“Your Honor,” Drake said once proceedings began, “the petitioner maintains that Mrs. Carter’s long-term concealment of her financial identity, combined with her extensive orchestration of business environments surrounding my client, demonstrates a pattern of manipulative conduct incompatible with healthy parenting.”
Patricia stood. “Objection. Argumentative and unsupported.”
“Sustained,” Judge Harrison said dryly. “Mr. Drake, save the editorial voice for cable news.”
There was restrained laughter in the gallery.
Drake adjusted his tie. “Then let us discuss facts. Mrs. Carter lied to my client for five years about who she was.”
Patricia called Gloria Sinclair.
Gloria walked to the stand with a cane she did not entirely need but which had the useful side effect of making people underestimate her for exactly fifteen seconds. She wore a navy floral dress, church hat, and expression of holy impatience.
After swearing in, she settled herself and looked at Drake as if he were a salesman who had knocked at the door too early on a Saturday.
“Mrs. Sinclair,” he began, “is it true your granddaughter concealed from her husband that she was extremely wealthy?”
Gloria smiled thinly. “Young man, my granddaughter had a fiancé steal two million dollars and run south the minute he smelled money. After that, yes, she became cautious.”
“Cautious for five years?”
“Careful people tend to stay careful when evidence keeps confirming the need.”
Drake’s jaw tightened. “Would you agree that misleading one’s spouse about one’s identity is deceptive?”
Gloria leaned forward slightly. “Would you agree that forging your pregnant wife’s signature to buy your mistress a condo is deceptive?”
A murmur rippled through the room. Judge Harrison tapped his gavel once but did not hide the corner of his mouth.
Drake pivoted. “Mrs. Sinclair, please answer the question asked.”
“I just did,” Gloria said. “You boys are funny. A woman hides her money because she doesn’t want to be hunted and you call her unstable. A man humiliates her, cheats on her, steals from her, and tries to take her unborn child, and suddenly everybody gets philosophical about nuance.”
“Mrs. Sinclair—”