Simon and Claire finally have the family they dreamed of… until Claire demands they give their newly adopted daughter back. As Claire’s love turns to resentment, Simon faces an impossible choice. But for him, there’s no question. Sophie is his daughter now. And he will fight for her, no matter the cost.

The first time I saw Sophie, she ran straight into my arms.

She was small, all wide brown eyes and wild curls, and she smelled like baby shampoo and fresh grass. She clung to me like she already knew, like she had already decided I was hers.

A smiling little girl | Source: Midjourney

Claire and I had fought for this moment. Years of failed pregnancies. Years of heartbreak. When we turned to adoption, the wait had felt unbearable, months of paperwork, home visits, interviews.

And now, here we were.

“You’re sure about this?” the social worker, Karen, asked.

She watched us carefully from across the table, a thick file in front of her. Sophie sat on my lap, playing with my wedding ring, humming softly to herself.

A woman sitting at her desk | Source: Midjourney

“Of course,” Claire’s voice was firm and confident. “She’s ours.”

Karen nodded, but she didn’t look too convinced. I tried not to take it too seriously because Karen was probably used to families promising these children the entire world and then failing them.

“I believe you mean that,” she said. “But adoption isn’t just about love. It’s about commitment. This is forever. You’re bringing a child into your home who’s had a hard start in her life. Sophie will test you. She’ll push boundaries and maybe even break things. It won’t be on purpose, of course, but she’s just a child. You have to be prepared for all of this.”

A smiling woman sitting in an office | Source: Midjourney

Claire reached across the table and squeezed my hand.

“We know,” Claire said.

Then she smiled at Sophie, who beamed back at her.

A smiling little girl | Source: Midjourney

“She’s a perfect little angel.”

“Alright,” Karen hesitated. “Then congratulations, Claire and Simon! You’re officially parents.”

Something shifted in my heart. This was the beginning of forever.

A smiling man | Source: Midjourney

I knew something was wrong the moment I stepped through the front door.

It was quiet, too quiet, like the house itself was holding its breath. Then, out of nowhere, Sophie crashed into me, wrapping her tiny arms around my legs.

Her little voice trembled.

“I don’t want to leave, Daddy,” she said.

A man standing in a foyer | Source: Midjourney

I frowned, kneeling so we were eye level with each other.

“Leave where, sweetheart?” I asked.

Her bottom lip wobbled. Tears welled in her wide brown eyes.

“I don’t wanna go away again. I wanna stay with you and Mommy.”

An upset little girl | Source: Midjourney

A cold chill ran through me. Where had she heard this? And why? Sophie was too little for school and she spent her days with Claire at home. While Claire worked, Sophie played. While Claire had meetings she had to run to, either of our mothers watched Sophie.

Who had said what to my child?

“That won’t happen,” I promised her. “You’re home now, sweet girl.”

A little girl playing with her toys | Source: Midjourney

Then Claire stepped into the hallway.

She wasn’t looking at me, her gaze was fixed somewhere past my shoulder, arms crossed so tightly it looked painful. Her face was pale, blank even. But her eyes? They weren’t empty. They were distant.

Like something had already snapped inside her.

“Simon, we need to talk,” she said.

“Why is Sophie saying she has to leave?” I countered.

A woman standing in a hallway | Source: Midjourney

Claire’s jaw clenched.

“Send her to her room. Now, Simon!”

Sophie’s tiny fingers gripped my shirt like she could anchor herself to me. I smoothed a hand over her back.

“Sweetheart, go play for a bit, okay? Go to your room. I’ll come get you soon, and we can have dinner!”

She hesitated. I could feel her heart racing against mine.

A woman standing in a hallway | Source: Midjourney

Claire’s jaw clenched.

“Send her to her room. Now, Simon!”

Sophie’s tiny fingers gripped my shirt like she could anchor herself to me. I smoothed a hand over her back.

“Sweetheart, go play for a bit, okay? Go to your room. I’ll come get you soon, and we can have dinner!”

She hesitated. I could feel her heart racing against mine.

Claire’s arms tightened over her chest.

“I don’t want this anymore, Simon,” she whispered. “She’s… she’s ruining everything! My books, my files… my clothes… she even ruined my wedding dress!”

“What do you mean?” I frowned.

Claire exhaled sharply, running a hand over her face like she was barely keeping

A woman standing in a hallway with folded arms | Source: Midjourney

“I had it out earlier. I was feeling nostalgic, I guess… Sophie walked in while I was holding it, and she lit up, Simon. She called it a princess dress and asked if she could touch it!”

My chest ached at the image of a little girl, full of wonder, staring at something beautiful…

“That’s—”

“That’s not the problem,” Claire snapped. “The problem is, she had paint all over her hands. I don’t even know how I didn’t see it. But the moment she touched the fabric…”