Chapter 1 - The Strike
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The courtroom smelled faintly of floor polish and anxiety. I sat at the petitioner’s table, my eight-month pregnant belly pressing uncomfortably against the heavy wooden edge. My ankles throbbed, a dull ache that had become my constant companion.
Dana Ruiz, my attorney, leaned over, her voice a low murmur. "Just breathe, Nora. We have the financial documents. We have the emails. We’re ready."
I nodded, though the air in my lungs felt thin.
Across the narrow aisle, Marcus sat flanked by his legal team. He wore a bespoke charcoal suit, looking entirely unbothered by the proceedings. He caught my eye and offered a small, patronizing smile—the kind he used when I asked a question he deemed foolish.
The heavy oak doors at the back of the courtroom swung open.
Vanessa Reed walked in.
She wore a cream-colored dress suit and carried a sleek leather portfolio. She wasn't a party to the divorce, but Marcus had insisted she be present as "moral support." In reality, it was a calculated display of power.
Dana immediately stood up. "Your Honor, I object to Ms. Reed’s presence in the gallery. She is a potential witness in the financial portion of this hearing."
Judge Cole, presiding over the emergency motions, looked up from her files. "The objection is noted and sustained. Ms. Reed, you will wait outside until called."
Vanessa’s face tightened. She shot a look at Marcus, who gave her a barely perceptible nod.
As Vanessa turned to leave, she had to walk down the narrow aisle separating the two tables.
I kept my eyes forward, refusing to look at her.
She stopped directly beside my chair.
"You ruined everything," Vanessa hissed, her voice barely a whisper, yet loud enough for me to hear.
"Keep moving," Dana warned, stepping forward.
Vanessa didn't move. She leaned closer, her perfume cloying and sweet.
"Do you really think that baby will make him come back to you?"
I turned my head away, my heart hammering against my ribs.
And then, she struck me.
It wasn't a slap or a punch. It was a deliberate, violent shove. She drove her shoulder hard into my side, using her entire body weight.
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The impact threw me backward. My chair scraped loudly against the floor, and my side slammed violently into the heavy edge of the counsel table. A sharp, searing pain shot across my abdomen.
I cried out, clutching my stomach, the room suddenly spinning.
