POV: Sloane Harper
The moment I saw the envelope, my hands went still. The words “custody petition” made my heart twist. I knew Adrian would do something like this, but not this soon. I sat at my desk, staring at the paper, hearing his voice in my head telling me I could never win against him. I took a breath and told myself I would not cry.
When I called Maddy, she sounded calm. She said we would fight this together. I wanted to believe her, but fear still pressed inside me. “He’s claiming you’re unfit,” she said, reading the lines aloud. “He’s using photos of parties and twisting them.” My throat tightened. I whispered that I had done nothing wrong. Maddy said, “We’ll show the truth.”
That night, Daisy slept beside me, her small hand on mine. I watched her face, trying to breathe quie
