Chapter 4
The first custody hearing was two weeks later.
I stood outside the courtroom, my incision still throbbing, Lila asleep in the carrier strapped to my chest, and breathed in deep. Mark stood beside me, his briefcase in hand, his face calm and steady.
“Remember,” he said quietly. “Don’t react. No matter what they say. Let the evidence speak for itself.”
I nodded.
We walked in.
Daniel was already there, sitting at the plaintiff’s table with his mother and three expensive-looking lawyers. Margaret smiled at me when I walked in, a cold, sharp smile that made my skin crawl. Daniel wouldn’t meet my eyes.
The judge took the bench, a stern woman in her sixties with gray hair pulled tight in a bun.
“Carter versus Hale,” she said, looking down at her papers. “Petition for temporary full custody filed by Daniel Carter. Let’s hear from the petitioner first.”
Daniel’s lead lawyer stood up, a tall man with a slicked-back ponytail and a voice like oil.
“Your Honor,” he said, turning to the judge. “My client is a loving, stable father. His wife, Ms. Hale, has a long history of emotional instability. She is currently recovering from major abdominal surgery, she is living alone with no family support, and she has exhibited erratic, paranoid behavior since the birth of their daughter. She has cut my client off from his child entirely, refusing him even supervised visits. It is in Lila Carter’s best interest that temporary full custody be awarded to my client, with reasonable visitation for Ms. Hale once she has sought appropriate mental health treatment.”
He turned and gestured to Daniel, who sat up straight, putting on his best sad, concerned face.
I bit the inside of my cheek until I tasted blood.
Mark stood up.
“Your Honor,” he said, his voice sharp. “Every word that just came out of Mr. Torres’s mouth is a lie. Ms. Hale has no history of mental illness. She is a successful businesswoman, the sole owner of Hale Construction, and a devoted mother. The reason Mr. Carter has not seen his daughter is simple: twelve hours after she was born, he and his mother entered Ms. Hale’s hospital room, screamed at her, threatened her with eviction and financial ruin, and served her with divorce papers. We have the nurse’s statement. We have security footage from the hospital hallway. We have the divorce petition, filed at 4:17 PM on the day of Lila’s birth.”
He walked to the judge’s bench and handed over a stack of papers.
“Furthermore,” Mark continued, “Mr. Carter and his mother, Margaret Carter, are currently under criminal investigation for embezzling over two million dollars from Hale Construction over the past eight months. Mr. Carter has signed every fraudulent check. He has admitted in writing to creating fake vendor accounts to siphon funds. This is not a custody fight. This is a shakedown. Mr. Carter is using his own infant daughter as leverage to extort money and assets from Ms. Hale.”
The courtroom went silent.
Daniel’s lawyer sputtered, “Your Honor, that is irrelevant—”
“It is highly relevant,” the judge cut him off, flipping through the papers Mark had handed her, her face growing darker with every page. “Mr. Carter, did you file for divorce three hours after your daughter was born?”
Daniel squirmed in his seat. “I… Your Honor, I was under extreme duress—”
“Did you, or did you not, sign checks made out to fake companies owned by your mother’s family?”
“I… that’s a misunderstanding—”
“Enough.” The judge threw the papers down on her desk. “I have been on this bench for twenty-two years. I have seen a lot of men use custody as a weapon. This is one of the most despicable examples I have ever encountered. You, sir, filed for divorce before your wife was even out of recovery. You stole millions from her family’s company while she was pregnant with your child. You do not get to stand here and call her unstable.”
She leaned forward, her eyes sharp.
“Temporary sole legal and physical custody is awarded to Ms. Hale. Mr. Carter is to have no contact with Ms. Hale or the child, directly or indirectly, until the criminal matter is resolved. If he comes within fifty feet of either of them, he will be held in contempt and remanded into custody. Do I make myself clear?”
Daniel’s mouth fell open. Margaret let out a sharp, squawking noise, like a stepped-on chicken.
“Your Honor—” Torres started.
“Court is adjourned.”
The judge stood up and walked out.
I stood there, frozen, until Mark touched my arm. “We won,” he said, smiling. “She gave us everything we asked for.”
Tears burned my eyes. I looked down at Lila, still asleep in her carrier, completely unaware of the battle raging around her.
As we walked out of the courtroom, Margaret lunged at me from the hallway, her nails outstretched, screaming curses. Two bailiffs grabbed her before she could get within ten feet, dragging her away as she kicked and yelled.
“This isn’t over!” she shrieked. “I’ll ruin you! You’ll never work in this town again!”
I watched her go, then turned and walked out of the courthouse into the bright Texas sun.
May you like
She was right. It wasn’t over.
But for the first time, I knew I was going to win.
