Chapter 3

I opened a blank email and typed three sentences that could stop my husband’s Christmas special.

Do not use footage I filmed.

Do not use our daughter’s voice.

Do not present another woman and her son as Evan Lawson’s family.

Tessa gave me the names of the executive producer, the station’s legal reviewer, and the woman responsible for branded content. I copied all three.

Then I attached the approval forms from Evan’s previous family segments. Each one named a specific program and date.

There was no approval for tonight.

“A spoken objection can become a misunderstanding,” I said as I pressed send. “An email has a time stamp.”

June sat beside me, clutching her folded rehearsal card.

Less than five minutes later, the executive producer entered with a woman from legal.

“Is this the final version?” the lawyer asked Tessa.

“Yes.”

“How many clips contain the child’s voice?”

Tessa opened the timeline. Small audio blocks appeared beneath almost every family scene.

“Seven,” she said. “Possibly eight if we count the opening.”

“And the original footage?”

“Most of it came from the Lawson family archive. Mae organized the files.”

“I filmed them,” I said. “Organizing them did not give Evan permission to use them anywhere he wanted.”

The lawyer checked the approval screen.

“Where is the final guardian confirmation for the sponsored segment?”

Tessa swallowed. “We were told it had been handled.”

“It wasn’t,” I said.

Evan came in before the lawyer could respond.

“Can I speak to my wife alone?”

He led me into the hallway but left the door open.

“It’s one video, Mae.”

“It uses our daughter’s voice seven times.”

“You could have talked to me before copying legal.”

“I did talk to you.”

“You accused me in front of an editor.”

“I asked whether I approved the video. You refused to answer.”

He glanced toward the studio. “People from the national office are watching tonight. Do you understand what this could do to my promotion?”

“You made the decision before I walked into the building.”

“This affects all three of us. My career pays for our home. June’s school. Everything.”

“You should have remembered that before using her.”

His voice dropped. “If the show falls apart, this will be on you.”

“No.” I held his gaze. “You didn’t take this risk today. Today is just the first time I’m not carrying the consequences for you.”

For once, Evan had no answer.

I returned to June and held out my hand.

“We’re going home.”

She slid her hand into mine. “What about Dad’s show?”

“It belongs to him,” I said. “So does the decision he made.”

We started toward the exit, but the lawyer asked me to remain until she confirmed that my objection had been logged. June and I waited in the lobby while the minutes disappeared from the studio clock.

No one offered us seats inside.

Through the glass, I watched Cara having her makeup repaired. Noah stood on the piece of tape with June’s name, shifting nervously from one foot to the other.

Evan moved between the producer and the control room, speaking faster each time.

Finally, my phone displayed a new email.

Your objection has been received and is under active review.

I silenced the phone and took June’s hand again.

The studio lights brightened as we reached the doors. Behind the control-room glass, crew members leaned over their screens.

One section of the program schedule changed from green to red.

FAMILY PACKAGE HOLD

RIGHTS / CHILD CONSENT DISPUTE

The family montage contained too many pieces of June to remove safely before airtime.

On the largest monitor, the countdown began.

Ten.

Nine.

Eight.