Chapter 7 - The Custody War
Despite the mountain of evidence, Vivienne’s family was wealthy, powerful, and utterly ruthless. Three days later, I found myself sitting in a sterile family court mediation room. Vivienne appeared on a video monitor from the county jail, flanked by two of the most expensive defense attorneys in the state.
She looked pale, wearing an orange jumpsuit instead of her usual Prada, but her eyes still burned with that same venomous arrogance.
"My client firmly denies these fabricated charges," her lead attorney stated smoothly. "Furthermore, she retains full maternal rights to Liam and Emma. We are petitioning the court to place the children in the temporary custody of Vivienne's parents until this 'misunderstanding' is cleared up."
My attorney, a sharp, no-nonsense woman named Laura, slammed a thick file onto the table.
"Your client doesn't have maternal rights," Laura fired back. "We have the clinic records. We have her written confession from the safe. And we have an expedited DNA test completed yesterday. Vivienne Sterling shares absolutely zero genetic material with those children. David is the biological father, and Sarah Jenkins is the biological mother."
Vivienne’s face twitched on the screen. "I carried them! I birthed them! They are mine!"
"You used them as props," I spoke up, my voice cutting through the legal jargon. I stared directly into the camera. "You tortured their real mother, you poisoned a child, and you tied a woman to a bed like an animal. You will never see my children again."
The judge, reviewing the DNA evidence and the police report detailing the thallium, looked visibly disturbed.
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"Custody is immediately and solely awarded to the father, David Sterling," the judge ruled, banging his gavel. "Given the severity of the criminal charges, Vivienne Sterling is barred from any contact, physical or indirect, with the minors. We are done here."
Vivienne began to scream, cursing my name as the video feed was abruptly cut off. For the first time in years, I took a deep, full breath. The war was turning in our favor.
