“No,” the judge raised his hand, still looking directly at Emily and Jack. “Did anyone tell you to say that?”
“No,” my children said in unison before Emily continued, “Mom told us to say what was in our hearts, and that she loved us no matter who we picked.”
“So,” the judge nodded. “Who do you want to live with?”
“We love our dad. We like gifts and Disney,” Jack answered. “But I pick Mom.”
“Me too.”
I let out the breath I didn’t know I was holding as the judge turned to my ex-husband. “Sir, this court does not tolerate manipulation, bribery, or treating children as bargaining chips for financial gain. Your behavior is reprehensible.”
Daniel tried to recover. “Your Honor, children misunderstand things. They —”
“No, I’ve heard enough,” the judge shook his head. “Full custody will remain with their mother with some visitation, but we need to make sure there’s proper child support and alimony set in place…”
***
Outside the courthouse, I tried to hold back my tears as I held my babies’ hands. Emily whispered, “Mom, did I do the right thing? I don’t want him to hate me.”
“Sweetheart, you were braver in there than most adults I’ve ever known,” I told her. “You told the truth, and that’s always right.”
Then, I gave them a tight bear hug and didn’t let go until it started raining and we had to rush to the car.
But the good news didn’t stop there. Days after the hearing, news of what Emily had revealed spread through Daniel’s family.
His wealthy mother, a proper Southern woman who valued appearances above all else, was horrified by his actions and the public embarrassment.
Within a month, Daniel was officially cut off, and his inheritance went up in smoke. Half of it was destined for charity, and the other half would be placed in trust funds for Emily and Jack.
He would only get a token amount, so he couldn’t sue for more. I heard this from one of his cousins, who had no idea we had even separated.
Daniel lost our former big house because he couldn’t pay the mortgage after paying for his custody lawyers and all he owed me. Of course, his girlfriend was gone as soon as the money dried up.
He also had to sell his new car and even tried to take back Jack’s PS5. I didn’t allow it.
My children got to keep everything he gave them before, including the puppy, Lucky.
He has seen them maybe once or twice in the last few months, and to be honest, I hope he gets everything figured out and starts showing up again soon. My children miss him.
He shouldn’t have used them. They deserve a better parent than that. He obviously failed as a husband, but I still hope he’ll return to being a good father.
This work is inspired by real events and people, but it has been fictionalized for creative purposes. Names, characters, and details have been changed to protect privacy and enhance the narrative. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.
The author and publisher make no claims to the accuracy of events or the portrayal of characters and are not liable for any misinterpretation. This story is provided “as is,” and any opinions expressed are those of the characters and do not reflect the views of the author or publisher.
