I arrived alone because my attorney was meeting me inside after checking in with the clerk.
That was when Vivian began laughing.
“Oh, look,” she whispered. “She actually came alone.”
Arthur glanced at my hands.
“No expensive legal team? Perhaps she finally understands what this will cost her.”
One of Daniel’s cousins leaned toward another and muttered that I was probably planning to defend myself with military regulations.
I heard every word.
I kept walking.
I had learned something important during my years in uniform: people often mistake silence for weakness because they have never encountered someone who understands the difference between reacting and responding.
I sat at the table assigned to my side and arranged my documents.
Arthur watched me with the smug satisfaction of a man who believed the ending had already been written.
When Daniel entered, our eyes met.
He looked thinner. His face was pale, and he seemed unable to decide whether to approach me.
