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“What’s all this?” I ask, sitting down.
“I was just making sure I have all proof of child support you’ve paid over the years. I have a feeling she’s going to say you haven’t been paying.” I go to interrupt, but he stops me. “I have all the proof we need right here, don’t worry.”
My nerves intensify as he continues to talk. There’s nothing new, he’s just reminding me to let him do the talking and to keep my emotions in check. Any outburst anyou d it will look bad for me. I nod as he talks, wishing this was all over with already.
After he finishes his breakfast, we head to the courthouse. I adjust my tie countless times on the ride over as my knee bounces against the seat.
“Braden, relax. You’ve got this in the bag. There’s nothing she can say or do that would destroy your chances. You’re going to get your girls,” he says, glancing over at me.
I know he’s right, but it’s still stressful. Especially, when we walk into the courtroom and I see Sarah’s parents sitting there. Fuck, I should’ve let Kallie and my mom come. They wanted to, but I told them I could handle it on my own.
When we sit down, I grab my lawyer’s arm. “Her parents are here, and my family is back home. Is this hurting me?”
“If I thought you needed them here, I would’ve told you. Her parents are here because she has nothing else. You’re proving that you don’t need anyone else. I know what I’m doing, Braden,” he says, opening his briefcase.
I scrub my face and lean back in the chair. It’s out of my hands at this point and it’s not a feeling I like. I like to be in control of every situation. To know what will happen and the truth behind it all. Anything that happens today is the complete opposite of that.
Right before the judge walks out, Sarah walks in with her lawyer. I refuse to even look in her direction. I keep my focus in front of me because if I look at her, I will lose my shit. After the judge comes out both lawyers begin talking. I’m feeling confident when my lawyer continues to contradict things that her lawyer brings up. She’s beginning to look bad and that works well for
me.
“Mr. Stanton, you keep saying your client is the best fit for the children, but I’ve yet to hear why that is,” the judge says to her lawyer.
I mask my smile as I cross my arms. My lawyer looks at me and nods, simply saying we’ve got this. The longer I’m here, the more I actually believe I may be bringing my girls home.
“Your Honor, my client may go out and she may enjoy her time away from the children, but she never brings that part of it around them. Mr. Gregory is a totally different story. He subjects his daughters to sexual situations,” her lawyer says.
“Objection. My client does no such thing. His sister is a well-known photographer who takes photographs of a sexual nature. However, the girls are never present for that. And that has nothing to do with my client. He isn’t in the photos and he isn’t there for the shoots. This is a stretch brought on by false allegations,” my lawyer says.
My heart is pounding. This is the shit I knew she was going to bring up. She knows damn well the girls are not present when Kallie shoots. She has nothing else to use against me.
“That may be, but the woman Mr. Gregory is having a sexual relationship with is. There are plenty of photos of her in very promiscuous positions. Yet, she’s around them,” her lawyer says.
My blood is boiling. Of course, she would use McKinley against me. She truly is a heartless bitch. I go to speak, but my lawyer grabs my wrist, warning me to shut up.
“Your Honor, once again, that has nothing to do with Mr. Gregory. The woman he is with is irrelevant to the case. Her job is even less irrelevant. The girls aren’t in the photoshoots, come on. This is just a play to try to get power. There’s nothing here,” my lawyer says.
“I agree with Mr. Cross. The job status of all these people have no relevance in this case. You’re grasping for straws,” the judge says.
My pulse begins to calm until Sarah stands up. Her lawyer tries to get her to sit down but she refuses. She glances in my direction and smirks. Fuck, she’s about to do something.
“Your Honor, my ex-husband can paint himself a saint all he wants, but that’s not the case. He allows people to take advantage of him. He’s an emotional mess. And he’s easily manipulated. He has blinders on when it comes to seeing things for the way they truly are. He’d rather ignore the bad and focus on what little good there is.”
My heart is pounding as I look at her. I have no idea what she’s doing but I don’t fucking like it. “What the hell is she going on about?” My lawyer asks.
“I have no fucking idea,” I whisper, staring at her.
“Get on with it, Mrs. Gregory,” the judge hisses.
Hearing my last name still attached to her has my stomach churn. I hate that I blindly believed that she was worth giving my last name to. She destroyed me and she’s destroying my girls. That last name is for honorable, hardworking, loving people.
“I was made aware of the relationship between Braden and McKinley by my daughters. He didn’t even have the decency to tell me himself. Since he refused to tell me, I decided it was best I look into her myself.” Her eyes slide over to mine and my stomach sinks. “I went to her hometown and spoke with her mother. McKinley didn’t come to California looking for family. She came to use all of you so she could become the model she desperately wanted to be. She doesn’t care about you, Kallie, Blake, or the girls. She cares about money and fame. You all were just naïve enough to let her walk right in.”
“Bullshit,” I yell, jumping up.
“Braden,” my lawyer hisses.
“Order,” the judge yells, smacking his gavel.
