LOOK AT HIM. LOOK. FUCK.
Charlie's POV
"I'm sorry?" Ms. Dunlevy asks.
"I said, this is the first I've seen Genevieve in twenty-two years."
"And why is that?"
"Because, I got pregnant with twins; Genevieve went with their father- took his last name and such. And I kept...Charlie. It was just easier; I couldn't have managed two, considering now how I worked my ass off just to raise one."
"Language, Ms. Dunn- Luddy." My mom blinks.
"So your ex-husband kept-"
"We were never married, let's be clear. And yes, he kept Genevieve- well his parents kept Genevieve, because God forbid he didn't continue his education while I had to sacrifice mine."
"Objection- what does this have to do with the parenting of Ms. Dunn, Mr. Malik, or Ms. Sello?" Our lawyer says, and yeah, my thoughts exactly. The last thing I want is to sit here and listen to my mother bitch about how much I've ruined her life...once again. Especially when that has absolutely no impact on how I treat my babies.
And when I've got nothing but Genevieve, the devil in disguise, is my twin sister floating around in my brain on repeat.
Ms. Dunlevy turns abruptly to face the court that's pretty much empty. "Oh, but you see. It has everything to do with it. You are a product of your environment, and Mr. Malik and Ms. Dunn, as we have heard over the past couple of days, have had less than stable home lives, not to mention were beyond reckless teenagers. And that, without a doubt, impacts how they parent their own children to this day."
"Except when it doesn't," my lawyer argues, not so casually.
"Mr. Adams." The lawyer huffs next to us as the judge calls him out.
Ms. Dunlevy turns back to face my mother. "So would you say that the fact that Ms. Dunn grew up in a single parent household, in which the parent was constantly working, impacts her in any way?"
My mom actually thinks about this. "I don't know, but if the fact that she went out and had sex with a random boy is any indication, than I'd say it did." She looks me dead in the eye as she says this, and I swallow. I just want to scream out for my mother to just let it go. I literally have to bite my hand to stop from screaming at the top of my lungs how much of a fucking hypocrite she is, because I have this funny feeling that Zayn's warning extends to me as well.
"I have no further questions."
My lawyer walks up. "I'm going to be frank with you. I don't understand why you're on the stand."
"Because those are my daughters."
"Yet, you can't speak to how either one of them parent that little boy, or to how Ms. Dunn parents her birth children."
"Charlie's irresponsible. That's got to speak for something. And don't get me started on her druggie boyfriend."
"Do you have proof, or are you simply slandering my client?"
"He told me a while back, and I'd like to say that that hasn't changed in two years."
"Well, let it be known," my lawyer turns to the judge. "That my client will take a drug test, if you desire, your honor- both of my clients will, in fact."
The judge nods, but doesn't say either way. I mean, I'm pretty sure he would pass, since he did that rapid detox thing, but still. I start to bite my thumbnail. Zayn notices the nervous habit, taking my hand in his...spit and all. What a babe.
"Pardon me, Mrs. Dunn-Luddy, but something's troubling me." Mr. Adams stops pacing and stands still, staring my mother down. "You claim that Ms. Dunn acted irresponsibly that night in which she and Mr. Malik were intimate. However, did you not act in the same manner that resulted in your pregnancy with Ms. Sello and Ms. Dunn?"
"That wa-"
"Different? Was it?"
"Ye-"
Mr. Adams pushes further. "And isn't it a bit...hmm...hypocritical of you to hold pregnancy over Ms. Dunn's head given the fact that not only you, but Ms. Sello- Charlotte's twin sister- also became pregnant after a night- and I quote Ms. Dunlevy, here- of behavior exhibited by reckless teenagers?"
"It's...it's different."
"But it's not," my lawyer damn near shouts in her face. "Because if Ms. Dunlevy's theory is correct about environment, Ms. Dunn is simply following in your footsteps. Ms. Sello is simply following in your footsteps. They are both, in fact, a reflection of you."
