“Harper…” I whispered, trying to gently stop her.
But she stood up anyway. She looked directly at the judge with a seriousness that belied her ten years.
“Your Honor,” she said, her voice trembling but brave, “can I show you something? Something Mom doesn’t know.”
The courtroom fell silent.
Caleb abruptly turned his head toward her. For the first time that day, his composure crumbled.
“Harper, sit down,” he said, tense.
She didn’t sit down.
The judge leaned slightly forward.
“What do you want to show me?”
Harper swallowed.
“A video. It’s on my tablet. I saved it because I didn’t know who else to tell.”
My stomach sank. A video?
Caleb’s lawyer stood up immediately.
“Your Honor, we object—”
“I’ll review it,” the judge interrupted. Then he looked back at Harper. “But tell me first: why doesn’t your mother know this?”
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