The courtroom feels colder than I imagined, its walls towering and oppressive, as if the very structure is designed to intimidate. Lydia walks beside me, her steps deliberate, her sharp heels clicking against the marble floor. I clutch my rounded belly instinctively, the weight of the life growing inside me grounding me as I step into the chaos of the legal battlefield.
This isn't just about me. It's about my baby.
The whispers hit me first. Spectators and reporters murmur in hushed tones as I walk past, their judgmental eyes trailing my every move. My name has been dragged through the mud for weeks now, thanks to Victoria's relentless attacks in the press. Irresponsible. Unfit. A gold digger. They've called me everything but a mother.
And then I see him.
Alex.