"No."
"You failed as a parent and it eats you up."
"Objection!"
"Sustained!"
"No, i-it's not. I..." My mother says, helplessly.
"But Ms. Dunlevy's theory isn't entirely correct, you see, because then how do you explain the fact that Ms. Dunn is nothing like you? That she handled not one, but two teenage pregnancies in stride. She made it work, no matter how hard it was- granted, she had help. But she loves those kids; they are incredibly well taken care of. She didn't turn her back on them when they needed her and she certainly doesn't neglect those children." He pauses. "But...Ms. Sello did. She beat her child- her toddl-"
"Objection!'
"Overruled, Ms. Dunlevy."
"She beat that baby and since you can't speak to it, I will. If that doesn't show an inability to take care of your child than I don't know what does!" Mr. Adams carries on. "So how long can we keep using the same recycled argument that Ms. Dunn and Ms. Sello are products of their mother? Of you? How long can we keep bringing people up here that can't speak to an of the parties' parenting skills?" He asks, glaring at Ms. Dunlevy. "Ms. Sello and Ms. Dunn are both very clear- thinking adults completely capable of making their own decisions. And we see that simply with their parenting skills- one's a fit mother and one is not. Now. I have no further que-"
My mom stands up and points to me, clearly not getting the message that she's free to go. "I may not know a lot, but I know that I chose Charlie. I loved my baby, I did. But I had two, and it haunted me everyday because I gave one of them up. I even went so far to tell Charlie her father never loved her when that...that wasn't true. He tried to get to know her when she was a little bit older, but I wouldn't let him because I was still so fucking mad at him for choosing everything else above his babies...above me," she whispers. "And...and I wouldn't give him the satisfaction of having a relationship with both of his daughters. So we continued to be strangers- my family never had any contact with his."
I feel like the wind has been knocked out of me...he wanted to get to know me? Why would she lie to me; why wouldn't she just let us reconnect?
He loved me. He loves me?
But then why did he never defend himself when I said otherwise? He let me believe that he didn't love me....
She gives Genevieve one final look as she makes her way off the stand. I thought this would clear some things up for me, but it left me with more questions than anything.
I can feel Zayn pulling me into his side and kissing the top of my head, but I'm stuck because my father actually wanted to get to know me, and here I thought the whole time that he didn't love me. My mother even took her sick, twisted lie so far that she told my step-dad my real dad didn't want me.
Nothing registers as the trial moves on; not until Genevieve, the final witness in the case, takes the stand.
She looks as smug as ever, wearing a sand-colored and white striped dress as she sits up there. But that's just her. She states her name and swears to tell the truth, but I wouldn't put it past her to lie.
"How would you describe yourself as a parent to your son?" Ms. Dunlevy begins right away. I can't wait for this to be over; I'm mentally drained and I just want to know if we can keep the little boy that's waiting at home for us with Marley, Li Li, Harry and El.
"I give my son what he needs. I make sure he has a roof over his head, he has his meals, and that he's clothed."
"Oh bull-fucking-shit," Zayn whisper shouts. "She never fucking fed him, and they lived in a motherfucking shack." I clamp my hand over his mouth this time. Thank God his lawyer and I are the only ones who heard him.
"And how do you respond to those claims that you abused your son?"
She smiles and rolls her eyes. "It's very clearly fabricated. I wouldn't lay a hand on my baby. I love him with all my heart."
"And what about the pictures?" The judge interjects. "How do you explain those?"
"Like I told the police, he fell."
"But he said you hit him," the judge asks. "In front of healthcare professionals; healthcare professionals who take an oath to report child abuse."
"He's only two; you can't believe what a two year old says. He probably didn't even say that because he barely talks and when he does, his words don't even make sense," she explains. God, what if I just...I just want to choke the shit out of her. I look over to Zayn, and he's more red in the face than I've ever seen him. His leg bounces rhythmically as his eyes burn into her. He then stands up without muttering a word to me, brushes past me and the lawyer and storms out of the courtroom. That's probably for the best.
