire station in the
5:14freezing snow?" Lorna [music] looked
5:16ready to strangle me while Gideon told
5:18their harrowing tale. "We were headed
5:20home from the hospital after our [music]
5:21daughter was born and stopped for gas.
5:23An awful man threatened us and stole the
5:25car with our baby girl in the back
5:27seat." I struggled to stop my eyes from
5:29rolling, but before I could poke holes
5:31in their story, Lorna added, "We've been
5:33looking for you for years. Thank God we
5:35[music] finally found you." Piper's
5:36smile grew, and my heart ached. I
5:38crossed my arms. Maybe I was acting
5:40[music] jealous. Still, I had to add,
5:42"There was a note pinned to her."
5:44Lorna's face flickered, and that
5:45hesitation was enough for me to lock
5:47onto. The thief must [music] have
5:48written it to cover his tracks. On pink
5:51stationery with pretty loops? I didn't
5:53believe [music] her. Piper, meanwhile,
5:54wasn't even pretending to weigh the
5:56story. "Mom, did you know they own a
5:58lake house?" I [music] guess Piper was
5:59done being poor. If they plan to buy
6:01Piper's love from me, they might
6:03succeed. I asked, "Why are you here? Do
6:05you want something [music] from us?" I
6:07instinctively tightened my grip on
6:08Piper's arm. Lorna pivoted. "Well, we
6:11wanted to meet our daughter, of course.
6:12And Piper mentioned how her dad is this
6:14amazing lawyer. You see, my husband
6:16[music] Gideon's contracting company is
6:18being sued, so they wanted my husband's
6:20expertise, not Piper." A part of me
6:22perked [music] up, because maybe they
6:24hadn't come to take my daughter away
6:26from me, just to use my husband. "My
6:28husband's in his office right now."
6:29Before [music] I could protest, Gideon
6:31walked past me. "I'll go speak to him
6:32then. We'll talk business while you
6:34ladies chat." I clenched my [music]
6:35fist, uncomfortable by how these people
6:37came into my home and took over like
6:39they were in charge. Dean and Gideon
6:41came out laughing like [music] old
6:42friends. Red flags were popping up like
6:44daisies as Dean announced, "I'm taking
6:46[music] their case pro bono." My jaw
6:48dropped. Dean, you've already been
6:50struggling at work, and we're behind on
6:51hospital bills for [music] Piper's
6:53treatments. He waved me off. "It'll all
6:54work out. Piper's family needs this." My
6:57heart broke. We're Piper's family, not
6:59them. Why would Dean say that? [music]
7:00Gideon clapped Dean on the back. "Family
7:02helps family." None of this was adding
7:04up for me, so I texted [music] my
7:06captain, "Any chance the footage or note
7:08from the night I found Piper still
7:09exists?" [music] He texted back,
7:11"Footage was purged years ago, but the
7:13note went to county evidence archives. I
7:15can put in a request for you." When it
7:16was time for Lorna and Gideon to leave,
7:18I was practically [music] smiling and
7:20pushing them out the door. Lorna
7:22insisted, "You should all come to our
7:23home this weekend for a real family
7:25dinner, and the men can talk business."
7:27Piper glowed. [music] "And we can spend
7:29time together, Mom?" Lorna flinched like
7:31Piper had slapped her. Then Piper hugged
7:33her, and I watched Lorna look at Piper's
7:35beautiful red hair
7:36>> [music]
7:36>> with complete disgust. So I made another
7:38promise, to never let this family steal
7:41my daughter away from me. I realized how
7:43futile my promise was when we pulled up
7:45to their home and my jaw [music]
7:46wouldn't re-hinge itself. Lorna and
7:48Gideon's home screamed, "I'm richer than
7:50God." White marble columns decorated the
7:53outside of the biggest and only mansion
7:55I've ever seen. My eyebrows were in my
7:57hair as I told Dean, "You could fit our
7:59whole place in their entryway." [music]
8:01Dean adjusted his tie nervously.
