Chapter 9
The judge called a recess.
In the hallway, Derek approached us. His lawyers tried to stop him, but he shook them off.
"I want to change my testimony."
Alexander studied him. "Why?"
"Because she lied to me." Derek's voice was hollow. "For five years, Vanessa told me Lily slipped. That it was an accident. That we panicked but it wasn't our fault. I believed her."
"And now?"
"Now I've listened to my own voicemail and I don't even recognize myself. I was a different person then. She made me into—" He stopped. "No. That's an excuse. I chose it. All of it."
His lawyer pulled him aside, whispering urgently. Derek pushed him away.
"I'm dropping the paternity suit."
Silence.
"And I want to make a statement to the police about what happened at Miller's Point."
Alexander said nothing for a moment. Then: "My lawyer will arrange it. Today."
Derek nodded and walked back to his side of the hall. As he passed Vanessa, she grabbed his arm.
"What are you doing?" she hissed. "We had a plan—"
"Your plan. Always your plan." He pulled free. "I'm done, Vanessa."
Her face transformed — from sweet to savage in a heartbeat. "You pathetic, spineless fool. Without me, you'd have nothing. You'd be nothing—"
"Ma'am, please lower your voice," a bailiff warned.
Vanessa straightened, smoothed her dress, and smiled. "Of course. My apologies."
But her eyes — locked on me — promised murder.
Court resumed.
Derek's lawyer announced the withdrawal of the paternity petition. The judge accepted. Case dismissed.
Outside, the cameras swarmed. Alexander shielded me as we made it to the car.
"It's over?" I asked, barely believing it.
"The custody case is over," Alexander said. "The criminal case is just beginning."
That afternoon, Derek gave his full statement to the police. He described the plan — how Vanessa orchestrated everything. How she called me that night pretending Derek was hurt, knowing I would drive to the cliff in a panic. How she stood at the road's edge and screamed to disorient me. How the guardrail had been loosened in advance.
Premeditated attempted murder.
A warrant was issued for Vanessa's arrest.
But when police arrived at her hotel, she was gone. Room cleaned out. Phone disconnected. She'd vanished.
Alexander's security team tracked her to the airport. She'd booked a one-way ticket to a country with no extradition treaty.
"She's running," I said.
"She won't get far," Alexander replied, phone already to his ear.
Two hours later, Vanessa was detained at the terminal gate. Caught with a suitcase full of cash and forged documents.
My sister — who shared my blood, my childhood memories, my mother's face — in handcuffs.
I watched the news footage and waited to feel satisfaction. Relief. Closure.
Instead, I felt grief. For the sister I thought I'd had. For the family that never really existed.
Alexander sat beside me in silence, letting me feel it.
"You don't have to be strong right now," he said.
So I wasn't. For the first time in five years, I let myself break.
And he held every piece.
In the hallway, Derek approached us. His lawyers tried to stop him, but he shook them off.
"I want to change my testimony."
Alexander studied him. "Why?"
"Because she lied to me." Derek's voice was hollow. "For five years, Vanessa told me Lily slipped. That it was an accident. That we panicked but it wasn't our fault. I believed her."
"And now?"
"Now I've listened to my own voicemail and I don't even recognize myself. I was a different person then. She made me into—" He stopped. "No. That's an excuse. I chose it. All of it."
His lawyer pulled him aside, whispering urgently. Derek pushed him away.
"I'm dropping the paternity suit."
Silence.
"And I want to make a statement to the police about what happened at Miller's Point."
Alexander said nothing for a moment. Then: "My lawyer will arrange it. Today."
Derek nodded and walked back to his side of the hall. As he passed Vanessa, she grabbed his arm.
"What are you doing?" she hissed. "We had a plan—"
"Your plan. Always your plan." He pulled free. "I'm done, Vanessa."
Her face transformed — from sweet to savage in a heartbeat. "You pathetic, spineless fool. Without me, you'd have nothing. You'd be nothing—"
"Ma'am, please lower your voice," a bailiff warned.
Vanessa straightened, smoothed her dress, and smiled. "Of course. My apologies."
But her eyes — locked on me — promised murder.
Court resumed.
Derek's lawyer announced the withdrawal of the paternity petition. The judge accepted. Case dismissed.
Outside, the cameras swarmed. Alexander shielded me as we made it to the car.
"It's over?" I asked, barely believing it.
"The custody case is over," Alexander said. "The criminal case is just beginning."
That afternoon, Derek gave his full statement to the police. He described the plan — how Vanessa orchestrated everything. How she called me that night pretending Derek was hurt, knowing I would drive to the cliff in a panic. How she stood at the road's edge and screamed to disorient me. How the guardrail had been loosened in advance.
Premeditated attempted murder.
A warrant was issued for Vanessa's arrest.
But when police arrived at her hotel, she was gone. Room cleaned out. Phone disconnected. She'd vanished.
Alexander's security team tracked her to the airport. She'd booked a one-way ticket to a country with no extradition treaty.
"She's running," I said.
"She won't get far," Alexander replied, phone already to his ear.
Two hours later, Vanessa was detained at the terminal gate. Caught with a suitcase full of cash and forged documents.
My sister — who shared my blood, my childhood memories, my mother's face — in handcuffs.
I watched the news footage and waited to feel satisfaction. Relief. Closure.
Instead, I felt grief. For the sister I thought I'd had. For the family that never really existed.
Alexander sat beside me in silence, letting me feel it.
"You don't have to be strong right now," he said.
So I wasn't. For the first time in five years, I let myself break.
And he held every piece.