Chapter 5: David’s Panic
The moment the judge announced that Lily was being taken into protective custody, David completely lost control.
He shot to his feet so fast his chair fell backward.
“You can’t do this!” he shouted. “She’s my daughter! You have no right to take her away from me!”
“Mr. Caldwell, sit down!” Judge Whitman ordered.
But David wasn’t listening anymore.
“She’s lying! That child lies all the time! She’s just repeating things Jessica said in anger! This is all a setup!”
Jessica grabbed his arm, trying to pull him back down.
“David, stop! You’re making it worse!”
David shook her off.
“No! They’re trying to destroy me! First my ex-wife tries to take everything, now this brat is lying about me!”
The moment the word “brat” left his mouth, the entire courtroom reacted.
Gasps. Murmurs. Disgusted looks.
Even Jessica looked horrified.
Judge Whitman’s face turned to stone.
“Bailiff,” she said coldly, “remove Mr. Caldwell from this courtroom immediately. He is in contempt.”
Two bailiffs moved toward David.
David’s eyes were wild. He looked around the room like a cornered animal.
His gaze landed on Elena.
“This is your fault!” he screamed at her. “You did this! You and that little liar!”
Elena didn’t flinch.
She simply looked at him with pity.
David was dragged out of the courtroom still shouting.
Jessica sat frozen in her seat, looking like her entire world had just collapsed.
Judge Whitman took a deep breath and addressed the room.
“This court will reconvene in two days. Until then, I expect all parties to cooperate with Child Protective Services. Any further attempts to intimidate or influence the child will be dealt with severely.”
She looked directly at Elena.
“Mrs. Caldwell, given everything that has come to light today, I strongly suggest you speak with your attorney about amending your divorce petition. You may have more options now than you originally believed.”
Elena nodded slowly.
She placed both hands on her belly and closed her eyes for a moment.
When she opened them, she felt something she hadn’t felt in a very long time.
Hope.
David thought he had everything under control.
He thought he could walk away with the house, the money, and his new life with Jessica.
But he had forgotten one very important thing.
May you like
Secrets have a way of coming out.
Especially when a little girl with a stuffed rabbit decides to tell the truth.
