Chapter 5 - The Poisoned Petition
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The following afternoon, Thomas Sterling arrived at the estate with an urgent court summons in his hand.
"Carla and Denise wasted no time," Thomas said, setting the legal papers onto the kitchen counter while Logan poured coffee. "They just filed an emergency petition with the Ada County Family Court."
"A petition for what?" I asked, holding Lily against my shoulder.
"They are requesting emergency custody of both twins," Thomas revealed, his expression turning grave. "They claim that you are suffering from severe postpartum psychosis and emotional instability caused by Ethan’s death."
"Psychosis?!" I gasped. "They attacked me in my hospital room!"
"They attached a signed psychological evaluation to the petition," Thomas explained. "It’s signed by a Dr. Harold Vance. He claims you have a history of unmanaged hysteria and self-harm."
Logan slammed his coffee cup onto the table, shattering the ceramic handle. "Dr. Vance? That’s Carla’s uncle! He runs a dirty private clinic downtown!"
"It’s a tactical strike," Thomas nodded. "They know they can't win Ethan's money directly, so they’re trying to use custody leverage to force you into a financial settlement. The emergency hearing is scheduled for tomorrow morning."
My hands shook as I looked down at my daughter’s tiny face. They were trying to take my babies using forged medical records.
"They think I'm going to hide in this house and cry," I said, my voice suddenly turning cold and steady as I looked at Logan and Thomas. "They think losing Ethan made me weak."
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"What are you thinking, Clara?" Logan asked, his eyes narrowing with quiet approval.
"Call the press, Thomas," I said, standing tall. "If my family wants a public fight over my sanity, I'm going to show the whole state who the real monsters are."