8:03"Remember everyone, be on your best
8:05behavior." He glanced at Piper, who only
8:07bounced on her feet, eager to go inside.
8:09Meanwhile, I debated on pretending to be
8:11sick [music] so I could leave early, but
8:12I sucked it up as we were led inside. I
8:14wouldn't ruin this moment for Piper and
8:16take that smile off her face. However,
8:18[music] it vanished anyway as we met the
8:20entire Bio family and Lorna introduced
8:22her seven other children, ages stacked
8:25above and below Piper like her existence
8:27meant [music] nothing. How do you lose a
8:28baby and then just have seven more?
8:31Lorna pulled away from the hug Piper
8:32gave her. "Ow!" Lorna held up a [music]
8:34few strands of red hair she had
8:36accidentally yanked out. "Oops, sorry.
8:39It got caught on my ring. Red hair draws
8:41so much attention. [music] Have you
8:42thought about dying it?" Lorna gave a
8:44disgusted look at the strands. Before I
8:46could pull Piper aside to check on her,
8:48a big sister named [music] Bryn grabbed
8:50her hands. "You have to be a bridesmaid
8:52in my wedding. Please say yes." Piper
8:54squealed so loud it echoed. The herd of
8:56siblings swept her away laughing and I
8:58tried to be happy for her, but my smile
9:00was crooked and obviously forced. Dean
9:02disappeared down the hall with Gideon
9:04and I was left alone with a terrible
9:06[music] thought. "I can't compete with
9:07this. All I ever gave Piper was a used
9:10truck, my smothering [music]
9:11personality, and a bedtime." I shook the
9:13thought off. Love isn't measured in
9:15money. I tasked. [music] They can't be
9:17perfect. So, I started snooping. After
9:19only a few minutes, I concluded [music]
9:20that this house was a fire hazard. Even
9:23with maids, the family left a cluttered
9:25mess [music] of Amazon and pizza boxes
9:27piled up in the hall. Every plug I
9:29walked by was overloaded and one in
9:31particular [music]
9:31had an extension cord that led down
9:33three confusing hallways. I got lost
9:35[music] as if in a maze following the
9:37one cord. The entire way I couldn't find
9:40[music] a single smoke detector, which
9:42didn't surprise me. This family seemed
9:44to thrive on bad decisions. [music] The
9:46cord led into a room where a light
9:48glowed from inside. I reasoned that
9:49someone might have left a flame going,
9:51[music] so I had to check. I stepped
9:53inside and saw candles burning
9:55unattended around an altar. Arranged
9:57across it were nine framed portraits.
9:58[music]
9:59Seven were the kids of Lorna and Gideon
10:01I just met. Two frames lay face down
10:03with a coat of dust. [music] I turned
10:05one over and saw a baby photo. The red
10:07curl made me gasp. It was Piper being
10:09held by Lorna in front of the mansion,
10:11even though they claimed she was stolen
10:13after they left the hospital when she
10:14was born. My hands went numb. The frame
10:17slipped from my hands and cracked
10:18against [music] the floor just as I
10:20heard footsteps and Gideon's voice.
10:22Hypothetically, how airtight is a
10:24custody claim when the birth parents
10:26[music] never actually consented to
10:27adoption? My pulse roared in my ears as
10:30they stopped outside the door. "Hmm, I
10:32thought I locked this." [music] The door
10:33swung open. Gideon and Dean stood in the
10:35doorframe, widening their eyes at me.
10:37Dean crossed [music] his arms. "I'm
10:39disappointed in you, snooping through
10:40their home." I felt slapped and gestured
10:42between them. "What are [music] you two
10:44up to looking so friendly?" Gideon held
10:46out his arm, gesturing for me to leave
10:48the room. "We were discussing business.
10:50Did you get lost?" I met his eyes and
10:51walked out. "Sorry, I saw a flame and as
10:54a firefighter I can't just walk [music]
10:55away." Gideon smirked while Dean smacked
10:58his forehead, clearly disappointed at my
11:00awful excuse. Gideon looped his arm in
11:02mine and led me down the hall before I
11:04could protest. [music] "Settle a debate
11:05for me, since you're the professional.
