Mom, Don't Cry! Here comes a new Daddy!

Chapter 4

(Sabrina’s POV)

"That's right," Sophia says from behind me, her voice thick with emotion. "You two are a team. And teams stick together."

Jake nods solemnly, then brightens. "Oh! I forgot! Mom, I made something for you. Wait here!"

He scrambles out of my arms and runs back down the hallway, his dinosaur tucked under one arm. I can hear him rummaging in the playroom, talking to himself the way he does when he's creating something.

Sophia hands me a fresh tissue. "That kid is something else."

“Of course.” I say, wiping my eyes. "Don’t you see whose son he is?”

"How come I never knew you were such a narcissist?”

I smile, “we barely spend time together. You with your company and me…”

“With Dustin.”

The room falls silent. The reminder of that scum man makes my stomach twist with nausea again. I shift on the couch, suddenly embarrassed. “Can I use your lawyer?”

“Richard Hill? Of course! He handled my divorce with that French asshole who tried to steal half my company. If anyone can destroy Dustin in court, it's Richard. But a capable lawyer doesn’t always guarantee victory. You said the house is under Dustin’s name?”

“Yes, but I can prove I paid for half of the principal amount. And before our marriage, I still had my wits about me. We signed a pre-nup that clearly states whoever cheats in the marriage leaves with nothing.”

“f**k! And he still cheated?”

I shrug. “Who knows what he’s thinking?”

Actually, I do. In the third year of our marriage, after Jake’s birth, Dustin suggested we void the pre-nup, that we didn’t need it now that we were a family. He stated he wasn’t an asshole to cheat on the woman who gave him a son, or stupid enough to risk losing his family for momentary pleasure.

Ha. Ha. Turns out he’s both an asshole and stupid enough to do what he claimed he would never do.

But to be fair, he doesn’t know I never voided the pre-nup. I got his signature on it and promised to complete the procedure alone after signing. But due to work and caring for Jake, I never got around to doing it.

Guess that saved me today.

“When that cheating pig loses everything overnight, his expression will be worth seeing!” Sophia jumps out of her seat, giddy with excitement. She walks over to her cabinet and pulls out another bottle of high-end wine—a vintage she saves for celebrations—and sets it on the coffee table.

“We need to celebrate this!”

I want to feel hopeful, but all I feel is exhausted. "But what if it's not enough? What if—"

"Stop." Sophia cuts me off sharply. "No what-ifs. No self-doubt. You listen to me, Sabrina. You are the brains behind half the campaigns at Sterling & Co. You are a genius. That piece of trash, Dustin, would be flipping burgers without your creativity, and that corporate witch, Jessica, just wants to use Jake as leverage. So don’t you dare waver now,” she says, her voice sharp.

“You're going to walk into court, and you're going to show them exactly who Sabrina Moore is. Not Dustin's wife. Not Jessica's employee. You. The woman who built campaigns that saved the agency twice. The mother who hasn't missed a single one of Jake's school events. The fighter who won't let anyone walk over her and take her son.”

Jake comes running back, clutching a piece of paper covered in marker scribbles. It's one of his "paintings"—abstract and chaotic and absolutely perfect.

"Mom, I made this for you," he announces proudly. "It's called 'Mom is Strong Like a Dinosaur.' See, that's you." He points to a large purple blob with what might be arms. "And that's your strength." He indicates violent red and orange slashes across the page. "Aunt Sophia helped me spell the words."

Sure enough, at the bottom in Sophia's neat handwriting: "Mom is strong like a dinosaur."

Something breaks open in my chest—not pain this time, but determination. My five-year-old son believes I'm strong like a dinosaur. Sophia believes I can fight and win.

So I’m going to fight.

I’m going to put up one hell of a fight that’ll tear those pigs apart and leave them broke and bleeding.

"It's beautiful, baby. Thank you." I kiss the top of his head. "I'm going to hang it up in our new place."

"New place?" Jake's eyes light up. "Are we moving?"

"Maybe. We'll see." I glance at Sophia, who nods encouragingly. "But wherever we go, we go together. You and me. Deal?"

"Deal!" Jake throws his arms around my neck. "Can we get a dog at the new place?"

Despite everything—the betrayal, the threats, the uncertainty—I laugh. It's a small, broken sound, but it's real.

"We'll see about the dog."

That night, I sleep in Sophia's guest room with Jake curled up beside me, his dinosaur wedged between us. Every time I close my eyes, I see Dustin and Jessica on my bed, hear her cruel words: You were just a substitute.

But then I feel Jake's small hand in mine, and I remember what I'm fighting for.

Not my marriage. That's dead and buried.

Not for my job. I’m going to lose it whether I work my ass off or not.

And definitely not my pride. That's been trampled into dust.

What I’m fighting for is my son. My house. And a brighter future.

Now those are worth fighting for.