“I already moved most of the money,” he continued. “Once I get full custody I control everything. She is too emotional to fight back.”
Someone on the other end of the call must have asked about me because Matthew laughed in a cold way I had never heard before.
“She is not unstable,” he admitted. “But if I say it enough in court people start believing it.”
My chest felt as if it were collapsing inward.
Then the worst moment arrived.
Olivia appeared in the video frame as she stepped into the doorway.
“Dad,” she asked quietly, “are you and Mom getting divorced because of me?”
Matthew’s face changed instantly, but the change did not bring kindness.
It brought annoyance.
“No,” he answered impatiently. “Go back to your room.”
“I am already in my room,” she replied softly.
He sighed in frustration.
“Look, adults move on sometimes,” he said. “Living with me will be easier for you anyway.”
“Why would it be easier?” she asked.
His answer destroyed the image he had built for himself.
“Because your mom is weak,” he said bluntly. “Weak people make life harder.”
The video ended.
The silence inside the courtroom felt absolute.
Even Matthew’s attorney looked stunned.