Chapter 4: The Counter-Strike
Two weeks passed. Hannah was finally discharged from the hospital, her physical strength slowly returning, though the psychological scars remained deep. We moved out of our suburban home temporarily, staying at a secure, unlisted apartment arranged by Marcus to ensure my mother’s high-priced legal team couldn't locate us.
But Patricia Parker didn't intend to go down without a fight.
On a Friday afternoon, while I was preparing lunch for Hannah, a sharp knock echoed on our door. When I opened it, I wasn't greeted by the police, but by a private process server who handed me a stack of legal documents.
I opened them, my blood running cold as I read the headers:
"EMERGENCY MOTION FOR TEMPORARY GUARDIANSHIP AND UNFITNESS INJUNCTION — FILED BY THE LAW OFFICES OF HAROLD STERLING ON BEHALF OF PATRICIA PARKER."
My mother had managed to post her $500,000 bail using an offshore liquidation fund. The moment she stepped out of the precinct, her high-powered attorney had filed a counter-suit against us, claiming that I was under the manipulative influence of an unstable wife, and that Hannah's bruises were self-inflicted during a postpartum episode.
Worse, they had attached a sworn affidavit from a corrupt private physician who claimed he had treated Hannah for "severe emotional instability" during her pregnancy. It was a complete fabrication.
Hannah walked into the kitchen, holding Owen against her chest. She saw the look on my face and immediately went pale. "Ethan... what is it? Did she find us?"
"She's trying to fight the criminal charges by attacking your character in family court, sweetie," I said, trying to keep my voice steady as I took the papers from her sight. "She’s trying to force a judge to grant her visitation or temporary custody of Owen before her criminal trial begins."
Hannah collapsed onto the sofa, her body shaking as she clutched our son. "She won't stop, Ethan. She has millions of dollars, she has judges in her social circle, she has lawyers who can turn lies into truth. She’s going to take my baby away."
I sat beside her, wrapping my arms around both of them. The fear in my wife’s eyes tore at my soul, but beneath that pain, a powerful, protective instinct solidified. My mother thought her money made her invincible. She thought that because she had controlled me for thirty-four years, I would eventually cave under the pressure of a public scandal.
She was wrong.
I pulled out my phone and called Marcus Vance. "Marcus. Bring the forensic medical records from Dr. Grant. Bring the timeline of the St. Louis trip. And contact the local media. If my mother wants to play this out in court, we are going to make sure the entire city sees exactly who she is."
May you like
"Ethan, a public battle will drag your name through the mud," Marcus warned. "The Parker stock will tank."
"Let it burn," I snarled. "The money means nothing if my wife and son aren't safe. We go to war tomorrow morning."
