PART 15:

Not your guilt, not your self flagagillation. Your action going forward. Natalie felt tears building again. She’d cried more in 3 weeks than in the previous 10 years combined. I’m terrified of Friday. I know. What if something goes wrong? What if Daniel? Then we handle it together. You’re not alone in this anymore. The word together settled something in her chest.

She’d been alone for so long. Alone in her marriage to a man who’d turned out to be a monster. Alone in her company where every decision was ultimately hers. Alone in the crushing responsibility of single parenting while maintaining a career. But now she had Ethan, had Jackson and Torres, had Michael and Dr. Chen and Anna, a whole network of people who’d appeared in her darkest moment and decided to stay.

Thursday passed in anxious preparation. Michael drilled Natalie on testimony, what to say, what not to say, how to stay calm under cross-examination. Dr. Chen came to the house to prepare the children for giving their statements, walking them through the process until they felt as comfortable as possible with something inherently uncomfortable.

Remember, Dr. Chen told them, sitting in the living room with all three kids, “You’re not on trial. You’re not in trouble. You’re simply telling the truth about what happened to you. The judge needs to hear your voices to make the right decision.” “What if we cry?” Ava asked. “Then you cry. That’s okay. Crying shows the judge that these events affected you, that they were real and painful. There’s no shame in tears.

What if Daniel gets mad? Mason’s voice was barely a whisper. He can’t hurt you. He won’t even be in the same room. And even if he was, there are security officers in the courthouse. He can’t touch you. His power over you is gone. That night, none of the children slept in their own beds.

They all ended up in Natalie’s room again, clustered together like they were physically holding each other up. Natalie lay awake listening to their breathing, memorizing it, praying to God she wasn’t sure she believed in that tomorrow would go smoothly. At 3:00 a.m., her phone buzzed. Unknown number. She almost ignored it.

Then something made her answer. Natalie. Daniel’s voice slurred and desperate. Please, I need to talk to you. She sat up carefully, not wanting to wake the children, and moved into the hallway. Ethan’s light was on in the guest house. He’d see if she needed help. You’re violating the restraining order by calling me.

I don’t care. I’m losing everything. My job found out about the accusations. They put me on leave. My family won’t talk to me. I have nothing, Natalie. Nothing. You did this to yourself. No, you did this. You took my family. You turned my kids against me. They were never your kids and they turned against you because you terrorized them.

I was disciplining them. Someone had to. You were never here. His voice rose to a shout. You abandoned them for your precious career and I was left to deal with three spoiled brats who didn’t respect authority. Natalie’s hand tightened on the phone. Is that what you’re telling yourself? That you’re the victim here? I am the victim.

I gave up my freedom to marry you. I took on your damaged children. I played father to kids who weren’t mine. And this is how you repay me? By destroying my life. You destroyed your own life when you made children kneel on floors and told them they were unloved. I never He stopped, breathing hard. It wasn’t like that. The recordings are taken out of context.

There’s no context that makes what you did acceptable. I want to see them before court. I want to explain. They need to understand. Absolutely not. Please, Natalie, please. I’m begging. Just 5 minutes. I’ll apologize. I’ll tell them I was wrong. Just let me. No. And you need to hang up now before I record this call and add it to the evidence pile. You’re making a mistake.

If I lose tomorrow, I have nothing to lose. Do you understand? Nothing to lose. The threat was obvious. Natalie’s blood went cold. Are you threatening my children? I’m telling you the truth. A man with nothing to lose is dangerous. Think about that. The line went dead. Natalie stood frozen in the hallway, Daniel’s words echoing in her mind.

Then she was running down the stairs across the yard, pounding on the guest house door. Ethan answered in seconds, already dressed, clearly never having slept. What happened? Daniel called. He’s drunk. He made threats. said, “A man with nothing to lose is dangerous.” Her words tumbled over each other. “We need more security. We need Jackson.

” Ethan called into the darkness. The security guard materialized from somewhere near the front gate. Protocol read. Possible threat. Lock it down. Within minutes, the property was on full alert. Torres took position inside the house near the children’s room. Jackson monitored cameras. Ethan called the police to report the threatening call.

And Natalie sat in her kitchen at 3:30 a.m. shaking with adrenaline and terror while armed guards protected her sleeping children from a man who’d once promised to love them. “I can’t do this,” she whispered. “I can’t bring them to court.” “What if he tries something?” “He won’t,” Ethan said firmly.

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