Page 144 of Scandalous Contract

“Ma, what are you getting at right now, because the only thing this conversation is doing is bringing down my mood.”

“That’s not my intent, sweetie. My intent is to tell you that those people will forever interfere in your life if you don’t find a way to cut ties with them. And that could hurt your new relationship. No man wants to deal with his woman’s ex-in-laws.”

“I know, ma. But if I break ties with them, they’ll tell India that I’m not really her mother.”

“You raised her, Stefanie. You loved her when they wouldn’t even claim her. You’re her mother in every way that matters.”

“I know, ma. But they also will try to tell her that they think I had something to do with the car accident.”

“The first time I heard his mother say that, I cursed her ass out. There’s no way you had anything to do with the accident. You didn’t hear about the wreck until the hospital called you. You didn’t know that woman was his mistress until you learned that he’d died in the wreck, and that she was in surgery having an emergency C-Section done.”

That wasn’t entirely true. I’d been the first to know about the wreck. In fact, I’d caused the wreck. But my mother could never know that.Never!

“Cut ties with them. And tell them that you’ll tell her the truth about her dad, and I will too, if they try to tell her she’s not yours. I’ll tell her all the things they said at that hospital after she was born. About how they didn’t want to raise a half black child. About how she wouldn’t fit in with the other kids if his sister adopted her. They don’t want her to know that. And they wonder why you won’t let them spend time alone with her. They can’t be trusted. And I don’t like how that brother of Archie’s looks at her now that she’s maturing.”

“I’ve told India to never go anywhere alone with him and to call me if she sees him. I don’t like how he looks at her either, ma.”

“That family ain’t right. They claim to be God-Fearing, but ain’t no God in them. Let them go. And if you need me to be there with you when you do it, I’ll make that drive.”

“Ma, I can handle it.”

“Okay. Do it, Stefanie. India will be fine without them. It’s not like they’ve ever done anything for her before. When you needed a babysitter when she was sick, I took care of her for you. They wouldn’t lend a hand at all. She’s not close to those people. It’s okay if they’re not in her life.”

“I’ll take care of it, ma. Let’s talk about something happy because my mood has tanked.”

“I’ve got something happy we can talk about,” Mom said.

“What?” I asked suspiciously.

“So... have you and this man had sex yet?”

“We are not doing this, ma! Nope. I’m not telling you,” I added when she insisted.

“Why not? Ronnie talks to me about his dates.”

“That’s because Ronnie is insane. I’m not telling you anything, so don’t ask, young lady,” I told her.

And then she started telling me about a guy at church who liked her, and I knew it was time to end the call because I couldn’t handle hearing my mother talk like that. We talked a little longer about India and my writing until one of my mom’s friends called on the other line, and mom told me she’d talk to me later.

I sat there for a long time afterward, staring out the window, mood still dampened from the call. But my mom was right. Archie’s family was on my list of things to handle before I could start anything serious with Julian.

Summer was in full swing, and I hadn’t started on the list yet. I’d been avoiding it, enjoying my time with Julian. But now it was time to focus on getting my life together. The first step was the Adams family.

Setting boundaries with Archie’s family without completely eliminating them from India’s life was the plan, unless they refused to handle things my way. If they refused, I’d have to cut them off completely. What terrified me was India learning that she wasn’t mine.

I used to have nightmares about that happening. I knew my child. I knew if she learned she was the daughter of an abusive man and his mistress who tricked me into an adoption agreement, she wouldn’t hate me, she’d hate herself.

It would change how she saw herself, what she thought of herself. I’d raised her to be a confident young woman and to always believe in herself. I’d raised her never to let anyone walk all over her and to always stand up for herself.

I’d raised her to be driven, goal-oriented, and to never let anyone silence her voice. But if she learned the truth, that would break her. I couldn’t let that happen. Iwouldn’tlet that happen. I had to protect my secrets, not for myself. But for my child.