Genevieve watches him go with a ghost of a smile on her lips before returning her gaze to her lawyer.
"Ms. Sello, are you employed?" Ms. Dunlevy asks her.
"Currently, I am not."
"And do you plan to get a job to take care of your son? Or do you plan to get state assistance to take care of him?"
"I'm looking for a job, yes. And I don't have assistance for him, no. But my father helps me out a lot." She looks at me as she says this and bats her lashes.
"And is his father in his life?"
"Sometimes. We talk here and there, but he doesn't support Adrian. He really has no interest in being a father. He's...pursuing his career."
"But you know who his father is?"
"Yes, I do," she says.
"I have no further questions."
You should, is what I think, because her case is weak as fuck.
My lawyer walks up to Genevieve like this is what he's been waiting for his entire life. "Ms. Sello...finally, I get the chance to speak with you." Genevieve just smirks at him, so he continues. "In your opinion, why aren't Mr. Malik and Ms. Dunn suitable parents for Adrian?"
"He doesn't know them and he's more comfortable with me." Fucking lie, but okay.
"But you don't deny that he'd be well-taken care of?"
"They'd have four kids to take care of with him and the new one, and I'd only have one, so he'd obviously be better off with me. Not to mention, all of the irresponsible things they've done that we've spoken about already; you know, the ones that clearly impact their parenting skills."
My lawyer hums. "I'd like to ask you something about those abuse charges. So you're saying that your son made those things up?"
"He must have."
"And why would he lie, if he's...as you claim, so comfortable around you? That's quite a thing to make up about your mom, don't you think?"
"I don't know." She leans towards him. "Kids have quite the imagination. And we'd have to ask him- which; we can't. Shucks."
"But, according to the reports submitted by the physician and the statement that the nurse provided that was already shared with the judge, he was beaten with an object. You don't get marks like that from falling down."
"Objection- he's not asking a question."
"Sustained," the judge calls out. "Questions, counselor."
"Well, I guess what I'm trying to ask is, how do you presume he ended up with golf ball-sized bruises if he fell, as you claim?"
"I don't know."
"So you're supposed to be his mother, and you don't know how he fell, or what he fell on? Were you watching him? He was, after all, in your care."
"It could have happened when I wasn't looking."
"So," my lawyer pinches between his brows. "You don't know how he got all these bruises littered across him, you weren't there when he fell, and you didn't happen to notice them when you bathed him, as Ms. Dunn and Mr. Malik did?"
"No."
"And so I guess it's safe to assume that you didn't take him to the hospital then?"
"No."
If I don't punch her in the face twenty times harder than the last time I did it, then I don't know what the hell's wrong with me. She knows exactly what happened to that baby; she can't even fricking fucking keep her lies together.
I notice Zayn walk back in, this time seemingly much calmer. I hope he didn't go outside and roll up a joint, though I wouldn't necessarily blame him. He takes his place right next to me and envelopes his larger hand around mine, running his thumb across mine as he laces our fingers.
I focus my attention back on the lawyer. "Well, I think it's rather bold of you, if I'm being honest, to call Mr. Malik and Ms. Dunn irresponsible when I don't know of anything more irresponsible than the situation you just described to me."
"And I don't think it matters what you think," she says, and Mr. Adams' brows shoot up in surprise.
"Ms. Sello, lose the attitude," the judge says.
My lawyer looks at her once more. "So how long have you known about Ms. Dunn and yourself being siblings?"
She relaxes back in her seat. "I found out when I was about eleven, twelve maybe. My grandparents let it slip, not knowing I was listening, when they were arguing with my dad one day."
"And why were they arguing?"
"Objection- relevance," Ms. Dunlevy calls out, which the judge sustains.
