“He bought her silence with promise rings and designer clothes paid for with your money.”

I felt a cold lump of anger settle in my stomach.

Ava was sixteen, old enough to know right from wrong, but she was still a child under his influence.

He had poisoned her mind against the only person who was actually providing for her.

“I want her to have a guardian ad litem,” I said.

“A neutral party to speak for her in court.”

“I don’t want Daniel coaching her anymore.”

Sarah made a note on her legal pad.

“I will file the motion first thing in the morning.”

“We will ask for an emergency temporary custody order based on financial exploitation and parental alienation.”

“The evidence is overwhelming, Rachel.”

“He has dug a hole so deep he can’t see the sky.”

I looked at the spreadsheets again.

Every transaction was a betrayal. Every dollar moved was a lie told to my face.

He had smiled at me across the dinner table while routing my hard-earned salary to cover up his failures.