According to the documents I was:
“emotionally unstable” “financially irresponsible” and prone to unpredictable mood swings .
He described himself as his opposite.
A patient father.
Organized.
Reliable.
Stable.
And because Caleb wore a carefully pressed suit and spoke in a calm, confident voice, people believed him.
Even in court he barely looked at me.
When he did, it only lasted a second or two before his gaze shifted elsewhere, as if I was something unpleasant he didn’t want to notice.
Like a stain that he has already decided to remove from his life.
Harper in the courtroom
On the first day of the trial, Harper sat next to me and my lawyer.
Her little legs dangled above the floor.
Her hands were clasped so tightly in her lap that her knuckles turned white.
I didn’t want her there.
No child should have to witness their parents attacking each other in front of strangers.
But Caleb insisted.
“This will help the judge see the truth,” he said calmly.
Apparently, the truth meant forcing our daughter to face the breakdown of her family.
Accusations
Caleb’s lawyer was the first to speak.
She stood confidently, her voice calm and practiced.
“Mr. Dawson was the child’s primary caregiver,” she explained.
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