Chapter 7: Tenderness
Court recessed again. This time, it was Oliver who appeared.
Helena had brought him, dressed in a tiny suit, his hair combed neat. A calculated move—remind the audience of the child, trigger sympathy for the father.
During the break, Marcus brought Oliver to me in the hallway. The cameras weren't supposed to be rolling, but the corridor had glass walls, and the broadcast crew captured everything.
Oliver stood in front of me, looking up with wide eyes.
"Mommy?" he said. "Are you going away?"
My heart cracked open. I crouched down to his level.
"Baby, I'm not going anywhere you can't find me."
"Grandma said you don't want me anymore." His lower lip trembled.
I pulled him into my arms, squeezing tight. "That's not true. I love you more than anything in this world."
"Then why are you fighting with Daddy?"
Marcus stood behind Oliver, watching. His expression was carefully arranged into something soft.
"Because Daddy did something wrong," I whispered into Oliver's hair. "And sometimes, when people do wrong things, others have to be brave enough to say so."
Marcus crouched beside us, his hand on Oliver's back. His voice was tender—for the cameras.
"Vivienne, whatever happens between us, let's not hurt him. He's just a boy."
The viewers ate it up.
*See? They both love their son. They should work it out.*
*Marcus made a mistake, but he clearly cares about the kid.*
*For Oliver's sake, maybe she should forgive him.*
The SUPPORT bar slipped to 52%.
I said nothing. I kissed Oliver's forehead and stood.
When court resumed, Wheeler called his own witness—Serena Cole.
She took the stand in a cream dress, her hands folded, her eyes downcast.
"Ms. Cole," Wheeler began, "what is your relationship with Marcus Blackwell?"
"We..." She hesitated artfully. "We care for each other. I know it's wrong. I've tried to end it many times. But Marcus was lonely. His wife had shut him out completely."
"And what about Oliver?" Wheeler asked.
Serena's eyes welled with tears. "I love that boy like he's my own. When Vivienne couldn't be there for him—during her depression—I stepped in. Not to replace her. Just to make sure he felt loved."
She turned to me, her expression almost apologetic. "I never meant to hurt you, Vivienne. I hope you know that."
The SUPPORT bar wavered. 50%. 48%.
Comments flooded in: *Serena seems genuine. Maybe it's more complicated than we thought.*
I watched her performance with ice in my veins.
Patricia stood. "Ms. Cole, you say you 'stepped in' for Oliver out of love. Is that correct?"
"Yes," Serena nodded earnestly.
"Then can you explain this text message, sent from your phone to your sister, dated fourteen months ago?"
The screen displayed the message:
*"The kid is annoying but I need him on my side. Once Marcus divorces the dead weight, I need Oliver to prefer me. Otherwise the prenup gives her custody leverage. Just gotta keep playing nice a little longer."*
Serena's face froze.
The courtroom gasped.
Helena had brought him, dressed in a tiny suit, his hair combed neat. A calculated move—remind the audience of the child, trigger sympathy for the father.
During the break, Marcus brought Oliver to me in the hallway. The cameras weren't supposed to be rolling, but the corridor had glass walls, and the broadcast crew captured everything.
Oliver stood in front of me, looking up with wide eyes.
"Mommy?" he said. "Are you going away?"
My heart cracked open. I crouched down to his level.
"Baby, I'm not going anywhere you can't find me."
"Grandma said you don't want me anymore." His lower lip trembled.
I pulled him into my arms, squeezing tight. "That's not true. I love you more than anything in this world."
"Then why are you fighting with Daddy?"
Marcus stood behind Oliver, watching. His expression was carefully arranged into something soft.
"Because Daddy did something wrong," I whispered into Oliver's hair. "And sometimes, when people do wrong things, others have to be brave enough to say so."
Marcus crouched beside us, his hand on Oliver's back. His voice was tender—for the cameras.
"Vivienne, whatever happens between us, let's not hurt him. He's just a boy."
The viewers ate it up.
*See? They both love their son. They should work it out.*
*Marcus made a mistake, but he clearly cares about the kid.*
*For Oliver's sake, maybe she should forgive him.*
The SUPPORT bar slipped to 52%.
I said nothing. I kissed Oliver's forehead and stood.
When court resumed, Wheeler called his own witness—Serena Cole.
She took the stand in a cream dress, her hands folded, her eyes downcast.
"Ms. Cole," Wheeler began, "what is your relationship with Marcus Blackwell?"
"We..." She hesitated artfully. "We care for each other. I know it's wrong. I've tried to end it many times. But Marcus was lonely. His wife had shut him out completely."
"And what about Oliver?" Wheeler asked.
Serena's eyes welled with tears. "I love that boy like he's my own. When Vivienne couldn't be there for him—during her depression—I stepped in. Not to replace her. Just to make sure he felt loved."
She turned to me, her expression almost apologetic. "I never meant to hurt you, Vivienne. I hope you know that."
The SUPPORT bar wavered. 50%. 48%.
Comments flooded in: *Serena seems genuine. Maybe it's more complicated than we thought.*
I watched her performance with ice in my veins.
Patricia stood. "Ms. Cole, you say you 'stepped in' for Oliver out of love. Is that correct?"
"Yes," Serena nodded earnestly.
"Then can you explain this text message, sent from your phone to your sister, dated fourteen months ago?"
The screen displayed the message:
*"The kid is annoying but I need him on my side. Once Marcus divorces the dead weight, I need Oliver to prefer me. Otherwise the prenup gives her custody leverage. Just gotta keep playing nice a little longer."*
Serena's face froze.
The courtroom gasped.