I looked at my manila folder and realized it was no longer a symbol of my failure or my shame. It was the physical proof that I had survived his shadow long enough to finally see the light.
Vivian was escorted out of the room by a deputy, and she didn’t even look back at the man she had tried so hard to steal. Harrison remained in his seat, looking like a man who had just realized the world no longer belonged to him.
When the session was finally adjourned, Simon helped me stand up and asked if I needed to see a doctor right away. I hesitated for a moment but then looked down at my stomach and realized that my health mattered more than my pride.
“Yes, I would like to be checked out,” I said. In the hallway, the courthouse looked exactly the same as it had when I arrived, but I felt like a completely different person.
Megan arrived a short time later and hugged me so hard that I finally let out the tears I had been holding back all day. At the hospital, the staff was kind and the room was quiet while they monitored the baby’s heart rate for a few hours.