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Chapter 35: Desperate How was it possible that Zack hurt her more than Mason? As Andrea walked back to her apartment, she couldn’t stop thinking about that. But the truth was that neither Mason nor Zack hurt her, she was hurt by disappointment, broken trust, the helplessness of not understanding why the hell they were such jerks. The next two days were complete torture. Andrea desperately searched for a lawyer who could help her, but the state didn’t assign a public defender for problems like those. She knew she didn’t have the money to pay a good lawyer, but she tried to call some because she knew there was always someone who took a case for free. However, the answer was hopeless: at least at that moment there was no one taking cases for free. Her next option was the women’s aid foundations, but the two in the city told her the same thing. —I’m sorry, we can help you with a lot: clothes, food, work… but we don’t have lawyers. By Monday morning Andrea was in despair and felt like she hadn’t slept in two days. The pain Zack had caused her was literally buried beneath all the worry and anguish she felt. That morning she dropped Adriana off at daycare and notified HR that she wouldn’t be able to work that morning. Then she took a bus to the courthouse. Andrea took a deep breath and walked into the courtroom. The dark wood paneling and stern faces of the attorneys created an air of solemnity that frightened her as she took in the scene. She searched the room for Mason, her heart racing. Finally, she saw him in the back corner, that look of triumph on his face. Andrea felt the sting of tears in her eyes and quickly looked away. Soon an official waved them off to their places and Mason wasn’t surprised that she went alone. Thanks for reading at LeeNovelas.com. Andrea sat on the edge of her seat as the proceedings began. The judge gave his opening statement and Andrea leaned forward, listening intently. The hearing would determine whether or not she could keep custody of her daughter, but she knew that even though the law was on her side, she was probably no match for the high-powered attorney Mason represented. “The first thing is to determine the paternity of the minor. Mrs. Brand must appear with the child in the courtroom within forty-eight hours for DNA testing,” the judge ruled, and the courtroom adjourned. Andrea sat rigid in her seat, hardly daring to breathe, but she knew she had no choice but to obey. She walked out with a heavy heart, but before she reached the door Mason stopped her. “You have a choice,” he said. “You can come with me and I’ll forget about this.” “Go with you?” “Yes,” he said, nodding. “Be my wife again and I’ll forget about the lawsuit. You don’t have to worry about Adriana,I will take care of both of them as I should have done since she was born. This way, neither of them will have to go through the DNA test and I will withdraw the lawsuit. Remember. Read this novel only at LeeNovelas.com, not on other sites. Andrea looked at him in astonishment, she couldn’t believe what she was hearing. —Never! —That’s my only offer, Andy, don’t despise it. If you don’t accept it, I’ll have to go ahead with the procedure and you’ll lose custody of your daughter. —Damn wretch! —she hissed in disgust. —Whatever you want, but I have every chance of winning and you know it. So the choice is very easy: You can have a happy mother for Adriana, you’ll have the house you always wanted, everything you always longed for and the life you deserve to have… or you can stay in your filthy empty apartment alone, because I’m taking the girl. Andrea couldn’t contain herself, her hand crossed Mason’s face with a loud slap that made him turn his face away. She knew that this was not good for her case, but she couldn’t stand him being so cynical. “The law is always on the mother’s side,” she spat before leaving, and Mason caressed his face with a sneer. “The law, perhaps… but not the money,” he stammered before going to meet with his lawyer. Two days later, Andrea took her daughter to court. In those forty-eight hours, she had considered dozens of times the possibility of running away with Adriana, but she knew that if she did it in the middle of a legal process and was caught, it would take Adriana away from her forever, without even giving her the right to fight for her. The exams were quick and another week passed. A week in which Andrea did not stop crying for a single day and worked desperately to get a good contract: a contract meant money, money to pay a lawyer. The next hearing before the judge was to read something that she already knew perfectly. “According to the results of the DNA analysis, Mr. Mason Lee is the biological father of the minor, therefore the claim for custody is accepted,” he declared. “In that case, we will hear the statements of the parties.” The judge called the opposing lawyer and Andrea felt her heart sink. She had researched him: Basil Gagnon was a well-known lawyer, with a reputation for being ruthless. He began to present his case, listing all the reasons why Andrea was not a suitable mother. Andrea felt anger and frustration well up inside her, but she remained silent. She knew that this was not her time to speak. “Then the conclusion is obvious,” she heard him say at