My husband pushed me down the stairs, and as I lay shattered at the bottom, my mother-in-law called my father and said, “Come get your worthless daughter and take her back.” Dad gave her only one warning: “If she has so much as a scratch, your family will answer for it.” They laughed at him because they had absolutely no idea who my father truly was.

He looked exhausted but uninjured.

Celeste was beside him, perfectly arranged, with a pearl brooch shaped like a rose.

She watched my wheelchair enter and let her gaze linger on my face.

I expected satisfaction.

What I saw instead was irritation, as though my injuries had become inconvenient.

The judge introduced the matter as an emergency request involving temporary arrangements for Lily.

Gabriel presented the medical documentation, my statement, Martin’s messages, and the inconsistent affidavits.

Martin’s lawyer objected to several allegations and argued that no finding of wrongdoing had been made.