“She always defended you,” he said. “She said you were stressed. She told us not to say anything when you yelled because you worked hard. Even after you made her cry on Christmas, she told us it was because dust got in her eyes.”
Olivia covered her mouth.
She thought she had hidden everything from her sons.
She thought she protected them.
But children always see more than adults realize.
The judge ordered the clerk to connect the USB to the courtroom monitor.
“With legal caution,” he said carefully, “the court will review the material to determine whether there is possible danger to the minors.”
Jonathan leaned toward his attorneys, whispering urgently.
But the panic on his face was impossible to hide now.
The screen flickered on.
The first video showed the family living room inside their enormous Lake Forest mansion.
Olivia appeared in the background picking toys up off the floor while Jonathan stood near the fireplace talking on speakerphone.
His voice came through clearly.
“Don’t worry, Savannah. Olivia’s leaving with nothing. And I’m keeping the boys because that’ll hurt her more than any divorce settlement.”
A woman laughed through the speaker.
“Well I’m not babysitting kids all day.”
Jonathan laughed too.
“You won’t have to. That’s what nannies are for. I just need to beat that broke little housewife first.”
Olivia felt something inside her crack open.
Not because of the insult.
She was used to insults.
Because somewhere nearby in that house, her children had heard all of it.
The second file played.
Audio only.
Victoria Reed’s voice filled the room.
“Jonathan, if you want the judge to believe you, you need Olivia to look unstable.”
Jonathan answered calmly.
“I know. Tomorrow I’m canceling her grocery card before dinner. Then I’ll complain the boys weren’t fed. She’ll lose it.”
Victoria laughed softly.
“That’s my son. That woman was never good enough for you anyway.”
The courtroom erupted into whispers.
Victoria stood furiously.
“That conversation is out of context!”
But her voice had lost its power.
Olivia stared at her through tears.
For years Victoria smiled sweetly in public while quietly poisoning every room she entered.
The third video was worse.
The twins sat on the floor of their playroom still wearing school uniforms.
Jonathan paced in front of them.
“Tomorrow when the judge asks, you say you want to live with me.”
Mason cried softly.
“But I want Mom.”
Jonathan crouched in front of him.
“Your mother has no money. No house. No future. If you go with her, your lives are over.”
Ethan’s tiny voice asked:
“What if we tell the truth?”
Jonathan smiled coldly.
“Then your mother suffers because of you. I can destroy her completely if I want.”
Olivia grabbed her chest.
She couldn’t breathe.
The judge’s jaw tightened.
But Ethan looked up again.
“There’s one more file.”
Jonathan exploded.
“That’s enough! He’s my son!”
The judge looked directly at him.
“What I’m seeing is possible psychological abuse and witness intimidation involving children.”
The final video began.
The camera angle showed Jonathan’s home office.
Jonathan sat with his accountant and another man.
“We need to move those invoices before the divorce is finalized,” Jonathan said. “If Olivia asks for support, I don’t want her finding the real accounts.”
The accountant looked nervous.
“What if the court orders an audit?”
Jonathan smirked.
“I have connections. And Ethan’s smart, but he’s still a kid. Nobody’s going to believe him anyway.”
“She always defended you,” he said. “She said you were stressed. She told us not to say anything when you yelled because you worked hard. Even after you made her cry on Christmas, she told us it was because dust got in her eyes.”
Olivia covered her mouth.
She thought she had hidden everything from her sons.
She thought she protected them.
But children always see more than adults realize.
The judge ordered the clerk to connect the USB to the courtroom monitor.
“With legal caution,” he said carefully, “the court will review the material to determine whether there is possible danger to the minors.”
Jonathan leaned toward his attorneys, whispering urgently.
But the panic on his face was impossible to hide now.
The screen flickered on.
The first video showed the family living room inside their enormous Lake Forest mansion.
Olivia appeared in the background picking toys up off the floor while Jonathan stood near the fireplace talking on speakerphone.
His voice came through clearly.
“Don’t worry, Savannah. Olivia’s leaving with nothing. And I’m keeping the boys because that’ll hurt her more than any divorce settlement.”
A woman laughed through the speaker.
“Well I’m not babysitting kids all day.”
Jonathan laughed too.
“You won’t have to. That’s what nannies are for. I just need to beat that broke little housewife first.”
Olivia felt something inside her crack open.
Not because of the insult.
She was used to insults.
Because somewhere nearby in that house, her children had heard all of it.
The second file played.
Audio only.
Victoria Reed’s voice filled the room.
“Jonathan, if you want the judge to believe you, you need Olivia to look unstable.”
Jonathan answered calmly.
“I know. Tomorrow I’m canceling her grocery card before dinner. Then I’ll complain the boys weren’t fed. She’ll lose it.”
Victoria laughed softly.
“That’s my son. That woman was never good enough for you anyway.”
The courtroom erupted into whispers.
Victoria stood furiously.
“That conversation is out of context!”
But her voice had lost its power.
Olivia stared at her through tears.
For years Victoria smiled sweetly in public while quietly poisoning every room she entered.
The third video was worse.
The twins sat on the floor of their playroom still wearing school uniforms.
Jonathan paced in front of them.
“Tomorrow when the judge asks, you say you want to live with me.”
Mason cried softly.
“But I want Mom.”
Jonathan crouched in front of him.
“Your mother has no money. No house. No future. If you go with her, your lives are over.”
Ethan’s tiny voice asked:
“What if we tell the truth?”
Jonathan smiled coldly.
“Then your mother suffers because of you. I can destroy her completely if I want.”
Olivia grabbed her chest.
She couldn’t breathe.
The judge’s jaw tightened.
But Ethan looked up again.
“There’s one more file.”
Jonathan exploded.
“That’s enough! He’s my son!”
The judge looked directly at him.
“What I’m seeing is possible psychological abuse and witness intimidation involving children.”
The final video began.
The camera angle showed Jonathan’s home office.
Jonathan sat with his accountant and another man.
“We need to move those invoices before the divorce is finalized,” Jonathan said. “If Olivia asks for support, I don’t want her finding the real accounts.”
The accountant looked nervous.
“What if the court orders an audit?”
Jonathan smirked.
“I have connections. And Ethan’s smart, but he’s still a kid. Nobody’s going to believe him anyway.”
See more on the next page
Advertisement
See more on the next page
Advertisement
To see the full cooking instructions, go to the next page or click the Open button (>) and don't forget to SHARE it with your friends on Facebook.