"Because he wasn't pushing hard enough to have a relationship with her," she half-assed points to me as she answers the question despite not having to. "Our mother wouldn't let him see her and my grandparents didn't understand why he wasn't trying harder- which, why would he. He was happy with just me." She looks at me and smiles. "No need to ruin something that was working."
My fist clenches at my side. I know Zayn can sense the change in me since he holds my hand that much firmer.
My lawyer smirks. "But he was, in fact, trying to contact Ms. Dunn around that time," he says easily. "Which- by the sound of things, you weren't happy about."
And just like that, the smile is wiped off of her face. She doesn't answer. Good.
"And correct me if I'm wrong, and this might be a long shot, but you didn't have happened to play a role in why your father never was able to reconnect with his other daughter, would you?"
"I did what I had to do," she says, cocking her head to the side and looking at him before her lawyer can object.
"So you, along with your mother, made sure that your father never got to fully know Ms. Dunn- to meet her. But you couldn't exactly control that once she started college and was no longer living under her mother's roof anymore."
"I did, though," she says, cockily. "I controlled my father. Plus, I was there with Charlie...at university."
What?
"But your father, like I said," Mr. Adams continues. "Was still trying to reconnect with his other daughter, so did you really control him like you think?" He looks at her with just as much intensity with which she stares at him. "No, you didn't because you couldn't control everything, like how he kept in contact with Mrs. Dunn-Kramer's husband Sam. And that got under your skin didn't it? Or did you not know about that?"
Oh my God. My head is spinning.
"Objection!"
"Overruled."
"Or maybe you did because you got closer to Ms. Dunn, but still stayed far enough away where you wouldn't be noticed. You pulled strings from afar...because it ate you up that you just weren't good enough, right?"
"Well would you look at that. You got me!" She chuckles. "I made sure we went to the same university. I was at the frat parties. I made friends with her friends- well, I made friends with some of the people around her. The name Talia ring a bell, Charlotte?" She stares at me and I blink. "Oh yeah, you see, I was the one who talked Talia into approaching Zayn that night at the bar way back when. I knew everything about you- I knew you two were getting together, and I had to stop it because-" She stands up now. "You weren't going to be happy- not when I had to fucking hear about you at home! God, I was just so fucking sick of hearing about you. I wanted to make sure that you were miserable," she seethes. "So when you got pregnant, I was ecstatic. You had finally fucked up."
"Language, Ms. Sello!"
"But then you got pregnant," my lawyer chimes in like he knows something. "Why is that?"
"Because even when she messed up, it was still about her! Her stepfather actually wrote our father a letter and told him about Charlie and the pregnancy, since he knew our mom didn't want anything to do with him. And you know what?" She spits. "He was ecstatic because he was going to be a grandfather. And it made him want to get to know her even more. But I couldn't have that. So I waited. I waited to make my move. And it just so happened that I got pregnant too."
"And-" my lawyer starts, but is quickly cut off.
"And then the attention wasn't on Charlie anymore because I needed all the love and support from my father, since my mother had no interest in getting to know me. I couldn't lose him too," she says. "It was me...it was all about me again. Like it should have been."
"So you only had Adrian so you could have your father's attention?"
"Yes!" She shouts. She's turned somewhat maniacal. "That's the only reason he's around. I never wanted a kid but I had to do something."
"You fucking bitch!" I stand up and scream, unable to hold off anymore. "I hate you! I hate you...I h-hate..." I damn near collapse to the ground in a mess of sobs. All this time I thought my father hated me, and everyone let me believe it. My mother, my step father...I can't even. I can't fucking even.
Zayn scoops me up and consoles me as the judge tries to maintain order. Genevieve's screaming and shouting things at me, but I don't even hear her. I don't want to hear her. I don't want anything to do with her...ever.
