The courtroom was colder than Camilla expected. Sterile. Unfeeling. The fluorescent lights buzzed above as if mocking her nerves, and the sharp click of her heels echoed in the hollow space as she stepped through the doors.
She wore her simplest dress, the one that barely fit over her bump now, and her hair was tied neatly back. On the outside, she looked composed. But inside, her heart was thrashing. Ethan was gone. Her parents were trying to take her baby. And she had no idea if she’d even make it through the next hour.
She sat at the plaintiff’s table beside her lawyer, who gently placed a hand over hers. “Stay calm,” the woman whispered. “Answer only what they ask. Don’t let them twist you.”
The judge entered. Everyone stood. The proceedings began.
Across the courtroom, Camilla’s p
