“You don’t know that,” I argued.
The lawyer pointed at Tatiana’s mother in the audience.
“She is overweight,” he countered. “Tatiana is trying to be a good daughter. Just like she will be a good mother.”
Tatiana narrowed her eyes at me.
Guess you just lost the apartment.
But I couldn’t let Sebastian lose Alfie.
But the lawyer continued before I could sing his praises.
“Your honor, we would like to bring to your attention an event that happened just recently that does change the calculus of the custody situation. Where were you last night?” he asked me.
“In Harrogate,” I said in a small voice, knowing where he was going but being unable to stop it. “I was throwing a bachelorette party.”
“Was Sebastian there?”
“Yes. He hosted a party for Hunter, and his brother was there. It was a nice party.”
“And was Alfie with you two?”
“No,” I admitted, blinking back tears.
“Where was Alfie?”
“That is an interesting question. I mean, where are any of us, really?”
“Let me rephrase it. Where was Sebastian when Alfie went missing?”
“With me,” I said quietly.
“So he left his brother alone to hook up with you. And Alfie went missing.”
I nodded. The tears started falling.
“That doesn’t sound like someone who should be responsible for a child.”
I felt like shit through the rest of the trial. Sebastian had his own witnesses, but the judge asked all of them if it was true that Alfie had gone missing, and it was clear she was not happy that it had been allowed to happen.
“We will take a quick recess,” the judge said after a few hours.
I went to the bathroom to wash my face and pray that I hadn’t just ruined Sebastian’s life.
46
Sebastian
“Why the fuck is Amy here?” I hissed to Hunter.
He grabbed my shoulder. “Calm the fuck down,” he said in a low voice.
But I couldn’t. I held my little brother throughout the whole trial, trying not to let him see how upset I was as I watched Amy betray us.
That fucking bitch.
I hated her. I hated her more than I had hated anyone else in my life. Even if by some miracle I was able to keep my little brother, Amy was dead to me.