11:07What fire starter works best on a larger
11:09structure? And how fast would a
11:11five-story building go up in flames,
11:13roughly?" A chill crawled up my spine. I
11:15stopped to face him. [music] "Why do you
11:17need to know how fast a building will
11:18burn?" I never got an answer as a scream
11:21echoed [screaming] through the mansion.
11:22My veins turned to ice. I knew that
11:24scream anywhere. "Piper!" My legs moved
11:26before my brain caught up, with Dean and
11:28Gideon following behind. I made it to
11:30the backyard and my heart stopped. I
11:32[music] found Piper by the grill pit
11:33clutching her hand, skin already
11:35blistering across the palm while her new
11:38siblings stood around her hiding their
11:39laughter. I fought back my rising anger
11:42to gently take Piper's hand. What
11:44happened? Piper was crying but kept her
11:46voice even like she'd been scripted. It
11:48was an accident. Howard [music] warned
11:49me to move away from the grill but I
11:51didn't hear him. I snapped. So he lit
11:53it? Howard shrugged. I thought she was
11:55going to move. I'm sorry Piper. But his
11:57grin told me he was enjoying this and
11:59wasn't sorry in the least. What was
12:01their problem? Because if they didn't
12:03have one, it was about to be me. I
12:04wrapped Piper's hand in a wet napkin, my
12:06own hands trembled worse than hers. You
12:09people are insane. I'm calling the
12:11police. Piper pulled her hand away and
12:13gave me a death stare. Don't [music] you
12:14dare call the police. I reached for her.
12:16How could she not see the red flags?
12:18Honey, they burned you. I went to take a
12:20photo of the burn for proof but she
12:22flinched away and shook her head. Dean
12:24stepped forward and I thought he'd be on
12:26my side. He apologized. It's not that
12:28big a deal. Heat pooled behind my neck.
12:30Not a big deal? This is a second degree
12:32burn. We should be pressing charges. I
12:34tried not to turn violent as Gideon
12:36chuckled. As if you could [music] press
12:38charges over us harming our own daughter
12:40anyway. My eyes narrowed. She's not
12:42yours. You gave her up a long time ago.
12:44Lorna gave Gideon a nod and he smiled
12:46[music] while stepping toward me. We
12:48didn't give her up. We lost her. And now
12:50she's back where she belongs. I grabbed
12:52my phone. You all keep lying and lying.
12:54Tell your lies to the police. I dialed
12:56911 when Piper [music] snatched it from
12:58my hand and threw it into the pool. This
13:01day was only getting worse. Hey, you're
13:03just jealous I finally have a family I
13:05actually love. You're the one who didn't
13:07find me fast enough as a baby. You're
13:09why I'm deaf. You're the problem here,
13:11not them. I felt slapped and looked to
13:13Dean for support but he only crossed his
13:15arms. You owe everyone here an apology.
13:17Betrayal coated my insides so heavily
13:19that my anger was smothered. My hands
13:21shook and I hid them in my pockets. You
13:23two can ride home with your a new family
13:26then. I'm leaving. I waited a half an
13:28hour in my broken-down truck parked in
13:30[music] their fancy circular driveway. I
13:32was waiting for them to change their
13:33minds, come out and apologize, and
13:35insist on going home. Every [music]
13:37sound had me lifting my head with hope,
13:39but they never came. I hit the wheel to
13:41let out some [music] frustration because
13:43I needed proof of some injustice that
13:45they couldn't argue away. My phone
13:46buzzed, dragging me out of my thoughts.
