When the custody hearing began at the Cook County courthouse in Chicago, Matthew barely looked at me. He made eye contact for two seconds before turning his gaze away as if I embarrassed him simply by existing. Olivia sat beside me on the wooden bench with her small hands folded neatly in her lap while her feet dangled above the floor because the chair was too tall for her.
She should not have been there that day, and I had argued with my attorney about it because I never wanted my child to witness a courtroom battle between her parents. Matthew had insisted that she attend the hearing because he claimed the judge needed to see the “real family dynamic.” According to him it would help reveal the truth.
Truth, in Matthew’s mind, meant forcing a ten year old child to watch her parents fight for legal ownership of her life.
His attorney, a sharply dressed woman named Victor Lawson, spoke smoothly while addressing the judge. “Mr. Collins provides routine and stability for the child,” he explained confidently. “He oversees her education, supervises her extracurricular activities, and acts as the emotional anchor in her daily life.”