Chapter 9 - The First Courtroom
Victoria was charged in connection with the pool incident.
Her attorney argued she had acted impulsively during an emotionally charged confrontation.
The video remained devastating.
At the preliminary hearing, Victoria looked at me once.
I looked away.
The prosecutor did not need Lily to testify.
Thank God.
Then Victoria stood unexpectedly during a recess.
“Adrian.”
Her attorney tried to stop her.
I waited.
“I loved you.”
I felt nothing immediate.
Then anger.
“If that’s true, you should have loved my daughter enough not to use her.”
Victoria started crying.
“I didn’t mean for her to drown.”
“You pushed a six-year-old into the deep end.”
“I lost control.”
“Yes.”
“That is exactly the problem.”
The judge extended the protective order.
Victoria could not contact Lily.
Not through me.
Not through anyone.
For the first time, my daughter’s safety did not depend on my judgment alone.
It had structure.
May you like
That helped me sleep.
A little.
