“I’m so sorry, Mommy,” she sobbed into my shoulder. “I should have told you sooner.”
“No, baby. No, you were perfect. You saved us. You saved us both.”
The courtroom slowly started to return to order, though nothing would ever really be the same after what everyone had just witnessed. Police officers arrived within minutes and placed handcuffs on both Gregory and Dr. Fletcher. Gregory wouldn’t look at me. He stared at the floor, his face red with shame and anger. Dr. Fletcher continued sobbing, mascara running down her cheeks in black streaks. Judge Whitmore waited until both of them were secured before speaking again. Her voice was ice cold.
“In 30 years on this bench, I have never seen such a calculated, cruel conspiracy. Mr. Bennett, you didn’t just lie to this court. You created an elaborate scheme to destroy your wife’s reputation, steal your daughter’s mother, and commit multiple felonies in the process. And Dr. Fletcher, you violated every ethical standard of your profession. You betrayed the trust this court places in expert witnesses.”
She turned to me and her expression changed completely.
“Ms. Bennett, I owe you an apology. This court was deceived by false evidence and perured testimony. I nearly made a decision that would have caused irreparable harm to you and your daughter based on lies.”
I couldn’t speak. I just nodded, still holding Hannah close.
“The petition for divorce and custody filed by Mr. Bennett is hereby dismissed with prejudice. Ms. Bennett, you retain full custody of your daughter. Furthermore, I’m issuing an emergency order freezing all of Mr. Bennett’s assets and granting you immediate access to all marital funds. We’ll sort out the actual division of assets later, but you should not suffer financially while this criminal case proceeds.”
Benjamin stood up, looking happier than I’d ever seen him.
“Thank you, your honor. My client has been living in poverty while Mr. Bennett stole their savings. This is the right decision.”
“Additionally,” Judge Whitmore continued, “I’m referring both Mr. Bennett and Dr. Fletcher to the district attorney for criminal prosecution. The charges should include fraud, perjury, conspiracy, theft, and anything else the DA sees fit. I’m also referring Dr. Fletcher to the state licensing board. She should never practice psychology again.”
Dr. Fletcher wailed at that, but nobody cared. She’d made her choices. The bailiff led Gregory and Dr. Fletcher out of the courtroom. As Gregory passed my table, he finally looked at me. The coldness was gone. Now he just looked pathetic and scared. Good. He should be scared. After they were gone, Judge Whitmore called Hannah back to the bench.
“Young lady, I want to make sure you understand something. What your father did was wrong. Very wrong. But that’s not your fault. You did nothing wrong by recording those videos. You protected your mother. You told the truth. Those are good things. Don’t ever feel guilty about this.”
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