13:48Through the severely cracked screen,
13:50[music] my captain texted, "I found the
13:52archived note." He'd attached a photo of
13:54the pink stationary note, and the dread
13:56returned. I drove away determined to
13:58find out the truth. I wouldn't let my
14:00daughter get hurt so easily. [music] Two
14:02nights later, Piper came through our
14:03front door hysterical, and the air left
14:06my lungs as her head had been brutally
14:08shaved. She grasped at the few messy
14:10patches of red left as if she could
14:12force the hair back onto her head. I
14:14desperately [music]
14:14pulled her into my arms wishing to take
14:16her pain away as she collapsed and
14:18dropped her purse. Blood dotted her
14:20scalp from a dozen small cuts. Piper
14:21[music] must have fought with everything
14:23she had for the cut to be this uneven.
14:25"14 years of red curls gone to stubble
14:28in one night," she sobbed. "I was
14:30leaving the mansion, and the muggers
14:32jumped me a block away." I tried to stay
14:34sympathetic, [music]
14:35but the story didn't make any sense.
14:36Muggers who didn't take her purse and
14:38only shaved her head? That [music] seems
14:40like a person with a message, not a
14:41mugger. But now wasn't the time for
14:43questions. I rubbed her back in soothing
14:45circles. "I'm calling the police, and
14:47don't say no this time. After, we'll
14:49order tubs of ice cream and watch horror
14:51films." I pressed a kiss [music] to what
14:53was left of her hair. She sniffled and
14:55hugged me tighter. "Okay, Mom." Relief
14:57flooded me. "I'll always be by your
14:59side." She nodded. A few hours later, I
15:01stood beside my daughter as she gave the
15:03[music] officers half the story she'd
15:04given me about the mugging. "There were
15:06three, or maybe four of them. [music]
15:08They were all different heights and body
15:09shapes. I didn't see any of their faces
15:11because they wore masks." [music] I was
15:13more confused than the officers, who
15:15tapped his notepad with his pen and gave
15:17his partner a look. My stomach twisted.
15:19[music] They didn't believe her, and I
15:20didn't blame them. The officer tried to
15:22get more information and asked, "Can you
15:24give us any details about who did this
15:26or exactly where this assault happened?"
15:28Piper hesitated. Um on the street.
15:30[music] I'm not sure if I could find the
15:32location again. The officer rubbed his
15:33face. Look, without anything more to go
15:35off of, we can't do anything. The other
15:38mumbled, "Assuming this actually
15:39happened." I snapped, "Oh, so you're
15:41refusing to do your job just because
15:43it's too much [music] work for you to
15:44investigate? Why don't you search the
15:46streets in that patrol car of yours for
15:47patches of beautiful red hair?" Piper
15:50gave me a grateful look and straightened
15:51her spine. I couldn't remember the last
15:53time she looked [music] proud of me and
15:55it had me feeling all warm inside. An
15:57officer said, "We can't continue this
15:59investigation.
16:00>> [music]
16:00>> Sorry." Fine, then I'd do it myself.
16:02After the officers left, Piper gave me
16:04another hug. I joked, "Going for a new
16:06record?" Then I asked her straight, "Did
16:08you recognize any of the muggers who did
16:10this to you?" Her grateful smile fell
16:12and the tension returned to the room.
16:14"You're such a control freak." She ran
16:15[music] up the stairs and slammed her
16:17door while I stood there wondering what
16:19I did wrong this time. [music] Lorna
16:21called an hour later with an answer to
16:22my question. "I heard you failed to
16:24cheer Piper up after her incident. Don't
16:26[music] worry, we've already curried
16:28over a wig for her." Somehow she already
16:30knew everything and blamed me, of
16:32course. "Did you talk to Piper? She's
16:33locked herself in her room and I'm
16:35worried." "Oh, she'll be fine. That hair
16:37was a mess [music] anyway," as I told
16:39her. "Any who, so have to go. Ta-ta." I
16:41nearly threw my phone through the window
16:43and settled for screaming into the
16:44universe when Dean dragged himself
16:46through the front door from work [music]
16:48looking exhausted. He grumbled, "I don't
16:50want to know." and went straight to the
16:51kitchen. I trailed after him,
16:53>> [music]
16:53>> my chest tight with confessions and
16:55theories I needed to share. "Dean,
16:57listen, something is wrong with these
16:58people. [music] I know the grill was on
17:00purpose and I think they did something
17:02awful to Piper's hair." He grumbled
17:04under his breath and [music] grabbed a
17:05beer from the fridge. "Why are you
17:07digging all this up now? I don't have
17:08time for this. We just lost the case.
