Chapter 291 The Trial
Ethan returned to his room, picked up his iPad, and continued to tap away, the screen displaying dense lines of code. Then he connected to his computer and performed a flurry of operations.
He wanted to help his mommy.
He wanted to find “dirt” on his nasty daddy. But after a long search, he found very little about him.
Most of the “dirt” was related to the company, and it didn't have much impact.
He also discovered that his nasty daddy was a workaholic. He nearly always left early and came back late.
It seemed that Sam hadn't had much of his daddy's company over the past five years.
Without anything to use as leverage, how could he help his mommy?
Ethan was so frustrated that he was close to tears. He had looked through many custody battle cases, and then analyzed each one, considering his mommy's current situation.
To his horror, he realized that his mommy's chances of winning were slim.
Unless they were eight years old—after that age, the court would take their opinions into account, and they would all choose their mommy.
Unfortunately, they were still too young, only five and a half, and would only be six after their birthdays.
Ethan was so angry he was on the verge of crying.
Then, Gabriel walked into the room.
"Let's talk," he said, gently.
Ethan lay down on the bed. "I'm going to sleep now."
Gabriel was left speechless.
After being discharged from the hospital, Emma stayed at home for half a month to recover. The wound healed, leaving an ugly scar, and Emma had cried about it for a long time.
Finally, she could go back to kindergarten.
Emma secretly planned to take the school bus home with Ethan to see their mommy after school finished.
Seeing her buddy finally back in kindergarten lifted Josie's spirits after many gloomy days.
She spent a long time catching up with Emma, asking about her well-being, and finally inquired, "How is Roberts doing?"
"Godmother is great, what's up?" Emma had just had her piano lesson guided by her godmother at home the day before.
"Emma, I've harmed Roberts," Josie confessed, her eyes reddening.
"What happened?" Emma asked, her eyes widening in alarm as she listened to Josie's explanation.
"Your mother is so out of line. How could she treat your godmother like that?" Emma was furious.
"Josie, my mom pinched me, then told my grandparents that Roberts did it," she disclosed.
Josie poured out all the suppressed frustrations to her best friend, finding immediate relief from the heavy emotional burden.
Emma's eyes grew even wider in disbelief. "Why would your mother do that to you?" she asked.
Josie explained, "She doesn't like how close I am to Roberts."
Emma remarked, "Josie, your mom's very mean."
Josie felt so pitiful; it was horrible that her own mother would pinch her and manipulate her into harming her godmother.
Emma advised, "You have to stand up for yourself, Josie."
"Stand up for myself?" Josie looked at her, puzzled.
Emma suggested, "You should run away from home."
"No, no, I can't run away. My parents would worry, my mom would be furious, and my grandparents would be mad too."
Emma fell silent, her gaze deepening with an understanding beyond her young years.
Josie lacked affection.
If only she were her godmother's own child, then Josie wouldn't be the timid, meek person she is now. She would surely be a more optimistic and livelier Josie.
"Do you know why your mom treats you badly?" Emma questioned.
"Mom says it's because I'm not a boy, so Dad doesn't like me, and neither does she. She says it's my fault," Josie confessed.
She didn't understand how she could be responsible for her mom's unhappiness, but whatever the reason, she never seemed to be loved by everyone.
Emma was shocked.
How could there be such a mother in the world? Was this woman really Josie's mom?
Compared to her mom, who was practically an angel, Emma knew she had to help Josie. "Josie, I'll teach you how to win your dad's affection," she said, enthusiastically.
A sparkle lit up in Josie's beautiful eyes.
The two kids huddled together, whispering their secret plans.
That night, Josie lay in bed, her heart pounding with hope, recalling all that Emma had taught her.
Could she really gain her father's affection?
And if she did, would her mother start to like her and treat her better, and maybe her grandparents would too?
It must work!
Following Emma's advice couldn't be wrong.
Emma was so cool. Her parents were always so good to her.
Hearing noises outside, Josie perked up; her dad had come home!
Her heart was pounding faster than ever before.
It was her first time attempting something like this, and Josie felt fear creeping in, urging her to retreat. She got up, walked to the door, and then turned around, considering returning to the safety of her bed. Yet after a brief internal struggle, she encouraged herself and opened the door to step out.
"Daddy?" Her soft, cautious voice echoed through the stillness of the suburban villa, causing Nicholas to signal Marlow Kurtz to pause. He turned to see his little girl standing not too far away.
"Why aren't you asleep?" Typically, Josie would have been fast asleep by the time he got home.
Josie was internally cheering herself on as she walked over, clutching her lone Barbie doll, a frightened expression on her face.
"Daddy, I had a nightmare," she stammered, her voice trembling with nerves, which to Nicholas sounded like pure fright.
A part of his heart instantly softened.
He tried to calm her, "Don't be scared, Daddy's here."
"Daddy, can I sleep with you?" she finally managed to ask.
Nicholas was taken aback. It was the first time his daughter had asked to sleep with him. Before this, Josie always seemed particularly afraid of him, which left him at a loss on how to interact with her.
He constantly worried that he wasn't doing a good job, that he might scare her, or make her even more afraid.
Seeing her Daddy silent, Josie hugged her doll even tighter; her body shook with fear. ‘What if Daddy gets angry?’ she worried.
Nicholas answered, "You can."
Josie's eyes widened in surprise.
He invited her, "Come on in."
Seeing her doe-eyed and dazed expression, Nicholas's normally icy demeanor softened slightly.
This was Josie's first time entering her father's room. It felt cool and was shrouded in darkness.
"Go ahead and lie down, Daddy's going to get ready for bed," he instructed.
"Okay," Josie obediently lay down, keeping her eyes wide open, curiously scanning the room.
After Nicholas was done with his nighttime routine, Marlow Kurtz helped him get into bed before leaving.
"Daddy?" Josie called out to him.
"Yes?" he responded.
She replied, "Goodnight."
He said, gently, "Goodnight, Josie."
Nicholas wanted to hold his daughter close, but since he couldn't move his legs, he settled for holding her tiny hand and whispered to her.
"Don't be scared, Daddy's here."
Josie quickly fell asleep, but Nicholas lay awake for a while, his gaze fixed on the peaceful face of his sleeping daughter, his heart melting into a puddle of tenderness.
Years ago, he had been severely injured in a car accident and spent a full two years convalescing abroad.
It was only by looking at photos of Josie growing up that he managed to pull through.
Because of the two years he was gone, Josie hadn't grown close to him, even feared him to some extent.
Today's unexpected closeness brought Nicholas immense joy and seemed to mend his once-shattered heart.
…
The final round of the fashion design competition was quickly approaching, as was the impending court date for the custody battle.
Sophia had visibly slimmed down, her cheekbones sharp and pronounced in a way that tugged at one's heartstrings.
Outside the courthouse, Jake Hughes clenched his fists tightly.
"Don't worry too much," he assured her. "We've prepared so much; we're surely going to win this case."
As the moment of truth approached, Sophia felt her nerves settle.
She smiled and said, "Thank you."
Jake had been by her side throughout the ordeal, helping her and the lawyer analyze the case and gather materials. He thought of many things she hadn't anticipated.
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