The defense attorney carefully read each word of the report, saying, âThis report conclusively shows that my client has no mental disorders.
â
Nicoleâs face turned utterly pale.
Jarrod had even anticipated her move, having applied for a court evaluation beforehand.
This meant he knew she had accessed his psychiatric medications, intending to use them against him.
All her meticulous preparations⦠Jarrod had anticipated them all!
Nicole felt like she was suffocating.
Rhett was confused.
Wasnât it confirmed that Jarrod had a mental illness? How come suddenly he did not?
The credibility of a judicial evaluation was high.
Moreover, the fact that the defendant had requested it in advance indicated the knowledge of their cards.
The defense attorney kept pressing, âClearly, all of this is merely the plaintiffâs speculation.
The plaintiff has a history of several years of medical consultations, which indicates that the plaintiffâs physical and psychological conditions are unstable.
â
Jarrodâs lawyer brought Nicoleâs recent medical records from international and local consultations.
By comparison, Nicole appeared to be the one with a mental disorder.
The proceedings moved swiftly.
Clearly, Nicole was utterly defeated.
Even Jarrod, by simply stating his disagreement, had easily bested her.
âItâs not like thatâ¦â Nicole struggled to speak.
âItâs not like that.
That man is a monster, a lunatic! He forced me to have the child, and now he wants to drag me back to continue a shameful relationship.
He is ill.
Trust me, he really is!â
Nicole became increasingly distraught toward the end.
Rhett had to intervene.
The court valued evidence highly, and such emotional outbursts only made the judge perceive Nicole as a psychologically unstable one.
âPlaintiff, please remain calm and respect the decorum of the court,â the judge instructed.
Jarrodâs lawyer spoke again.
âWhat the plaintiff says isnât accurate.
My client, Mr.
Schultz, got engaged five months ago, and the wedding is in three months.
Theyâre both emotionally steady and completely ready to raise a child.
â
As the lawyer made his case, Nicole noticed that Vicki had entered the gallery at some point.
She was smiling at Jarrod, the picture of a loving fiancée.
Nicole was in total panic.
Their argument was nearly impeccable.
She felt she was on the verge of losing her sanity.
If she lost Austin, and if Austin was raised by someone so cruel as Jarrod, she couldnât even imagine what Austin might have to face.
This monstrous Jarrod planned for another woman to raise Austin.
The final judgment came as no surprise.
Austinâs custody was granted to Jarrod, his biological father, who was emotionally stable and financially capable.
Nicole would need to obtain a hospitalâs certification of her mental health before she could have visitation rights.
âWhy?â Nicole was not reconciled.
She frantically looked around, screaming, âThatâs my child!â That was the baby she carried for ten months! How could it be under someone elseâs control now, with her not even allowed to visit?
Nicole sank weakly to the floor.
Nothing felt more agonizing than separating a child from their mother.
Jarrod had no qualms about thrusting Nicole back into the abyss once more.
Nicole felt as though a suffocating net had been cast over her head, trapping her in its grip no matter how vigorously she struggled.