Inside The Court

Inside The Court
Kayla’s POV

Inside the courtroom, I spotted Caleb immediately. He was seated on the left side with his wife and their lawyer. They looked far too confident.

Holly hissed loudly in their direction. “Assholes.”

We settled on the right side. The courtroom had that heavy, formal atmosphere…wooden benches, the judge’s elevated bench, a jury box on the side, and the witness stand. My heart wouldn’t stop racing.

The door opened again, and someone I never expected walked in.

Angela.

I pinched Nathan’s arm hard. “What is she doing here? How did she even know about this?”

Nathan followed my gaze and sighed. “That’s the true definition of a crazy stalker. Don’t pay any attention to her. We’re here for Caden’s custody, and we’re going to get it.”

I was still confused. How the hell did she hear about the court hearing? 

Just then, the bailiff’s voice rang out: “All rise!”

Everyone stood as the judge…a strict-looking woman in her late fifties…entered and took her seat. 

The jury, twelve ordinary people who now held my son’s future in their hands, were already seated.

Once she sat, the case was announced.
“Case number 4782: Custody petition between Mrs. Kayla Vargas and Mr. Caleb Donovan regarding the minor child, Caden Vargas.”

I realized with a jolt that I hadn’t even contacted a lawyer. 

Hold on… Caden Vargas? When did that happen? Isn't that going to cause more problems for us? I don't remember any adoption process or name change for Caden.

I looked at Nathan sharply, wondering what he had done. He just gave me a reassuring nod and whispered, “I’ve got everything covered, baby. Don’t worry about anything.”

How? When? The questions rushed through me without any brakes.

Before long, Caleb and I were called to sit in separate designated areas. Nathan kissed the back of my hand before I moved. “I’m just a few seats behind you. I’m right here.”

As reassuring as it sounded, I still couldn't help but panic.

I sat down, and a sharply dressed man in a suit approached me. “Mrs. Vargas, I’m Attorney Michael Reeves, the family lawyer for the Vargas family. We’ll be representing you today.”

I smiled politely, surprised but grateful.

Caleb sat across from me, wearing a smug smirk like he already held all the winning cards. My anxiety spiked watching his face, but when I glanced back, Nathan gave me a steady, confident smile that grounded me again.

The proceedings began.

My lawyer leaned in along the line andwhispered. “Say everything you remember. Don’t worry about the rest.”

I nodded and handed him the envelope I’d kept for years…the money and the handwritten note from Caleb and his mother. I quickly told him what it was about and apologized for not handing it sooner.

He smiled. “You just made my job much easier, Mrs Vargas.”

Caleb’s lawyer went first. He painted Caleb as a reformed man who had made youthful mistakes and now wanted to be a responsible father. He tried to make it sound like I had kept Caden away from him out of spite.

My lawyer, Michael Reeves, was calm but powerful in his opening. He spoke about a young medical student who was abandoned when she got pregnant, forced to drop out of school, and left to raise a child completely alone while the father lived his life freely.

The cross-examination started immediately. Caleb’s lawyer went first, calling me to the stand. 

Caleb’s lawyer stood. “Mrs. Vargas, what was my client to you back then?”

“He was my boyfriend,” I answered clearly.

“And how old were you both?”

“I was 23. And he was twenty-five.”

“So you’d agree that at that young age, one should be focused on their future without distractions?”

“Yes.”

“Then why did you seduce and trap my client with a pregnancy?”

I scoffed. “I didn’t seduce him. He pursued me relentlessly from my first year in medical school. He saved me one night, and I gave him a chance. The pregnancy was not planned, but it happened.”

The lawyer kept pressing, trying to twist the narrative…painting Caleb as young and foolish, claiming his mother made the decisions. I stayed calm and answered every question truthfully.

“Caleb is older than me,” I said firmly, my voice gaining strength. “I had dreams too. I had to drop out of medical school, leave the country out of shame, and raise a child completely alone.”

