Broken Love Story (Love 3)

“And then I found out that my life was a lie. I found out he wasn’t my husband but someone else’s husband. That the family and life he promised me was all a lie. Everything was a lie.”

She grabs a tissue now, wiping her eyes.

“That must have been a shock to you,” Henry continues, and I almost want to tell him to stop. I look over at the judge who is waiting for her to answer.

“It was, considering he told me he was an orphan.”

“Your honor, hearsay,” Mr. Feldman objects.

“I’ll rephrase,” Henry says. “Who was at your wedding?”

“No one,” she says. “Just him and me and the judge.”

“Your honor, I would like to offer exhibit A.” He takes a picture from his stack. “Is this you and Eric?” He shows it to Hailey, who nods her head.

“Yes, that was before my family came in,” she says, and Henry hands the picture to the judge.

“Where was Eric’s family?” he asks her. Oh, he’s good.

“He told me he was an orphan, so he had no family there,” she tells him.

“Ms. Williams, would you say that Eric wasn’t interested in his children?”

“Objection, your honor.”

“I withdraw the question. Ms. Williams, would you say that Eric was close to his parents?”

“I can’t say since he never mentioned them, and when he did, he said they were dead.”

“Oh my God.” I hear my mother-in-law gasp out.

“No further questions, your honor,” he says, and he comes back to sit down next to me. “If he fucks with her, I’m going to eat him alive.”

Mr. Feldman looks over at us and sneers. “Ms. Williams, would you consider yourself a scorned woman?”

I see a different side to Hailey. Gone is the soft girl and in its place, she looks like she is ready to fight. She smiles at him and then looks at my in-laws. “Scorned? No. Lied to? Yes.”

“So you’re here out of revenge?” he asks her.

“No,” she says. “I’m here because I figured if Eric didn’t even acknowledge his parents, he wouldn’t want his kids living with them.” Direct hit.

“So you have no reason to be here,” he starts and then doesn’t give her a chance to answer. “Isn’t it true that your brother is dating Ms. Schneider now?”

“I have no idea who my brother is dating.”

“Your honor, what does that have to do with anything? My client is allowed to date.” Henry stands up.

The judge looks at Mr. Feldman. “I’m watching you, Mr. Feldman.”

He puts his hands up. “Ms. Williams, is it true you tried to cash in Eric’s life insurance policy?”

“Yes,” she answers.

“And is it correct it was denied because of fraud?”

“That would be correct. He used his middle name for all our legal documents, which is why it was approved.”

“So it’s safe to say that you were angry.”

“No, I was too busy trying to piece together my life to be angry.”

“Ms. Williams, were you not angry when the plaintiffs had you served with a cease and desist letter blocking you from attending the funeral?”

“No, but I was sad and broken,” she tells him. “I had just lost my husband, or who I thought was my husband, and the plaintiffs blocked me from attending the funeral or talking about him.”

“So you didn’t attend the funeral?”

“Mr. Feldman, if I did, I would be arrested.” She looks at the judge. “There was also a restraining order filed against me.”

“By the Plantiffs?”

“I don’t know who sent it to me. I didn’t bother to sit around memorizing it,” she snaps back. “Mr. Feldman, I married a man who was already married. I had no idea, so when he died, and I was blocked from attending the funeral and saying goodbye to him, I wasn’t angry; I was sad. I was sad that my husband lied to me; I was sad that our life was a lie, but I was most sad that I didn’t get a chance to say goodbye. I wasn’t given that chance because the parents who he told me were dead were very much alive.”

She shakes her head. “But I get it now why he lied about them. He wasn’t vindictive; he wouldn’t want this.” She raises her hands. “The Eric I knew wouldn’t want to drag their kids away from their mother. The Eric who lived with me and married me would not want this dragged out because we are moving on,” she says. “The only one vindictive in all this and seeking revenge in all this is Mr. and Mrs. Schneider.”

“No further questions, your honor,” Mr. Feldman says.

“The court is in recess. We will reconvene in one hour,” she says, banging the gavel and stepping off the bench as we all stand.

Hailey walks by us, and the man holds his hands out for her. She goes in them and kisses his lips. “You did amazing,” he tells her as she looks back at me. I’m about to say something to her when my in-laws walk past them.