He flipped through the pages. What Mrs. Reed has provided is a lot of opinions about what a father should be able to afford, about what kind of house a child should live in, about how many hours a parent should work. His voice hardened. She's provided judgments, Mr. Reed, not facts. Marcus felt something loosen in his chest. something that had been wound tight for months.
"I also made some calls," the judge continued. "Off the record, to Lily's school, to your neighbors, to the parents of her classmates." He paused. "Do you want to know what they told me?" Marcus nodded, not trusting himself to speak.
"They told me you never miss a parent-teacher conference, that you volunteer for field trips even when you're working double shifts? that Lily talks about you constantly about the bedtime stories you make up just for her about the park you take her to every Sunday about how you teach her to be kind and brave and good. The judge's voice grew quiet. They told me she's a happy child, Mr. Reed. A happy child who loves her father. Tears burned behind Marcus's eyes, but he refused to let them fall.
Not here. Not now. There's something else, Judge Caldwell said. Something that wasn't in your file. Something your ex-wife's lawyer was very careful to avoid mentioning.
He pulled another document from the folder. I had someone look into Victoria Reed's background more thoroughly. Would you like to know what they found? Marcus's heart was pounding. What?
Your ex-wife has been arrested twice in the past year. Cocaine possession. Both charges were dropped due to technicalities, but the arrests are on record. The judge slid the document across the desk. She was also fired from her job three months ago.
The reason showing up to work intoxicated repeatedly. Marcus stared at the paper. He couldn't believe what he was reading. Victoria had always been wild. That was part of what had attracted him to her in the beginning.
But drugs he'd never known, never suspected. This is a full investigation report, Judge Caldwell said. Drug tests, witness statements, documentation of erratic behavior. It's all there. Why are you telling me this?
Marcus's voice was barely a whisper. You could let this come out in court. Let the process work. I could. The judge leaned forward.
But I'm telling you now because I want you to understand something, Mr. Reed. I'm not doing this because you helped my daughters. I'm not ruling in your favor because I owe you something." He held Marcus's gaze, his eyes intense. I'm doing this because it's right.
Because your ex-wife has been lying to this court, and I'm going to make sure the truth comes out, because a little girl deserves to stay with a father who loves her, not be handed over to a mother who can't even take care of herself. Marcus couldn't hold it back anymore. A single tear slipped down his cheek. "My daughters told me something," Judge Caldwell said softly. They said Lily is lucky that she has the kind of father they wish they'd had.
He stood up and walked around the desk. They were right. I wasn't there for them when they were growing up. I was too busy with my career, too focused on success. I told myself I was providing for them, but what I was really doing was hiding from them.