Tina’s life unravels when she notices a birthmark on her best friend Megan’s adopted son that’s identical to the one her deceased son had. As she struggles to understand this impossible coincidence, Tina uncovers a harrowing truth.
Tina struggled to feel happy for her best friend Megan, who was showing off her adopted son, Shawn. “He’s perfect, Meg,” she managed to say, even though she was still mourning her own son’s death and dealing with a recent divorce.
Still, Megan glowed with happiness as she showed Shawn to her best friend in the world, pointing out his cute features. When Tina held the baby, though, she was shocked to feel an unexpected warmth and familiarity.
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Something caught her attention. It was a distinctive birthmark on the baby that looked exactly like the one her late son had. Unable to contain her emotions, Tina started sobbing with the baby still in her arms.
Megan rushed to comfort her. “Tina, are you okay?” she asked, patting her shoulder.
“No,” Tina replied weakly.
Her friend tried to console her, admitting that they should’ve waited some more before Tina met Shawn. But Tina was honestly not listening as new thoughts raced in her head.
Could Shawn really be her Liam?
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“I need some air,” Tina said, suddenly needing to escape. She handed Shawn back and left her friend’s house, knowing her thoughts were crazy. Her baby had been declared dead at the hospital. This had to be a coincidence.
At home, Tina faced her grief directly by opening a baby book with Liam’s photos. The birthmark on the picture matched Shawn’s exactly, only worsening her suspicions and the horrible implications. Should she wait or…no, she couldn’t stay still.
Determined, Tina contacted a private investigator, Detective Harris, to find out if Shawn could be her biological son.
“I need to know if my son is still alive,” she told him, her hands holding her phone too roughly. “I think my friend’s adopted son might be my own.”
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She recounted the striking similarity of the birthmarks, and Harris agreed to take the case.
“There’s one thing, though,” Tina added, gulping. “Megan can’t know about this. Not yet. Not until we know for sure. I… I know how crazy this all sounds, Detective Harris, but I need to know.”
“Discretion is part of the job, Ms. Collins,” he assured her.
The café was bustling with people, but Tina was focused on the door. She had invited Megan over, hoping to learn more about the adoption process she went through to get her baby. Her friend arrived late, but Tina wasn’t worried.
Megan sat down and immediately grabbed Tina’s hands. “I’m so sorry about nagging you to come and meet Shawn… Can you forgive me?” she asked.
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“Of course,” Tina replied, hiding her true feelings behind a half-smile. “I’m sorry I reacted that way. I should be happy for you. Tell me about the adoption.”
“I don’t know, Tina. I don’t want to upset you,” Megan said, avoiding eye contact.
Tina pressed on. “Our friendship means a lot to me, so I’ll try,” she said, leaning forward to show her eagerness. Megan frowned slightly but started talking, briefly sharing about the adoption.
“It’s a long process. There’s tons of paperwork, and most of the time, you’re just waiting to get that call,” her friend said as Tina nodded.
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Her friend didn’t elaborate, so after a few minutes, Tina directly asked Megan how she found Shawn. “Through an agency… It was a private adoption,” she replied, her voice cautious.
Tina pressed for details about his background, but Megan insisted it was confidential.
“Why are you asking all these questions?” she wondered, frowning.
“I think Shawn might be my son,” Tina admitted, showing Megan a photo of Liam with the same birthmark as Shawn.
“It’s a birthmark, Tina. Thousands of people have them,” Megan argued, her voice lowering. “I know this has been rough on you. I’m sorry. You’re grieving. I should’ve been more sensitive.”
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“It isn’t just grief, Megan!” Tina snapped. “When I held him, I knew. The birthmark confirms it. You see it, too. Just admit it.”
“Tina, this is insane. Shawn is my son. I adopted him legally,” Megan said, shaking her head and standing.
Tina rose, too, grabbing her friend’s arm. “Look me in the eye and tell me you don’t see it’s exactly the same as Liam’s!”
“They are not the same!” Megan snapped, pulling away. “You’re out of your mind!”
The café manager intervened due to the commotion. Tina suggested showing the manager the birthmark photos, but Megan refused, calling Tina’s behavior crazy and leaving the café in tears.
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Even then, Tina was convinced of her theory and took action by tagging her ex-husband, Mark, in photos of Shawn she found on Megan’s social media before being blocked.
Mark told her to stop it because it was too painful for him. He didn’t want anything more to do with Tina or their past. Their marriage had dissolved due to Liam’s death, and he just wanted to move on.
Other people told her to stop, and Megan refused to answer her calls. Why was no one on her side?
At last, Detective Harris called with a lead: the adoption was facilitated by a nurse named Hayley from the hospital where Tina gave birth. This revelation hit Tina hard, recalling Hayley’s presence in the delivery room.
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“That witch stole my baby,” Tina concluded, suddenly cutting off the call with the detective. She had some things to do and immediately looked up the address of a lawyer.
