The Abandoned Wife's Second Chance (Scarlett and Jasper) novel Chapter 19

Chapter 19

(Blair’s POV)

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“Blair, honey, what’s wrong?” James pulls me against his chest, shielding me from the curious stares of other shoppers.

“I miss her, James. I miss Scarlett so much it hurts.” The words come out broken and raw. “That little girl… she remembers me so much of Scarlett at that age. Same personality, same

sweetness.”

“I saw it too.” His voice is tight, controlled in the way it gets when he’s trying not to lose his temper. “But that doesn’t change anything.”

“If Scarlett had her baby, our grandchild would be about that age now. We should be buying candy for our own granddaughter, not for some stranger’s child.”

James’s jaw clenches. “Scarlett made her choice, Blair. She could have stayed and worked things out like an adult. Instead, she ran away like a spoiled child who didn’t get her way.”

“That’s not fair-”

“Isn’t it?” He turns to face me, and I see the hurt he’s been hiding behind his anger. “We gave her everything. Over twenty years of love, support, education. The moment things got complicated, she abandoned us. Didn’t even try to fight for her marriage or her family.”

“You didn’t see her face the day we told her about Virginia. She was devastated.”

“She was dramatic.” His voice hardens. “Virginia is our blood, Blair. Our real daughter who was stolen from us as a baby. If Scarlett truly loved us, she would have understood that. She would have welcomed Virginia home.”

My chest tightens. “Scarlett loved us. She still loves us.”

“Then where is she?” James spreads his arms wide. “Four years, Blair. Four years without a single phone call, letter, or text message. If she considered us her real parents, don’t you think she would have reached out by now?”

The words hit me like physical blows. “Maybe she’s afraid we don’t want her anymore.”

“Or maybe she never really saw us as family to begin with.” His voice cracks slightly, revealing the pain beneath his anger. “Maybe we were just convenient until she found something better.”

“James, you don’t mean that.”

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“Don’t I?” He runs his hands through his graying hair. “Think about it, Blair. The moment Virginia came into the picture, Scarlett couldn’t handle sharing our attention. What kind of daughter does that? What kind of person abandons her family because she has to share?”

“She was pregnant. Scared. Her husband was choosing another woman over her every day.”

“Jasper cared about Virginia because she needed help. Scarlett was just jealous.”

I stare at my husband, hardly recognizing the man I married. “How can you say that? Scarlett worked herself to the bone trying to make Jasper happy. She never complained about his long hours or his distance. She just kept trying.”

“Because she wanted to keep her comfortable life.” His tone is bitter now. “The money, the status, the security. The moment it looked like Virginia might threaten that, she showed her

true colors.”

“That’s not who she is.”

“Then where is she?” He asks again, louder this time. “Where’s our supposedly loving daughter? Where’s our grandchild? If she truly cared about us, why hasn’t she come home?”

I don’t have an answer for that. Because deep down, a small part of me wonders the same

thing.

James sees my hesitation and his expression softens slightly. “Blair, I loved Scarlett too. For twenty–one years, she was my little girl. But she made her choice. She chose to leave rather than accept Virginia as her sister. She chose her pride over her family.”

“Maybe if I’d handled it differently. If I’d told her the truth more gently…”

“You can’t blame yourself for her selfishness.”

“She might not have run away.” The words come out broken. “She might have stayed. We might have raised our granddaughter together.”

James is quiet for a long moment, and when he speaks, his voice is tired. “Maybe. But she didn’t stay. And after four years of silence, I don’t think she’s coming back.”

“What if we’re wrong? What if she needs us and doesn’t know how to reach out?”

“Then she should have thought of that before she disappeared.”

Despite his harsh words, I can see the conflict in his eyes. The love warring with hurt and disappointment. He misses her too, even if he won’t admit it.

“I don’t know. But that little girl in there made me realize something.” I take a shaky breath,

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Chapter 19

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my voice barely above a whisper. “I’d rather try and fall than spend the rest of my life wondering what if.”

James crosses his arms, his expression guarded. “And what exactly are you suggesting?”

“Maybe we should hire someone. To find her.”

“Blair-” His tone carries a warning.

“Just to know she’s okay. We don’t have to contact her if she doesn’t want us to. But I need to know she’s safe. That she’s happy.”

“After what she put us through? After the way she just vanished without a word?” James shakes his head. “Why should we chase after someone who clearly doesn’t want us in her

life?”

“Because she’s our daughter!” The words burst out of me, raw and desperate. “Adopted or not, blood or not, she’s our daughter. And if she’s out there struggling, if she’s alone and scared, I need to know.”

James stares at me for a long moment, and I can see the war being fought behind his eyes. Love versus pride. Hope versus hurt.

“Fine,” he says finally, his voice grudging. “But we’re not doing this to beg her to come back. We’re doing it to put your mind at ease. If she’s doing fine without us, then we leave her

alone.”

“And if she’s not?”

His jaw tightens. “Then we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.”

I nod, relief flooding through me. It’s not the enthusiastic agreement I was hoping for, but it’s

something.

“We’ll look into birth records at the local hospitals first,” James continues, his tone becoming more businesslike. “If she had the baby here, there will be documentation.”

“Thank you.” I reach for his hand, but he pulls away.

“Don’t thank me yet. This might be the worst mistake we’ve ever made.”

(Scarlett’s POV)

Five minutes pass. Then ten.

My chest starts to tighten. How long does it take a four–year–old to use the bathroom?

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I abandon the cart and walk toward the restrooms, my steps quickening with each passing second. “Lily?” I call out, pushing open the women’s restroom door.

Empty.

My heart stops. “Lily!” I check each stall, my voice echoing off the tiles. Nothing.

The men’s room. Maybe she got confused. I pound on the door. “Excuse me! Is there a little girl in there? About four years old?”

“No, ma’am,” comes a gruff voice. “Just me.”

Panic claws at my throat. I run back into the store, scanning every aisle with wild eyes. “Lily!

Lily, where are you?”

Other shoppers start to notice, some stopping to stare as I become increasingly frantic. A store employee approaches, his face concerned.

“Ma’am? Is everything alright?”

“My daughter. She’s four years old, dark hair in braids, wearing a pink jacket. She went to the bathroom and now I can’t find her.” My voice breaks on the last words.

“Let me call security and make an announcement.” He speaks into his radio, and within moments, his voice booms over the store’s intercom system.

“Attention shoppers, we have a lost child. Four–year–old girl, dark hair, wearing a pink jacket. If you see her, please bring her to customer service immediately.”

I can barely breathe. This is my worst nightmare. What if Virginia took her? What if someone else did? What if I never see my baby again?

“Ma’am?” The employee touches my arm gently. “Why don’t you come with me to customer service? That’s usually where lost children end up.”

I follow him on shaking legs, my mind racing through every horrible possibility. Four years of protecting her, of keeping her safe, and I lost her in a grocery store. What kind of mother am

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At the customer service desk, I see her immediately.

“Mama!” Lily waves excitedly from behind the counter, completely oblivious to my panic. She’s holding a lollipop and grinning like she’s won the lottery.

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