last. “My client is in a better financial position to give his daughter everything she needs to grow up healthy and happy.” “And why don’t you tell the judge why you are in such a good position, eh?” Andrea stood up helplessly and the judge clanged his gavel.com, not on other sites. Andrea looked at him in astonishment, she couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “Never!” “That’s my only offer, Andy, don’t turn it down. If you don’t accept it, I’ll have to go ahead with the procedure and you’ll lose custody of your daughter.” “Damn bastard!” she hissed in disgust. “Whatever you want, but I have every chance of winning and you know it. So the choice is very easy: You can have a happy mother for Adriana, you’ll have the house you always wanted, everything you always longed for and the life you deserve to have… or you can stay in your filthy empty apartment alone, because I’m taking the girl. Andrea couldn’t help herself, her hand crossed Mason’s face with a loud slap that made him turn his face away. She knew that this wasn’t good for her case but she couldn’t stand him being so cynical. —The law is always on the mother’s side, she spat before leaving, and Mason caressed his face with a sneer. —The law, perhaps… but not the money, he stammered before going to meet with his lawyer. Two days later, Andrea took her daughter to court. In those forty-eight hours, she had considered dozens of times the possibility of escaping with Adriana, but she knew that if she did it in the middle of a judicial process and they caught her, Adriana would be taken away from her forever, without even giving her the right to fight for her. The tests were quick and another week passed. A week in which Andrea did not stop crying for a single day and worked desperately to get a good contract: a contract meant money, money to pay a lawyer. The next hearing before the judge was to read something she already knew perfectly. —According to the results of the DNA analysis, Mr. Mason Lee is the biological father of the minor, therefore the claim for custody is accepted —she declared. —In that case, we will listen to the statements of the parties. The judge called the opposing attorney and Andrea felt her heart sink. She had done her research: Basil Gagnon was a well-known attorney with a reputation for ruthlessness. He began to make his case, listing all the reasons why Andrea was not a fit mother. Andrea felt anger and frustration well up inside her, but she remained silent. She knew this was not her time to speak. “Then the conclusion is obvious,” she heard him say at last. “My client is in a better financial position to give her daughter everything she needs to grow up healthy and happy.” “And why don’t you tell the judge why you are in such a good position, eh?” Andrea stood helplessly and the judge clinked his gavel.com, not on other sites. Andrea looked at him in astonishment, she couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “Never!” “That’s my only offer, Andy, don’t turn it down. If you don’t accept it, I’ll have to go ahead with the procedure and you’ll lose custody of your daughter.” “Damn bastard!” she hissed in disgust. “Whatever you want, but I have every chance of winning and you know it. So the choice is very easy: You can have a happy mother for Adriana, you’ll have the house you always wanted, everything you always longed for and the life you deserve to have… or you can stay in your filthy empty apartment alone, because I’m taking the girl. Andrea couldn’t help herself, her hand crossed Mason’s face with a loud slap that made him turn his face away. She knew that this wasn’t good for her case but she couldn’t stand him being so cynical. —The law is always on the mother’s side, she spat before leaving, and Mason caressed his face with a sneer. —The law, perhaps… but not the money, he stammered before going to meet with his lawyer. Two days later, Andrea took her daughter to court. In those forty-eight hours, she had considered dozens of times the possibility of escaping with Adriana, but she knew that if she did it in the middle of a judicial process and they caught her, Adriana would be taken away from her forever, without even giving her the right to fight for her. The tests were quick and another week passed. A week in which Andrea did not stop crying for a single day and worked desperately to get a good contract: a contract meant money, money to pay a lawyer. The next hearing before the judge was to read something she already knew perfectly. —According to the results of the DNA analysis, Mr. Mason Lee is the biological father of the minor, therefore the claim for custody is accepted —she declared. —In that case, we will listen to the statements of the parties. The judge called the opposing attorney and Andrea felt her heart sink. She had done her research: Basil Gagnon was a well-known attorney with a reputation for ruthlessness. He began to make his case, listing all the reasons why Andrea was not a fit mother. Andrea felt anger and frustration well up inside her, but she remained silent. She knew this was not her time to speak. “Then the conclusion is obvious,” she heard him say at last. “My client is in a better financial position to give her daughter everything she needs to grow up healthy and happy.” “And why don’t you tell the