Jenna had fallen asleep on the couch in the living room during our eighties movie marathon the night before, so Ellie and I had crashed in my bedroom.
I pulled myself out of bed as Ellie sat up, rubbing her eyes.
“Who’s here at … eight thirty four on a Saturday morning?” I muttered. As I reached for my robe, I groaned. “Oh God—it’s not Madison, is it?”
“No, she … she said she’s from DCS.” Jenna seemed nervous.
“What?” I walked out of my bedroom toward the open front door, where a young woman stood in a smart skirt suit and heels, her black hair pulled back into a severe bun. She carried a soft leather briefcase.
“Savannah Mitchell?” Her eyes lingered on my pregnant belly. “My name is Melanie Daniels. I’m with the Department of Children’s Services. I need to speak with you.” I stared at her, dumbfounded. “May I come in?”
“Uh … sure.” I stepped aside as she walked in. We both sat down on the couch. “What is this about?”
“Several citizens have contacted our department recently, with concerns about your unborn child’s welfare. I’ve been ordered to investigate these claims.”
A sick feeling crept into my stomach. “What?” Ellie echoed my astonishment from behind me. “What claims? What concerns?”
“The department received a number of photos of you that are very troubling. Here, I’ll show them to you.”
She took an iPad out of her briefcase. After a few taps, she held it out, facing me, and swiped through a series of photos that made my blood turn ice-cold.
The first was of me at the High Note, shooting my fist up in the air excitedly as the band played one of my favorite songs. I looked a little sweaty and was taking a big swig of a clear drink garnished with lime. The second showed a tipsy Ellie dragging me to the ladies’ room with her, causing me to trip and stumble into another woman and spill a little of my drink onmyself. The third showed creepy ThrobbingRob17 grinding up against me from behind with his mouth at my ear. I shivered. The last one was of me glaring and shouting at Madison in the middle of the crowded club, Ellie’s hand on my arm, trying to hold me back.
The woman turned the tablet back toward herself and tapped a few more times, then presented me with another photo.
“In addition, we were sent this photo, that shows you purchasing thousands of dollars’ worth of alcohol at a liquor store just a couple of months ago, while pregnant.” It was the security camera photo from Sid’s Spirits, showing the cashier loading a number of bottles of Tito’s Vodka into a cardboard box as my doppelganger watched.
I opened my mouth to object to all of it, but somehow, no words came out.
“You can see why the department is concerned,” the woman said, pursing her lips.
I covered my face with my hands for a moment, breathing in and out deeply.Get it together, Savannah. Stay calm. Try to sound rational.
I launched in. “Ms. Daniels, these photos were taken at a friend’s bachelorette party. I was the designated driver. The club we’re at is called the High Note, and they’re known for making sure sober people feel included. They have a huge menu of mocktails. That’s what I’m drinking in those photos.” I gestured to Ellie behind me. “Ellie was there, and she can confirm that I drank only virgin drinks all night. I would never put my baby’s life in danger.”
“That’s correct, ma’am. And I’m happy to go on the record, or whatever you need, to vouch for her,” Ellie said.
The woman shut her iPad cover with a snap. “I’m afraid it’s not that simple.”
My panic started to rise. “Wha—what do you mean?” Ellie came to sit next to me and grabbed my hand. I vaguely noticed Jenna sitting at my kitchen table, watching intently.
“Well, to start, I will need to search your apartment for any signs of alcohol or illicit drugs. And we’d like you to report to your doctor’s office today as soon as possible for blood and urine toxicity tests. I will need to speak with your doctor’s office and coordinate with them to get your test results sent to me.”
My eyes bloomed with tears, threatening to spill out. Ellie squeezed my hand. I couldn’t believe this was happening. “Uh … okay. Then what?”
“Well, if we don’t find anything to support these claims, that will definitely help your case. But you will need to be closely monitored until you give birth. If there are any signs of reckless or dangerous behavior, your child could be taken into custody in the delivery ward.”
My tears were flowing freely now. “What?”
Ellie leaned forward. “This is outrageous! Are you saying that anyone can just make ridiculous claims like this without proof? I’m her best friend. I see her all the time. She has neveroncehad a drink since she found out she was pregnant. These are all evil lies, and I bet I know who’s spreading them—the father’s girlfriend, Madison. Check your files—am I right?”
The woman ignored Ellie’s question and took a small notebook and pen out of her bag. “Who is the father of your baby, Miss Mitchell?”
I sniffed and wiped away my tears. “Max Hunter. We were only together for a short time. I didn’t find out I was pregnant until after we stopped seeing each other, and he had gotten back together with his ex, Madison Clark. She’s been making my life a living hell over the past few months since I told Max about the baby. She’s jealous, and controlling, and I honestly think her goal is for her and Max to get full custody of my child after it’s born. She has to be the one behind these claims.”
Ms. Daniels’s eyebrows popped up.
“I mean, we all saw her at the club that night,” I continued, trying to gulp down my sobs as I spoke. “And she must havegotten someone to dress up like me and go to that liquor store. I’ve already disputed the charge with my credit card company and provided a written statement from one of my coworkers that I was at the office at the time that purchase was made. And it’s not just that—she stole my credit card to make that purchase, vandalized my car and slashed my tires a couple nights ago, and she ruined my chances of getting a promotion at work that I was up for. And I’m convinced she’s the one who’s been messing with my phone, and sending me threatening text messages. It’s insane,Ms. Daniels. Every time I turn around, there she is, doing something else to try and ruin my life.”
