Brooke had gone to Joan crying the previous night. Derek hadn’t actually given her my maternity clothes to use—he’d asked her to sell them and keep quiet. Brooke refused, and when Derek began pressuring her, she became frightened enough to tell Joan. Before we could finish talking, Derek walked through the door. His face changed instantly when he saw his mother and the documents spread across our table.

Joan placed the returned maternity clothes beside him. “Tell Hannah why you sold her bracelet.” Derek stared at the floor. The pawnshop records confirmed he’d personally brought in my jewelry. Finally, he admitted everything. He’d been gambling online for months, secretly withdrawing money from our savings to cover his losses. When Piper’s fund began running low, he started selling my belongings. Brooke had been nothing more than a cover story. He’d hoped pregnancy and the chaos surrounding Piper’s birth would keep me distracted long enough that I wouldn’t discover what he’d done.