Walter came home from work, and immediately heard his baby son, Logan, crying loudly. The sound filled the whole house. He walked into the kitchen and saw his wife, Abby, looking very tired and upset.
“How long has Logan been crying?” Walter asked, hugging her from behind.
“I’ve tried everything!” Abby cried. “I fed him, changed him, burped him, bathed him—nothing works! I even checked his temperature. I don’t know what else to do.”
They had become parents just a month ago, and it was so hard. Logan’s constant crying often made Walter feel useless.
“Let’s figure it out together,” he said, leading her to Logan’s room.
But when Walter got to the crib, his happy face changed to shock. Instead of Logan, there was a tape recorder playing his son’s cries. Next to it was a note. He stopped the recorder and read the message:
“I warned you that you’d regret being rude to me. If you want to see your baby again, leave $200,000 in the storage lockers near the pier. If you go to the police, you’ll never see him again.”
Abby gasped when she saw the note. “What does this mean? Who would do this? Were we rude to someone?”
Walter’s mind raced. He remembered a fight with the janitor at the hospital where Logan was born. The janitor had tripped him by accident, making Walter drop a gift for Abby. Walter had gotten very angry.
“You’ll regret this!” the janitor had yelled.
“It must be him,” Walter said. “We need to go to the police.”
Abby held the note tightly. “No, the kidnapper said not to. What if they hurt Logan? Maybe we should just pay the ransom.”
“I can’t take that risk. We need help to bring Logan home safely.”
Abby finally agreed.
As they got close to the police station, Walter’s phone buzzed with a text: “This is your last warning. If you go to the police, your kid goes into the bay. Deliver the money to the location now.”
Abby started crying. “Walter, we can’t risk it! Just pay them!”
Walter tried to calm her down. “We’ll figure this out. Let’s get you home first.”
Once Abby was home, Walter went to the bank and took out the money. He followed the instructions and put the cash in the storage locker near the pier. But he didn’t leave. He parked nearby and watched. Soon, he saw the janitor take the bag.
Walter followed him quietly. The janitor went to another set of lockers and put the bag inside. Before Walter could stop him, a group of tourists blocked his view. When they moved, the janitor was gone.
Walter rushed to the lockers, but the bag was gone and the back of the locker was broken into. He felt like he had failed.
When he got home, something felt wrong. Abby was gone. All her things, even personal items, were missing. Walter called her many times, but she didn’t answer.
Suddenly, it hit him: Abby had planned the kidnapping.
His sadness turned to determination. He wouldn’t let her get away with this.
Walter went back to the hospital and found Dr. Jones, a doctor he trusted. He told the doctor everything and asked for help. The doctor agreed and called Abby.
“Mrs. Taylor, this is Dr. Jones from the hospital. We’ve found a serious genetic condition in your son’s tests. He needs urgent treatment. Please bring him in immediately.”
Walter’s heart raced as he listened. He couldn’t hear Abby’s words, but she sounded worried.
After the call, the doctor turned to Walter. “She’s bringing the baby. You’ll need to act fast.”
Hours later, Walter waited in the hospital lobby, his heart pounding. Abby arrived with Logan, and Walter’s brother James was holding Logan.
Police officers and FBI agents, whom Walter had called earlier, stepped forward to arrest Abby and James. Abby screamed, blaming Walter for not paying the ransom and putting Logan in danger.
“You think you’ve won?” Abby shouted as she was handcuffed. “Logan isn’t even yours! He’s James’s son! You couldn’t give me a baby, so I found someone who could.”
Walter froze. James looked away, guilt all over his face.
“Logan may not share my blood,” Walter said, his voice strong. “But he’s my son in every way that matters. And I will raise him to be nothing like either of you.”
Months later, Walter finalized Logan’s adoption and started rebuilding their lives. The betrayal hurt, but every time Logan smiled, Walter felt hopeful.
One evening, he whispered to his son, “You’re my miracle, Logan. Together, we’ll create a life full of love, no matter what it takes.”
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