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Kyla sat in the plush chair in the lawyer's office, her hands tightly clasped in her lap. Her mother sat beside her with her face etched with worry lines. They looked at the man in front of them as he sat down and pulled out a notepad.
"So, Mrs. Johnson, Miss Johnson,” he said, looking at each of them. "I understand you're worried about your sister?"
Kyla nodded, her stomach clenching with anxiety. "Yes, we haven't heard from her in days. She's never gone this long without contacting us. We filed a missing person's report, and the police are working on finding her."
The lawyer scribbled something down on his notepad before looking up at them. "Do you have any reason to believe she's in danger?"
Kyla's mother nodded her head. "Yes, most definitely. She's been going through a tough time lately. Her marriage is falling apart, and she's been struggling with depression."
The lawyer nodded in understanding. "Before we do anything, I should tell you that it's possible that she just needs some time alone. People often disappear for a while when they're going through a difficult time."
Kyla's heart sank at the thought of her sister suffering alone. No, it wasn't just her running away. It couldn't possibly be.
"But what if she's hurt? What if she needs help?"
The lawyer sighed. "If you truly believe she's in danger, we can take legal action. But we need more evidence before we can do that."
Kyla's mother looked at her, eyes pleading. "We have to do something, Kyla. We can't just sit here and wait for the worst to happen."
Kyla nodded, determination settling in her heart. "I'll do whatever it takes to find her and make sure she's safe."
The lawyer shifted in his chair and cleared his throat. Kyla continued, desperation in her voice.
"Mr. White, we're really worried about my sister," she said, her voice shaking. "We don't know where she is. We think her husband might have something to do with it."
The lawyer, a tall, middle-aged man with thinning hair and a serious expression, leaned forward in his chair. "I'm sorry to hear that, Kyla. Can you tell me more details?"
Kyla took a deep breath and began to recount the details of her sister's troubled marriage. The infidelity and how her sister had married a man who was charming at first but quickly revealed himself to be controlling and abusive.
The lawyer listened intently as Kyla spoke, making notes on his notepad. It felt good to finally be heard. She didn't feel like the police took her seriously when she tried to explain to them how she believed John was a danger to both Rachel and the children. This guy seemed to get it.
"I see," he said once Kyla had finished. "This is definitely a cause for concern. Has your sister reported any incidents of abuse to the police?"
Kyla was about to answer when her mother placed a hand on her arm to hold her back.
Kyla's mother shook her head. "No, she's been too afraid."
"She was afraid of him? Was he physically abusive?"
"No, it was more mentally. Constantly controlling her every move, checking up on her, telling her she couldn't see her own family or even talk to us on the phone."
"Yet, you said you spoke every day?" he said.
"Mostly texts. Sometimes on the phone, but always when he wasn't around,” she said. "She had to hide that she was talking to us. He never liked her family much and thought we had too much say in her life—that we meddled in their affairs. I think he just tried to isolate her. And now… now, I'm certain he has hurt her somehow. She wouldn't just disappear out of the blue like that—not my daughter."
The lawyer nodded grimly. "I understand. Mental abuse is a serious issue, and we need to take this into consideration." Kyla and her mother exchanged a look before the mom continued:
"We want to have the children. To protect them—from him."
"We don't believe they're safe with him," Kyla echoed.
The lawyer nodded and wrote down some notes. "I understand your concerns, but I need to remind you that custody battles can be complicated. We'll need evidence to prove that your sister's husband is unfit to care for the children."
Kyla's mother sighed. "I know, but we have to try. We can't just sit here and do nothing."
The lawyer leaned back in his chair, steepling his fingers in thought. "I see. I understand how you feel. I truly do. Well, it won't be easy, but we can certainly try. First, we'll need to gather as much evidence as possible against him: any proof of abuse, witnesses, anything that can help us make a case against him."
"We will get that for you, Mr. White,” Kyla's mother said. "Trust me. We will get it if it’s the last thing we do."
