Mom, Don't Cry! Here comes a new Daddy! novel Chapter 59

Chapter 41-2

Chapter 41-2

+25 Points

Judge Whitmore looks at Tom. “Objection sustained. Rephrase, Mr. Patterson.”

Tom doesn’t miss a beat. “Ms. Moore, were you aware your son posted videos of you kissing another man?”

“Not until after they were already online.”

“But you were aware he was on the cruise with you?”

“No. I thought he was at home with Sophia.”

“So you went on a cruise-a romantic getaway-and left your five-year-old son behind?”

Another trap. Every question is designed to make me look bad no matter how I answer.

“It wasn’t a romantic getaway. Sophia told me Jake won the tickets in a contest and wanted me to

go relax.”

“And you met Mr. King on this cruise?”

“Yes.”

“The same Mr. King sitting in this courtroom today?”

I glance back at Ethan. His expression is carefully neutral, but I can see the tension in his

shoulders.

“Yes.”

“How long have you known Mr. King?”

“About a week.”

Tom’s eyebrows rise theatrically. “A week? And he’s already involved enough in your life to attend your custody hearing?”

“He came to support me-”

“Or perhaps he came because you’ve already been involved long before even the cruise trip? Is your relationship more serious than you’re admitting? Perhaps Jake has already been exposed to this man in inappropriate ways?”

“No! Ethan has never-we haven’t-”

“So you’re saying your relationship is purely platonic?”

Heat floods my face. “We’ve kissed. But Jake hasn’t seen anything inappropriate”

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Chapter 41-2

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“But the hundreds of thousands of people who watched those videos have. Including, presumably, –

Jake’s classmates. His teachers. His friends’ parents.” Tom shakes his head. “Ms. Moore, do you

understand how this looks? A married woman-”

“I was separated-”

“Still legally married at the time of those videos. Kissing a stranger on a cruise ship while your son films it for the internet.” He pauses for effect. “Does that sound like the behavior of a responsible.

parent?”

My hands are shaking. I press them together harder.

“I didn’t know I was being filmed. I didn’t consent to any of it.”

“But you did go on the cruise. You did kiss Mr. King. You did allow your son access to social media

without proper supervision.”

“Jake is very responsible with his account. And I’ve always been around whenever-”

“He’s five years old Ms. Moore. Five-year-olds shouldn’t have social media accounts at all, let alone ones with hundreds of thousands of followers.” Tom’s voice sharpens. “What kind of mother allows her kindergartener to broadcast their family drama to strangers?”

“The kind who didn’t know it was happening!”

My voice echoes off the courtroom walls. Too loud. Too emotional.

Shit. I forgot I needed to stay calm.

Tom smiles slightly. Like I’ve just proven his point.

“No further questions.”

I’m shaking as I leave the witness box. Richard gives me a reassuring nod, but I feel like I just lost. Like every answer I gave made things worse.

Judge Whitmore looks at Richard. “Call your next witness.”

“The defense calls Sophia Collen.”

Sophia stands, her designer suit immaculate, her spine straight. She walks to the witness box with more confidence than I had, and I send up a silent prayer that she can fix whatever mess I just

created.

After she’s sworn in, Richard approaches.

“Ms. Collen, can you describe your relationship with Sabrina Moore?”

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Chapter 41-2

“We’ve been best friends since college. She’s like a sister to me.”

“And

you were aware of the cruise arrangement?”

“Yes. I planned it.” Sophia’s voice is clear, steady. “The whole thing was my idea.”

“Can you explain what you mean by ‘the whole thing’?”

+25 Points

“I mean the cruise, the setup with Jason King, the recordings-all of it. Sabrina didn’t know any of it was happening until their videos went viral.”

I watch Dustin’s lawyer lean over and whisper something to him. His expression darkens.

“Why did you plan this without Ms. Moore’s knowledge?” Richard asks.

“Because she never would have agreed to it.” Sophia looks directly at the judge. “My best friend’s husband cheated on her with his boss. That same boss then fired her in retaliation. Sabrina was drowning in grief and humiliation, and when Jake came to me with this idea of finding his mom a ‘new dad,’ I thought-” She pauses. “Why the hell not? A scum like Dustin Reed needs to know he’s not unforgettable. If he can treat my friend as a substitute. If he can replace her like she never meant anything, then my friend can replace him too. After all, he isn’t the only man in the world.”

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