Chapter 7 - The Deposition
Three weeks later.
Lily’s recovery in Boston had progressed at a speed that astonished even Dr. Chen. Her heart healed beautifully, her weight climbed past four pounds, and ten days after surgery, she was cleared for transport back to Connecticut to join her siblings.
In the Connecticut NICU, Owen had been moved off high-flow oxygen entirely, resting comfortably in a standard warming crib. Grace was already sleeping in a step-down bassinet, taking full bottles like a champion.
For the first time since their birth, all three of my babies were side by side, breathing the same air, without a single life-support machine between them.
On a rainy Thursday afternoon, I sat in the grand conference room of Vance & Sterling for Ethan’s formal deposition.
The room featured floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the city, a long mahogany table, and high-backed leather chairs.
I sat on one side with Eleanor Vance. Opposite us sat Ethan, his mother Diane, and Richard Sterling. A court reporter sat at the end of the table, her fingers hovering over her stenography machine.
Ethan looked terrible. Dark circles shadowed his eyes, his designer suit hung slightly loose on his frame, and he avoided looking directly at me. Diane sat stiffly beside him, her mouth pressed into a thin, angry line.
"We are on the record," Eleanor announced smoothly, clicking a recording device on the table. "This is the deposition of Ethan Carter in the matter of Carter v. Carter, regarding dissolution of marriage, child custody, and financial division."
Eleanor leaned forward, resting her elbows on the mahogany table.
"Mr. Carter, I want to direct your attention to October 12th—three weeks prior to your wife going into premature labor," Eleanor began, pulling a stack of certified documents from her briefcase. "Did you visit the offices of the Hope Haven Private Adoption Agency in Stamford?"
Ethan swallowed hard, glancing at his attorney. "I... I inquired about their services."
"Did you fill out an application form listing 'Baby B and Baby C' as available for immediate private placement upon delivery?"
"My client was exploring contingency options in the event of catastrophic medical outcomes!" Sterling interrupted defensively.
"Mr. Sterling, your client is under oath and capable of answering for himself," Eleanor said sharply. "Mr. Carter, answer the question."
Ethan’s knuckles turned white against the table. "Yes. I filled out the paperwork."
"And did you inform your wife, Natalie, that you were offering her unborn children to an adoption agency?"
Ethan’s voice dropped to a whisper. "No."
"Why not?"
"Because she was emotional!" Ethan suddenly burst out, his composure finally cracking. He glared across the table at me. "She was on bed rest! She was obsessed with the idea that everything was going to be fine! She wasn't looking at the financial reality! I was trying to protect our future!"
"Your future?" Eleanor asked softly. "Or your mother's reputation?"
Diane snapped. "How dare you drag me into this!"
"Mrs. Carter, please remain quiet," Eleanor warned, pulling out another document. "Mr. Carter, is it true that three days after the triplets were born, while your daughter Lily was in critical condition awaiting heart surgery, you attempted to withdraw eighty thousand dollars from your joint equity line of credit?"
Ethan went rigid. "I... I needed to retain legal counsel and secure my personal assets!"
"You tried to drain the very funds that were required to pay for your daughter’s specialized air transport to Boston," Eleanor corrected coldly. "Funds that your wife had to fight for in front of a judge while recovering from major surgery."
Ethan looked down at his hands, unable to answer.
Eleanor turned to a fresh page in her binder. "Mr. Carter, are you aware of the current medical status of your children?"
"I... I know Grace is doing well," Ethan muttered.
"Grace is doing wonderfully," Eleanor said. "And so is Lily. Her heart repair at Boston Children’s was a complete success. She is fully recovered. And Owen has been off all oxygen support for twelve days. All three of your children are medically stable, thriving, and scheduled for discharge next week."
Ethan’s head snapped up. He stared at Eleanor in utter shock. "What?"
"They are coming home, Ethan," I spoke up, my voice clear, resonant, and completely devoid of fear. "All three of them. Together."
Ethan stared at me, his mouth opening and closing silently. He looked like a man who had thrown away a winning lottery ticket because he thought the paper was smudged.
"Your Honor... I mean, Ms. Vance," Sterling stammered, looking at his client’s ruined face. "Perhaps we can take a ten-minute recess to discuss a settlement agreement."
"There is nothing to discuss, Mr. Sterling," Eleanor replied, closing her binder with a decisive snap. "My client is requesting sole legal and physical custody of Grace, Lily, and Owen. Ethan will be granted supervised visitation rights—if and when he completes a court-mandated parenting course and psychological evaluation. He will also pay maximum statutory child support, spousal maintenance, and half of all remaining non-covered medical bills."
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Diane stood up, slamming her hand on the table. "This is outrageous! You are trying to ruin my son!"
"Your son ruined himself the moment he put a price tag on his children's lives, Mrs. Carter," I said, standing up and looking down at her. "You can keep your money, your estate, and your corporate reputation. I’m taking my children."