judge why you are in such a good position, eh?” Andrea stood helplessly and the judge clinked his gavel.So the choice is very easy: You can be a happy mother for Adriana, you will have the house you always wanted, everything you always longed for and the life you deserve to have… or you can stay in your filthy empty apartment alone, because I will take the girl. Andrea could not contain herself, her hand crossed Mason’s face with a resounding slap that made him turn his face away. She knew that this was not good for her case but she could not stand him being so cynical. “The law is always on the mother’s side,” she spat before leaving and Mason caressed his face with a smile of contempt. “The law maybe… but not the money,” he stammered before going to meet with his lawyer. Two days later Andrea took her daughter to court. In those forty-eight hours she had considered dozens of times the possibility of escaping with Adriana, but she knew that if she did it in the middle of a judicial process and they caught her, she would take Adriana away from her forever, without even giving her the right to fight for her. The tests were quick and another week passed. A week in which Andrea did not stop crying for a single day and worked desperately to get a good contract: a contract meant money, money to pay a lawyer. The next hearing before the judge was to read something she already knew perfectly. “According to the results of the DNA analysis, Mr. Mason Lee is the biological father of the minor, therefore the claim for custody is accepted,” he declared. “In that case, we will hear the statements of the parties.” The judge called the opposing lawyer and Andrea felt her heart sink. She had researched him: Basil Gagnon was a well-known lawyer, with a reputation for ruthlessness. He began to present his case, listing all the reasons why Andrea was not a suitable mother. Andrea felt anger and frustration well up inside her, but she remained silent. She knew that this was not her time to speak. “Then the conclusion is obvious,” she heard him say at last. “My client is in a better financial position to give his daughter everything she needs to grow up healthy and happy.” —And why don’t you tell the judge why you are in such a good position, eh? — Andrea stood up helplessly and the judge slammed his gavel.So the choice is very easy: You can be a happy mother for Adriana, you will have the house you always wanted, everything you always longed for and the life you deserve to have… or you can stay in your filthy empty apartment alone, because I will take the girl. Andrea could not contain herself, her hand crossed Mason’s face with a resounding slap that made him turn his face away. She knew that this was not good for her case but she could not stand him being so cynical. “The law is always on the mother’s side,” she spat before leaving and Mason caressed his face with a smile of contempt. “The law maybe… but not the money,” he stammered before going to meet with his lawyer. Two days later Andrea took her daughter to court. In those forty-eight hours she had considered dozens of times the possibility of escaping with Adriana, but she knew that if she did it in the middle of a judicial process and they caught her, she would take Adriana away from her forever, without even giving her the right to fight for her. The tests were quick and another week passed. A week in which Andrea did not stop crying for a single day and worked desperately to get a good contract: a contract meant money, money to pay a lawyer. The next hearing before the judge was to read something she already knew perfectly. “According to the results of the DNA analysis, Mr. Mason Lee is the biological father of the minor, therefore the claim for custody is accepted,” he declared. “In that case, we will hear the statements of the parties.” The judge called the opposing lawyer and Andrea felt her heart sink. She had researched him: Basil Gagnon was a well-known lawyer, with a reputation for ruthlessness. He began to present his case, listing all the reasons why Andrea was not a suitable mother. Andrea felt anger and frustration well up inside her, but she remained silent. She knew that this was not her time to speak. “Then the conclusion is obvious,” she heard him say at last. “My client is in a better financial position to give his daughter everything she needs to grow up healthy and happy.” —And why don’t you tell the judge why you are in such a good position, eh? — Andrea stood up helplessly and the judge slammed his gavel.In those forty-eight hours she had considered dozens of times the possibility of running away with Adriana, but she knew that if she did it in the middle of a court case and was caught, it would take Adriana away from her forever, without even giving her the right to fight for her. The tests were quick and another week passed. A week in which Andrea did not stop crying a single day and worked desperately to get a good contract: a contract meant money, money to pay a lawyer. The next hearing before the judge was to read something she already knew perfectly. “According to the results of the DNA analysis, Mr. Mason Lee is the biological father of the minor, therefore the claim for custody is accepted,” she declared. “In that case, we will hear the statements of the parties.” The judge