The courtroom smelled of lemon floor wax and old paper.

A green shaded lamp hummed on the judge’s high desk, casting long shadows across the dark wood.

My husband, Daniel, sat three feet away from me at the petitioner’s table.

His dark grey suit did not have a single wrinkle.

He adjusted his gold cufflinks and smiled at his lawyer.

Behind us, in the first row of the gallery, my mother Helen cleared her throat.

It was a dry, rattling cough that made my chest tight with worry.

She looked pale, her skin almost translucent under the harsh fluorescent lights of the courtroom.

Between us sat our twin sons, Lucas and Mason.

Mason kept his eyes fixed on his worn sneakers, his small fingers twisting the hem of his blue shirt.

Lucas sat perfectly still, his chin up, his eyes locked on his father’s profile.

Daniel did not look back at them.

“Your Honor, Mrs. Carter is simply not equipped to handle boys of this age,” Daniel’s attorney said.

His deep voice echoed off the wood-paneled walls.

“My client provides stability, a historic family home, and the best education money can buy.”

The attorney tapped a thick stack of financial documents on his podium.

Judge Vance looked over her reading glasses at me.

“Mrs. Carter, your attorney claims you have safety concerns regarding your husband,” the judge said.

I stood up, my knees shaking against the heavy oak table.

My fingers gripped the edge of the wood so hard my knuckles turned white.

“I do, Your Honor,” I said.

My voice sounded small in the high-ceilinged room.

“Daniel has threatened to make sure I never see the boys again if I proceed with this divorce.”

Daniel shook his head, a look of mild, practiced pity on his face.

“That is absolutely untrue, Your Honor,” Daniel said.

He spoke directly to the judge, his tone smooth and warm.

“Emily is projecting her own deep-seated anxieties onto me.”

He leaned forward, his hands flat on the polished table.

“I only want what is best for our sons, and they need structure.”

Lucas stood up from his chair in the front row.