*
I sit here numb, awaiting the judge's decision. That's really the only way to describe how I feel. It's like...it's like secret after secret has done nothing but poured out this entire custody battle (and a battle it has been.) Salt has been continuously poured on my wounds that I thought were healed, but have been open- probably since the day my mother and father decided to split us up. The worst part is that I don't know how to move past this.
Not to mention, I've blown the case to hell, I'm sure. I can only hope Zayn doesn't resent me for it.
The judge comes walking back into court and takes a seat. Zayn's hand runs down my thigh to my knee, and back again, only to repeat the motion. It's a good thing he's here, because I'm sure I would have really lost my shit. "Okay. Based on everything I have witnessed, I've reached a decision." He looks up then, at each one of us. "A lot has come out over the past two days, probably more than what needed to be shared. Mr. Malik and Ms. Dunn, your outbursts were completely unacceptable, and I'd expect you to know better in the court of law. You both had your moments where your behavior was inappropriate, and should you find yourselves in the court again, I'll expect that you will behave appropriately. But with that being said, I can't say for certain that I would not have reacted similarly." He nods at us, before resting his eyes on Genevieve. "Now. My decision has been made for quite some time. I will not allow a child who has been abused to remain in the custody of his abuser. I'm rather insulted, Ms. Sello, that you thought for a second that I would believe that bogus story about your son falling- not when the evidence was presented to me, clear as day that you hit your son with some sort of object. Furthermore, you did not prove that Ms. Dunn and Mr. Malik are unfit to be parents. To be quite frank, you stood up here and made a fool out of yourself. Given all of that, I have no other choice but to award sole custody to Zayn Malik and Charlotte Dunn. You will not be allowed visitation rights, Ms. Sello. In fact, I don't believe you have served an adequate amount of time in jail for the charges you faced. Now while I can't send you back to jail, I will strongly recommend that your case be revisited. Court is adjourned, and good luck to all of you."
That numb feeling is still there, but it's not quite as strong when I feel Zayn's arms around me as he plants kisses all over my face. "We did it. We fucking did it, babe. He's ours," he whispers, damn near pulling me onto his lap. "Holy shit."
We stay like that for quite some time before Zayn separates us. He begins talking to the lawyer, who congratulates us both while I try to wrap my head around this. We actually got custody of Adrian. Finally, someone who doesn't think we're screwups. It's quite refreshing, actually.
But I can't keep my eyes off of her. She looks at me and you wouldn't even know that she just lost custody of her son because that's how much it looks like she doesn't care. I break eye contact though, as I feel Zayn tugging on my hand so that I stand up. But I know this isn't the last I'll see her. I know it.
We begin walking out of the courtroom, the both of us exhausted from this, no doubt. "Fuck, little one. Now you're gonna have three siblings," Zayn says, as he rubs a hand over my belly. He's all smiles as he shakes his head, and I just wanna pinch his cheeks because he looks adorable. And be with my kids. Yeah, I really wanna be with my kids.
So it really shouldn't come as a surprise when we get outside, that Harry and El are standing there with Mar, Li and Adrian. Their eyes light up when they see us and they start to race over.
I crouch down just as Zayn tells Harry that we got custody. But somehow, I feel like Harry knew that already. They all pretty much crash into me and I make sure to give them all kisses on their cheeks and heads and wrap my arms around them the best I can.
"You know, I never doubted you, babe. I knew that you could do it. But it was definitely my stellar performance in there that got you custody, I know it. Because I'm the best boyfriend you'll ever have. Now give me a kiss, but no tongue this time. Our side chicks and our babies are right here."
And what do I do, but grin at Harry's ridiculousness.
A/N: Well, it's been a while and I'm sorry for that. May was an incredibly busy month [it was my birthday on Sunday : )]
I hope you're all doing well! And I hope you liked this chapter. We know more about Genevieve and Charlie's history. Thoughts?
I will definitely not make you guys wait that long for the next update. I'm shooting to have it up by Thursday!
Soo...enjoy the rest of your week!
And please vote, comment, and follow<33