called the opposing lawyer and Andrea felt her heart sink. She had researched him: Basil Gagnon was a well-known lawyer, with a reputation for being ruthless. He began to present his case, listing all the reasons why Andrea was not a suitable mother. Andrea felt anger and frustration welling up inside her, but she kept quiet. She knew this was not her time to speak. “Then the conclusion is obvious,” she heard him say at last. “My client is in a better financial position to give her daughter everything she needs to grow up healthy and happy.” “And why don’t you tell the judge why you’re in that good position, huh?” Andrea stood up helplessly and the judge slammed his gavel.In those forty-eight hours she had considered dozens of times the possibility of running away with Adriana, but she knew that if she did it in the middle of a court case and was caught, it would take Adriana away from her forever, without even giving her the right to fight for her. The tests were quick and another week passed. A week in which Andrea did not stop crying a single day and worked desperately to get a good contract: a contract meant money, money to pay a lawyer. The next hearing before the judge was to read something she already knew perfectly. “According to the results of the DNA analysis, Mr. Mason Lee is the biological father of the minor, therefore the claim for custody is accepted,” she declared. “In that case, we will hear the statements of the parties.” The judge called the opposing lawyer and Andrea felt her heart sink. She had researched him: Basil Gagnon was a well-known lawyer, with a reputation for being ruthless. He began to present his case, listing all the reasons why Andrea was not a suitable mother. Andrea felt anger and frustration welling up inside her, but she kept quiet. She knew this was not her time to speak. “Then the conclusion is obvious,” she heard him say at last. “My client is in a better financial position to give her daughter everything she needs to grow up healthy and happy.” “And why don’t you tell the judge why you’re in that good position, huh?” Andrea stood up helplessly and the judge slammed his gavel.Huh? — Andrea stood up helplessly and the judge slammed his gavel.Huh? — Andrea stood up helplessly and the judge slammed his gavel.Brand, you must wait your turn to speak,” he scolded, but Basil Gagnon shook his head. “No problem, Your Honor, I’m done,” he said with a sly smile as the judge turned to Andrea. “Mrs. Brand,” he said with a sigh. “Your lawyer isn’t going to show up?” Andrea gulped. “I don’t have a lawyer, Your Honor… because I don’t have the money to pay one.” The silence that fell in the room was deathly, but she didn’t let it deter her. “I don’t have the money for a lawyer because absolutely everything I had was to pay the debt to the hospital that caused the birth of my daughter. I understand that Mason is now in a very good financial position, but if that’s the case it’s because of everything he took from us! Mason abandoned me in the emergency room of the hospital and four days after I woke up from the coma, I learned that he hadn’t even gone to meet Adriana. When I tried to pay off the medical bill I realized he had stolen all my money, twenty thousand dollars that I had saved for my daughter! He took it and left us with nothing! — By this point tears were rolling down her cheeks. — And as if that wasn’t enough he sold everything in our house, everything! When I got there I didn’t even have a place to sleep…! — Objection! — Basil Gagnon stood up. — Does Mrs. Brand have proof of these accusations? Andrea froze and all eyes turned to her. — I imagine you have at least filed a theft report with the police, right? — Basil continued. — Nnno… I didn’t, I was waiting for him to call, to give me an explanation… — she stammered. — For six months? Did you really wait for him for six months? That’s a long time to wait for a man who betrayed and abandoned you, don’t you think Mrs. Brand? — Andrea clenched her fists in helplessness. — Are you telling me I’m lying? “No, I’m just saying that you have no way of proving these accusations, and if you continue to make them, my client will file another suit for defamation,” the lawyer declared. “We’re here to see what’s best for the child. If Mrs. Brand can’t afford a lawyer, it’s obvious that she can’t properly support her daughter. That’s why my client wants to request the intervention of Social Services. We’re requesting an inspection of the home today.” “What…?” Andrea felt like she was running out of oxygen. “We don’t want Mrs. Brand to have time to camouflage her lack of resources, and we agree that my client’s home will also be inspected,” the lawyer declared. Andrea felt like the world was falling on her, but the judge’s response was not long in coming. “You’re right, lawyer, the important thing here is that the girl has the proper conditions to live in,” he decreed. “A social worker will accompany both of them out of the court and inspect each of their homes today. The next hearing will be in two days. The session is adjourned!” He slammed his mallet down and Andrea didn’t even have time to protest.Five minutes later, a social worker got her into her car and they headed toward that apartment, while Andrea understood that no matter what she did, everything would be against her.