My eyes glistened with unshed tears as I spoke, while the jury was murmuring, clearly moved.

When it was my lawyer’s turn, he stood.

“Mrs. Vargas, did you ever receive any financial support from Mr. Donovan or his family after you told him about the pregnancy?”

I nodded. “Yes. They gave me money to abort the baby and told me never to contact them again.”

The courtroom murmured. Even Caleb and his lawyer looked rattled. They didn't see this coming.

My lawyer held up the envelope. “Your Honor, I would like to submit new evidence.”

He presented the preserved envelope…the exact cash amount and the handwritten note. The note was scanned and displayed on the large screen for the entire court to see:

“This should be enough. Don’t ruin my future. I have a bright life ahead of me and cannot be responsible for a child. Get rid of it.”

Gasps rippled through the room. The jury looked visibly pissed by that and were now in our favor. Caleb’s smug expression cracked further as he told me to go back to my seat.

Then it was Caleb’s turn on the stand.

My lawyer was ruthless. He displayed the note again on the screen and the jury’s faces hardened.

“Mr. Donovan, did you or did you not tell Mrs Kayla six years ago to abort the child?”

Caleb shifted uncomfortably. “I… I was young and scared. I wasn't ready to be a father! My mother thought—”

“You are claiming that you were young. How old were you back then, and how old was my client?” My lawyer asked and Caleb started stuttering, he couldn't answer.

“Did you or did you not pay her to terminate the pregnancy and disappear?”

Caleb hesitated again. “Yes, but—”

“And now, years later, after an accident that left you and your wife incapable of having children, you suddenly want custody of the child you once paid to erase…right when you need an heir for your family inheritance?”

“Objection!” Caleb’s lawyer shouted.

“Overruled,” the judge said. “The question is relevant to the case. Go on.”

Medical reports were submitted showing Caleb and his wife’s infertility report. The jury’s faces grew harder.

The evidence kept piling up as Caleb started sweating.
When did Nathan arrange all these? 

When my lawyer was done, Caleb’s lawyer had almost nothing left. He weakly tried to claim our marriage was fake and that I wasn't Mrs Vargas that we deceived the court.

He went on to question leaving a child in the hands of liars who could manipulate the court and jury just to get what they want.

My lawyer smiled confidently when it was his turn to defend as though he had been expecting that. 

“Mrs. Kayla is Nathan Vargas’ wife. In fact, here is their marriage certificate.”

The real certificate appeared on the screen. The jury muttered in approval while Caleb looked like he was about to lose his mind.

Holly was called next as a witness. She walked to the stand like she was starring in a movie…confident and fierce. 

She gave powerful testimony about how I disappeared from school, how she later found me struggling as a single mother, and how Caleb had abandoned me to raise a child alone.

Caleb’s lawyer tried to discredit her. “You didn’t witness any of this directly, miss Rodriguez. You’re just repeating what she told you. So, how can we trust your testimony?”

Holly leaned forward. “Do you think this is a movie? I saw the result. I saw my best friend drop out of medical school, move countries in shame, and raise a child alone while working multiple jobs. That’s enough for me.”

Finally, both lawyers gave their closing arguments. 
My lawyer was passionate and thorough, painting the picture of a young girl forced to abandon her dreams while Caleb lived freely. 

My lawyer stood tall. “This is not a case about a father wanting to make amends. This is a man who rejected his child, paid to erase him, and now wants to use that same child as a tool for inheritance. Mrs. Vargas sacrificed everything…her education, her dreams, her youth…to raise her son alone. Now that she has built a stable life and found happiness with her husband, Mr. Donovan wants to rip her son away. We ask the jury to do what is right for the child.”

Caleb’s lawyer tried his best, but his arguments fell flat. He didn't have anything left to use against our case.

The judge finally spoke. “The jury will now deliberate. Court is in recess for thirty minutes.”

I exhaled shakily as we stood.

So far…so good, right?