17:10Our star witness was a fraud. Gideon is
17:12going to be pissed." [music] I reached
17:14out to console him and he stepped back.
17:16It stung. We'd never been this distant
17:18as a couple. He'd never moved [music]
17:19away from my touch before. Dean only
17:21made it worse saying, "Gideon invited us
17:24all over to their home tomorrow. I have
17:26[music] to figure out how to break the
17:27news that I lost their case." He walked
17:29off to lock himself in his office as I
17:31chewed my lip realizing I'd have to
17:33continue [music] this investigation
17:35alone because I was sure whoever hurt
17:37Piper wasn't done yet. The wig arrived
17:39at 7:00 a.m. in a glossy box with a
17:42satin [music] ribbon. I had to sign for
17:43the thing and learned it had been
17:45ordered yesterday which put a bad taste
17:47in my mouth. How did Lorna know Piper
17:49would need a wig before she was mugged?
17:51Tucked inside was a handwritten card.
17:53Every girl deserves to feel lucky.
17:54[music] L. It was on pink stationery and
17:57written in pretty loopy handwriting. I
17:59forgot how to breathe and quickly pulled
18:01out my phone. Did Lorna just mess up? I
18:03could match the handwriting now. I laid
18:05the card beside my phone screen with
18:06shaking hands. The L's matched, [music]
18:08the loops matched, the paper matched. I
18:11was right. Lorna wrote the note that was
18:12left on my newborn in the snow and I
18:14finally had proof. But I wasn't a
18:16professional handwriting expert and
18:18Piper wouldn't take my word for it. I
18:20needed more. So the next time we all
18:22went over for dinner, I put a smile on
18:24my face and passed [music] the potatoes
18:25down the long dining table swallowing
18:27every instinct that told me to grab
18:29Piper and run. I dabbed my mouth clean.
18:31"This roast [music] is lovely Lorna. You
18:33must send me the recipe." Piper and Dean
18:35stared at me like I'd grown a second
18:37head. Piper grimaced. "Mom, why are you
18:39talking like that?" [music] She
18:41scratched at the blonde wig on her head
18:43which threatened to slide off every time
18:45she turned. Lorna scolded her. "Piper,
18:47be more gentle with your wig. It suits
18:48you so well and we wouldn't want you to
18:50cost us thousands of dollars, [music]
18:52would we?" Piper lowered her head. "No,
18:54ma'am." My anger threatened to boil
18:55over. How dare this woman speak to my
18:57daughter that way? Gideon [music]
18:59noticed my increasing grip on my knife
19:01and changed the subject. "Dean, how's
19:03the case going?" Now it was Dean's turn
19:04to shrink as he confessed. [music] "We
19:06lost. The expert witness you provided me
19:08with was a fraud with a fake medical
19:10license. His false testimony poisoned
19:12the entire case with the judge. [music]
19:14The warmth in the room died and I sipped
19:16my wine. Gideon's voice was laced with
19:18anger. How exactly did his false
19:20credentials come to light? Piper,
19:21[music] trying to protect Dean, jumped
19:23in. I found it. I was helping dad with
19:25the case and noticed [music] the man's
19:27diploma had a spelling error. So I
19:29looked into his school's graduating
19:30class and his name wasn't listed. I told
19:32dad, but he was on the phone with the
19:34judge who heard everything. [music] I
19:35was proud of her for noticing something
19:37so easy to miss, but everyone else
19:39looked like she was dead to them. Nausea
19:41rolled through me as a younger sibling
19:42muttered, "You really are the curse of
19:44this family." The words [music] snapped
19:46me back to the note. She has unlucky
19:48hair. Did they get rid of Piper because
19:50of a silly superstition? This family
