“So, Gary was ready to spend his life with you even though you were the one who had gotten pregnant?” Charlene asked, her voice cloyingly sweet.
“Gary and I were both pregnant,” Heather shot back. “I didn’t get pregnant on my own, and Gary was ready to step up and do the right thing.”
“So, you’re stating on the record that Gary Hall is a good father?” Charlene asked.
Heather squirmed. “Well... lately he hasn’t been as present as I would like—”
“But if he hasn’t been a good father, why are you pushing to share custody with him?” Charlene demanded. “After all, Gary wants full custody of his son, yet you want shared custody. Sounds like Gary might think you’re unfit, while you’re still willing to share custody with him. Pretty damning, don’t you think?”
“I believe my desire to share custody shows that, no matter what happens, I want Gary to be a part of Finn’s life,” Heather said carefully. “A child ought to have both his parents. That’s why Gary and I got married in the first place.”
“But, clearly, you don’t think very highly of him if you’re willing to say you think he hasn’t been present,” Charlene said.
“He hasn’t been very present,” Heather said. “Gary makes promises to see Finn, but often breaks his commitments. Sometimes he shows up unannounced. Just last week he crashed out family dinner party; he wasn’t clearly drunk.”
“Yes, but you weren’t sober either, were you,” Charlene said.
Heather blinked in surprise. “What?”
“Didn’t you consume alcohol at that party?” Charlene asked.
“Yes, but it was just a little Champagne—”
“Why would you throw a raucous party with alcohol while your six-year-old son was present, Ms. Hall?” Charlene narrowed her eyes. “And that’s just one instance in a long line of bad judgments, isn’t it? Weren’t you embroiled in a scandal that involved an affair you were having with your boss?”
“Your Honor, I object to that!” Aaron said loudly. “Charlene is obviously leading the witness down a twisted line of questioning—”
“I’ll allow it, Mr. Colbert,” the judge said. “But tread carefully, Ms. Howard. You’re getting close to badgering.”
Heather reached for the glass of water on the stand and took a sip. She hated to admit it, but she was rattled. She had never expected Gary’s lawyer to go easy on her, but the way she was twisting her words was already upsetting her.
“It was not a raucous party,” Heather said firmly. “It was a small family gathering, nothing more.”
“If you say so, Ms. Hall,” Charlene said, unable to hide the skepticism in her tone. “But that doesn’t answer the question about the scandal. Didn’t you have an affair with your boss? Your relatively new boss?”
Heather nodded. “Yes.”
“And you’re currently still seeing him, aren’t you?”
“I... we’re...” Heather sighed. She had expected this line of questioning and prepared for it. That didn’t stop her from clenching her hands in anxiety. There was only so much preparation she could do before the personal nature of the questions got to her. “We’re currently still seeing each other.”
“This is after you issued denials in the press.” Charlene tutted. “You told the media that the affair had ended.”
“It had,” Heather said. “But we decided to try again.”
“Try again? Even after you were accused of trying to sabotage the company you worked for? The company you swore you would be loyal to. If you can’t even be loyal to your company, how do you think that reflects on your fitness as a parent? That kind of scandal could upend a child’s life. Put a wrench in their development—”
“Objection!” Aaron said sharply. “Your Honor, this isn’t in good faith. Charlene is just tossing out conclusions, not facts.”
The judge held his gnarled hand up for silence. “As compelling as this is, Charlene, you need to rein it in.”
Charlene nodded. “No further questions at this time, Your Honor.”