Then one afternoon, I came home early and overheard Jenna telling the girls they wouldn’t be staying with us. She said she wasn’t spending her twenties raising “someone else’s kids” and planned to push them toward foster care. When Maya cried, Jenna threatened to throw away her notebooks. Later, on the phone, she admitted she wanted my mom’s house, the insurance money, and a wedding without “baggage.”

I pretended I knew nothing. That night, I told Jenna she was right—maybe the girls should leave—and suggested we finally go big on the wedding she wanted. She lit up. Meanwhile, I reassured the twins privately and called a lawyer and locksmith. I also remembered the nanny cams my mom had installed.

At the wedding, I played footage of Jenna’s cruelty and manipulation in front of every guest. The room erupted. Jenna tried to defend herself, but the video spoke for itself. Security escorted her out. Days later, she returned screaming at the door, and I called the police. I filed a restraining order the next morning.

A week later, the adoption was finalized. The girls and I cried in the judge’s office, finally certain we’d stay together. That night, we cooked dinner, lit a candle for Mom, and held each other close. We weren’t the family I once imagined—but we were real, safe, and home.