Page 21 of Worship Him

Thomas doesn’t miss a beat. “Mr. Ryder has every reason to believe that this child is not his, which complicates the divorce proceedings further.”

Adam remains stone-faced, but his eyes tell a different story—a mix of rage and sorrow that cuts through me like a knife.

“Your Honor,” Barrett interjects, standing up smoothly. “These are serious accusations without any solid proof at this point. We request time to review these documents and respond appropriately.”

“Time?” Thomas sneers. “You’ve had over a year! Clearly, Mrs. Lewis has been hiding something significant from my client. It looks like she did so intentionally to gain more from the divorce.”

Barret stiffens, ready to retort.

“That’s enough,” the judge says sternly.

I watch in stunned silence as Thomas hands another stack of papers to the judge. My heart pounds so loudly I can barely hear his words.

"Your Honor, we're presenting evidence of Mrs. Lewis's deception," Thomas says, his voice dripping with disdain. "We intend to use this information to dissolve any stakes she has in Mr. Ryder's company."

The judge flips through the documents, focusing on some pages before paging further. I glance at Adam, but his face is an impenetrable mask.

Thomas continues, "We want her name completely removed from everything related to Mr. Ryder's business. It's safe to say that my client wants nothing to do with Mrs. Lewis or her company."

The words hit me like a physical blow. I grip the edge of the table, willing myself not to crumble.

Barrett leans in close. "Destiny, breathe. Don’t let them get to you."

But I can't breathe. The room spins as I struggle to process what's happening. Adam wants to cut me out of his life entirely? How can he be so cold?

"Your Honor," Barrett interjects, rising to his feet. "This is a blatant attempt to manipulate the proceedings. We haven't even had a chance to address the accusations about the child."

The judge holds up a hand. "I understand, Mr. Harris. Mrs. Lewis will have her opportunity to respond."

I force myself to look at Adam again. His jaw is clenched, eyes blazing with an intensity that used to make me weak in the knees. Now, it just makes me feel hollow.

"Mr. Ryder," the judge says, turning to Adam. "Are you certain you want to pursue this course of action?"

Adam nods curtly. "Yes, Your Honor. I want a clean break."

The words slice through me. A clean break? As if our time together meant nothing? I knew he could be detached, but this…this hurts.

I stand up abruptly, my chair scraping against the floor. "Adam, please. Let me explain-"

"Mrs. Lewis," the judge warns. "This isn't the time."

I feel cornered, breathless as if my lungs are being pressed together by an outside force. The walls of the courtroom seemto close in on me, and I feel the weight of Adam’s stare like a physical force.

My legs move before my mind catches up, and suddenly, I’m running down the aisle and out the door.

The cool air outside slaps me in the face, but it does nothing to quell the firestorm inside.

“Destiny!” Barrett calls after me, his footsteps echoing mine.

I don’t stop until I reach the bottom of the courthouse steps. My breath comes in ragged gasps, tears streaming down my face.

“Hey, hey,” Barrett says, catching up and putting a hand on my shoulder. “You can’t let them work you up like this.”

I shake my head, trying to form words between sobs. “He thinks I cheated on him, Barrett! He thinks Avery isn’t his! How do I even begin to fix this?”

Barrett sighs, his grip tightening slightly. “You need to get a hold of yourself first. We’ll figure this out. Adam’s just reacting out of anger right now.”

“How can you be so calm?” I ask, wiping my tears with the back of my hand. “This is a disaster!”

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