Chapter 12
Vanessa testified against advice.
She could not resist an audience.
She cried beautifully.
She said Sophie rejected her.
She said I was still in love with Claire.
She said she only wanted to build a family.
Then the prosecutor showed the trust petition.
Vanessa’s face tightened.
“Who drafted this?” he asked.
“My attorney.”
“At your request?”
“I don’t recall.”
He showed emails.
Sophie is the obstacle.
After the wedding, Richard will listen.
Vanessa looked toward me.
I did not look away.
The prosecutor asked, “What did you mean by obstacle?”
She swallowed.
“Her grief controlled the house.”
“She was six.”
“She was manipulative.”
A juror’s face changed.
Vanessa saw it and panicked.
“I meant she needed help.”
“By being locked in a pantry?”
“No.”
“By eating from a dog bowl?”
“No.”
“By being filmed crying for use in a trust petition?”
Her mouth opened.
Nothing came out.
That silence did more damage than any answer.
After court, my mother tried to speak to me in the hallway.
“Richard, I was wrong about Vanessa.”
I turned.
“You were wrong about Sophie.”
Her face paled.
“And Claire,” I added.
She flinched like I had struck her.
May you like
Good.
Some truths should hurt.
