AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I nodded absently.
“The fact of the matter is that, by law, Ms. Everett has every legal right to be involved in Ben’s life. It’s Ben’s right as the child to have both his parents in his life, and the law requires that Sabrina have visitation.”
“Doesn’t it also require that she pay child support, then?” I asked.
Sabrina snorted.
“It’s a fair point,” Moses said, and Sabrina glared at him before she looked back at me. “I’m Ben’s mother, and I have every right to be in his life. The law favors the mother, and custody will revert to me. I’m willing to take it to court if you’re not willing to play nice.”
“Play nice?” I barked a surprised laugh. “You’re telling meI’mthe one who isn’t playing nice? If you think the court is going to side with you after abandoning your child for nearly a decade, then you’re delusional.”
“Now, now, let’s not get worked up,” Moses said, and I wanted to punch him in the face. Who the fuck did he think he was? Who did Sabrina thinkshewas, marching in here, making demands about Ben’s life? “It will rather be a case of fifty percent custody, meaning Ben will stay with you for half the time and with Aaron for half the time.” He talked to Sabrina as if he was talking her off the ledge.
“Why should she get half!?” I cried out. “She left him!”
“A judge will review the case and make a ruling according to what he believes is right for the child, but if the parents are amicable, an arrangement can be made without involving the court.”
Amicable? Ha! What a joke.
Sabrina sighed. “Look, Aaron, I don’t expect you to understand. You’re not a woman. The connection you have with a child will never be as deep as what I have with Ben. I carried him for nine months––he’s apartof me.” Her voice cracked as she spoke, and tears welled up in her eyes. “I’ve been through a lot in the past couple of years, things I can’t begin to speak about, but I want to be there for him. I have so much time to make up for.” The tears ran down her cheeks, but her face remained emotionless. Either she’d had a lot of Botox done, or it was all an act, and she didn’t care nearly as much as she wanted to make it seem.
Again, I voted for the latter. Sabrina was cold and calculated, a master manipulator. She’d been like this when I’d been with her, too––a lot of red flags had shown themselves when we’d been together, but my infatuation for her had blinded me. It had taken her walking away from me and leaving me to raise a child alone to open my eyes. I might have married her had she not chosen to leave me.
Thank fuck she did.
I shook my head. Before I could say more, the door to my office opened.
“It’s really important. I’m so sorry,” a familiar voice said, and blood ran cold.
“He’s in a meeting,” my secretary tried, but Jade pushed into my office and closed the door behind her quickly, shutting herself in.
She turned to me, breathing hard as if she’d been running. Her cheeks were flushed.
“I have to talk to you,” she said.
Sabrina and Moses both turned in their chairs, looking at Jade. She looked at both of them and swallowed hard.
“You’re busy,” she breathed.
“I am,” I said. “Jade, I can’t talk now.
“It’s about Ben,” she said.
My stomach twisted. Was something wrong? Had something happened?
Sabrina stood. “What about Ben? Is he okay?”
Jade frowned. “He’s okay…I just need to talk to Aaron…”
“Oh, thank God.” Sabrina pressed her hand to her chest and looked Jade up and down with such disdain as if she was a bug that needed to be squashed.
“I’m sorry if this isn’t urgent…we’re in a meeting,” Sabrina said tightly.
“Yeah, I get that now. I just…” she looked at me. “I really need to talk to you.”
“Who do you think you are?” Sabrina demanded. She looked at me. “Aaron, who is this?”
Sabrina’s demands were ridiculous. She acted like she was in charge of everything. This was my office, my world, my life. Moses stayed silent.
