Chapter 15 - The Confrontation
The preliminary custody hearing was set for a rainy Tuesday morning at the county courthouse in Richmond.
Derek arrived surrounded by a team of high-priced attorneys in tailored suits, flanked by Meredith, who wore a dark blue suit and diamond earrings. Derek looked polished, handsome, and completely calm—the picture of a grieving, devoted father fighting for his children against an unhinged ex-wife.
When he saw Joanna walking down the corridor with Sarah Vance, he offered a small, sad smile, intended for the court reporters and spectators gathered nearby.
Inside the courtroom, Judge Evelyn Vance—no relation to Sarah—took her seat at the bench.
Derek’s lead attorney, a ruthless litigator named Richard Sterling, opened the proceedings with an aggressive attack on Joanna’s character.
"Your Honor," Sterling began, standing tall before the bench. "My client, Mr. Derek Montgomery, has suffered unimaginable emotional distress. His wife abandoned their family residence in the middle of the night, taking their two infant daughters across state lines, while suffering from severe postpartum mental instability. We have medical records showing she was treated for head trauma and memory loss just weeks prior to her flight."
Judge Vance looked over her glasses at Sarah. "Ms. Vance, how do you respond?"
Sarah stood up calmly, adjusting her jacket.
"Your Honor, the medical records cited by opposing counsel are indeed real," Sarah said, her voice echoing clearly through the courtroom. "However, the cause of that head trauma was not mental instability or self-harm. It was physical assault inflicted by Mr. Montgomery himself."
Gasps echoed through the gallery. Derek’s expression tightened, though he quickly forced a look of hurt betrayal.
"Objection! Unsubstantiated slander!" Sterling shouted.
"It is not slander, Your Honor," Sarah countered, stepping forward and laying a thick folder on the judge's clerk's desk. "We are submitting into evidence sworn statements from medical experts, forensic analysis of electronic communications from Mr. Montgomery, and a formal petition for a federal criminal investigation into financial fraud and obstruction of justice."
Meredith sat up rigid in her chair, her face draining of color.
"Furthermore," Sarah continued, turning to look directly at Derek, "we have opened a formal petition with the South Carolina State Police to reopen the investigation into the death of Claire Higgins, citing new digital evidence recovered from Mr. Montgomery’s personal files."
Derek’s composed facade shattered. His face flushed with rage, and he pushed his chair back violently, standing up. "This is a circus! She's lying! She's out of her mind!"
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"Sit down, Mr. Montgomery!" Judge Vance slammed her gavel, her voice thunderous. "One more outburst like that and I will hold you in contempt of court!"
Derek sank back into his chair, breathing heavily, but his eyes were fixed on Joanna—filled with pure, unrestrained venom. For the first time, everyone in the courtroom saw the monster behind the million-dollar smile.
