Vanessa’s face tightened.
“I didn’t mean it literally.”
George made a tiny sound beside Jeffrey.
Not quite a laugh.
More disbelief.
The judge heard it.
“So the message stating ‘51% and this all goes away’ did not mean what it appears to mean?”
Vanessa started crying again.
Only this time, the tears didn’t have the same effect.
“I was overwhelmed.”
The judge sat back.
“I see.”
Those two words were quieter than anything anyone had said all morning.
And they scared Vanessa more than shouting would have.
Part 9 — What Jeffrey Really Wanted to Say
The judge asked the boys several more questions.
He was gentle.
He never asked them to choose between people.
He asked where they felt safe.
What their daily life was like.
Whether they knew Vanessa before three weeks earlier.
Whether anyone had told them what to say.
George answered first.
“No one told us anything.”
