The air felt tight in my throat, but I forced the words out because I realized that my previous silence had already cost me a lifetime. “I’m only asking for what is reasonable,” I replied softly, though my voice wavered. “Just what is fair for the child. The house is in both our names, and I need a stable place for this baby.”
Elara let out a sharp, mocking laugh that caused several people to look in our direction. “Fair?” she asked, looking me over with pure disdain. “You used that pregnancy to trap him. You should be bowing down to him for not leaving you with absolutely zero.”
I recoiled, a wave of lightheadedness hitting me. “Do not speak about my child in that way,” I warned.
Her expression turned to stone. Before I could even process what was happening, she lunged into my personal space and struck me across the face. The sound of the slap was unnaturally loud in the quiet courtroom, sending my head whipping to the side. Immediately, a metallic tang of blood filled my mouth as a sharp throb radiated across my cheek. For a heartbeat, time seemed to stop.