Every warning Ryan had given me rushed back at once.
I barely remembered the drive. By the time I reached the school, my hands ached from gripping the steering wheel.
Emma’s teacher met me near the front office.
“Come with me. The principal will explain.”
That only made my fear worse.
She opened the office door.
Emma was inside with Travis—and someone I never expected to see there.
Melissa.
The principal sat behind his desk.
Emma looked furious and close to tears. Travis stood in the corner with his arms crossed, angrier than I’d seen him in years.
I went straight to Emma.
“Baby, are you okay?”
She wrapped both arms around me. “I’m fine.”
I looked at Travis. “What happened?”
The principal stood. “Ma’am, there seems to be some confusion about pickup today. Your sister-in-law arrived to collect Emma this afternoon.”
I turned toward Melissa.
She raised both hands. “
Ryan told me to.”
The principal continued.
“She told our staff that Emma’s father had authorized her pickup. Emma refused to leave with her. Shortly afterward, Mr. Travis arrived for his regular pickup.”
“They didn’t know who they were supposed to release her to, so I asked them to call you.”
The principal nodded. “Which is what we did.”
A headache began forming behind my eyes.
“I never approved you picking her up. I don’t understand why you’re here.”
“What?”
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Melissa’s expression changed.
“I didn’t know anything about this, Mel.”
“Ryan said you did. He told me you guys decided Travis wasn’t picking her up anymore.”
Anger replaced my fear almost instantly. “We didn’t decide anything.”
Melissa looked genuinely hurt. “Why would he tell me you did?”
I had no answer.
Whatever Ryan feared, he’d gone behind my back to act on it.
Emma tugged my sleeve.
“I