19:52believed they lost [music] their case
19:53because my daughter's hair is unlucky. I
19:55was so horrified I almost missed Lorna
19:58suggesting, "Piper, darling, [music]
19:59come with us to the family cabin this
20:01weekend. You can experience a real
20:03hunting trip. Just family." [music] I
20:05didn't hesitate. "No." The table looked
20:07at me. "She's never traveled without me
20:09and she's not starting in a forest full
20:10of rifles [music]
20:11with people who already proved they
20:13can't keep her safe due to her
20:14handicap." Dean started, [music] "Be
20:16reasonable." But I put my foot down. I
20:17said no. I was terrified I just bought
20:20my daughter's hatred in bulk, but Piper
20:22didn't scream or argue, which [music]
20:24scared me more than any tantrum. If you
20:26say so, Mom. Her calm was the loudest
20:28warning bell I'd heard all night. I
20:30narrowed my eyes and made [music] a plan
20:32to keep her in arms reach all week
20:34because she was up to something. I
20:36learned how right I was a few days
20:37[music] later. I was on shift at the
20:39fire station when my phone rang and the
20:41world dropped out from under me. Piper
20:43screamed in terror. "Mom, please help
20:45me. I [music] snuck out and now I'm tied
20:47up in a building that's on fire. I think
20:49I'm going to die." My heartbeat [music]
20:50filled my skull. Both mom and
20:52firefighter mode kicked in
20:53simultaneously as I triggered the
20:55emergency alarm for my team to get
20:57loaded into the truck. "What's your
20:58address?" She cried and I asked again,
21:00[music] "Baby, you have to tell me
21:02where." "Mom, are you there? I can't
21:04hear anything. Gideon hurt my other ear.
21:06There's [music] blood and it hurts so
21:08bad. Please." I wrinkled the uniform I
21:10was putting on with my fist as I shook
21:12with anger. My daughter [music] was
21:13utterly helpless, and I hated it. I
21:15texted Piper, "I'm on the phone. Tell me
21:17where you are." A moment later, Piper
21:19breathed out, "I'm at the building for
21:21the guy suing Gideon. Gideon and Lorna
21:23left me here to frame them for
21:24kidnapping. [music]
21:25You were right. I'm so sorry." I texted,
21:27"I'm on my way, baby girl." Piper's
21:29voice broke, "Mom, you were right. I
21:31snuck out to visit Lorna and was hit in
21:32the ear. When I woke up, I heard Lorna
21:35and Gideon planning to get rid of me by
21:36framing their competitors [music]
21:38with kidnapping. They think I'm unlucky
21:40because of my red hair. Am I really?"
21:42The call cut off. I tried calling back,
21:44but Piper's phone had died. My crew
21:46jumped into our rig, and we raced off to
21:48save my daughter. The five-story
21:50building was already engulfed in flames,
21:52and my hands went numb on the wheel. All
21:54third-floor windows had been blown
21:55[music] out, and I was slightly relieved
21:57to see the second floor had the least
21:59amount of smoke because that's where
22:01Piper was tied up. Suddenly, my worst
22:03nightmare was on the lawn. Lorna
22:05performed for the crowd and news crew
22:07that had somehow arrived before our fire
22:09truck. They must have called ahead for
22:10an audience, but only saving my daughter
22:12mattered to me. Lorna wailed into the
22:14camera, "The company [music] that sued
22:16us kidnapped our daughter. They set this
22:18fire for revenge." I focused on the
22:20problem at hand and gave directions to
22:21my crew before going in after my
22:23daughter. I got to the second [music]
22:24floor. "Piper!" I cursed. She couldn't
22:26hear me. I'd have to search every
22:28office, but in a [music] building this
22:30big, it's impossible. I shook my head.
22:32So were the odds of her survival 14
22:34years [music] ago. I moved forward with
22:36purpose, scanning for anything out of
22:37place. I was saved by the very thing
22:39that trapped Piper. One door was blocked
22:41[music] by a large shelf that Gideon and
22:43Lorna must have put to keep Piper
22:45inside. Using mama bear strength, I
22:47pulled it away, then broke the doorknob
22:49with my axe. "Piper, you in there?"
22:51"Mom?" Her voice cracked on the word,
22:52[music] and something in my chest
22:54cracked with it. I kicked the door open
22:56and sighed with relief. Piper was tied
22:58[music] to a chair on the ground,
22:59looking up at me, unharmed. I quickly
23:01put my gas mask over her face and untied
23:03her. My hands finally steady [music] now
23:05that I could touch her. I signed, "I
23:07promised a long time ago I'd never be
23:09late saving you again." I scooped
23:11[music] her up into my arms and carried
23:12her out the same way I carried her when
23:14we first met. On the lawn, Lorna and
23:16Gideon were still running their
23:18performance. "Help us [music] sue the
23:19company who stole our daughter." Dean
23:21was behind the police tape, looking
23:23around for us in a panic. Piper nodded
23:24[music] toward Lorna. "Take me to the
23:26cameras." I smirked, pride cutting
23:28through the smoke in my lungs. I set her
23:30down as she dragged the oxygen mask off
23:32her face, [music] looked straight into
23:34the news camera, and pointed to Lorna
23:36and Gideon. "They're the ones who
23:37kidnapped me, knocked me unconscious,
23:39and brought me here. They tied me up and
23:41set the fire to make themselves look
23:43like the victims, [music] but they're
23:44not. They're con men." Every reporter
23:46shoved a phone in Lorna or Gideon's
23:48face, demanding the truth. Lorna tried
23:51to laugh it off.
23:51>> [music]
23:51>> "The poor thing's in shock. She's
23:53confused." I stepped forward, having
23:55waited for this moment. "I have proof
23:57you chose to abandon Piper. You wrote a
23:59note saying her red hair made her
24:00unlucky, but you're wrong. Piper's the
24:02luckiest thing that's ever happened to
24:04me. [music] I'm the one who will ruin
24:06your life." Lorna's eyes went wide,
24:08traveling from the cameras to the
24:09witnesses. [music] A pair of police
24:11officers stepped forward, handcuffs
24:13ready. Gideon's eyes dashed to Dean, and
24:15he smiled. "You want to talk [music]
24:16about who hurt this child? Ask your
24:18husband how he knows us." Time slowed as
24:21the last puzzle finally clicked [music]
24:22into place. I did recognize the man who
24:25dropped Piper off in the snow 14 years
24:27ago. My husband did a lot of shady
24:29lawyer work he didn't tell me about. I
24:30turned who had finally made it past the
24:33police barrier. [music] "Are you the one
24:34who dropped Piper outside the fire
24:36station?" I wanted him to say no.
24:38Instead, he sighed like I was a bug
24:40bothering him for the last time. [music]
24:42"I was their lawyer, yes, their fixer.
24:44And when they wanted their red-headed
24:45baby gone, I made that [music] happen.
24:47But I also thought it was a chance for
24:49us. So I dropped her at your station. I
24:51didn't expect you to take over an hour
24:53to find [music] her." The words hit like
24:54a brick wall. For 14 years, I'd been
24:57blaming myself for my daughter's death
24:58ear, [music] but the real culprit slept
25:00in the bed beside me this whole time.
25:02The EMTs helped Piper onto a gurney and
25:05Dean reached for her hand. I stepped
25:07[music] between them as utter
25:08humiliation settled into my bones, but I
25:10refused to let him see it. I'm divorcing
25:13you, Dean. Don't come to the hospital to
25:15visit Piper, [music] either. As I jumped
25:16into the ambulance with Piper and the
25:18EMTs, Piper squeezed my hand. Don't
25:20leave me, Mom. Please. I smiled at the
25:22luckiest thing I [music] ever found and
25:24signed, Never.

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