4. REGAL CINEMAS, BATTERY PARK 11, MANHATTAN, NEW YORK TWO WEEKS LATER

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MIA POV

Duke was surprisingly nice. George Washington University and Drexel were amazing. Princeton was freaking great. I loved it there. It's not far from home and the campus is great, the music department is flawless and the English department is one of the greatest. Now I'm back home. He's not here, he's with his mother. She's never really been a big fan of my mom. I've never been a big fan of hers. They're going to court today. Today is divorce court, three days ago he was sentenced to ten years in prison for money laundering and a fine of 200,000 thousand dollars. My mom doesn't have to pay any of it. The divorce papers had been filed before his sentencing.

I looked over at my friend's brother. He's only eight. He's sitting in his oobr clekinc booster seat. I used to joke and say that its oober cool. We're going to the movies in Battery Park. We're going to see How to Train Your Dragon 3. I mean in all seriousness we're seeing it mainly because I want to. Having a good friend, whose little brother likes the movie series too, just helps as a cover story.

 Narrator - FAMILY COURTHOUSE, NEW YORK

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 Narrator - FAMILY COURTHOUSE, NEW YORK

Lindsay Strauss was sitting, waiting, and listening. She just wanted a divorce. Everything about their marriage had been quick, efficient. There pre-nuptials were cut and dry. In the event that if they got divorced neither of them would get anything from the others unless it was a gift given by one or the other, no money, no spousal support, nothing. They'd just go their separate ways. Of course, back then, neither of them thought they'd be getting divorced. After all Calloway's don't get separated.

"Moving on to custody, as you are serving your ten-year sentence, full custody will be given to Lindsay Strauss," the judge said. Lindsay turned her head as his lawyer stood up.

"My client would like his mother to receive partial custody. Although the girls are not biologically related, he did become their father and he loves them. He even adopted one," the lawyer said. Lindsay stood up and looked at the lawyer; she looked behind him at her ex-mother-in-law. She was smiling. Hell, Callum was smiling.

"Ms. Strauss. You have something to say," the judge stated.

"I have a lot to say, but I'll keep it short," she stated. "You are no father to them. When they wanted to spend time with you, you'd shoo them away, tell to go to their rooms. They work so hard and just want you to be proud of them, but no matter what it's not enough for you...Mia, Mia knows. Lena knows."

"Knows what?" The judge stated.

"Two years ago, Callum and I were arguing. Lena hadn't gotten into the gifted program that Callum really wanted her to get into. Arguing turned into Callum hitting me across the face because it was somehow my fault... Lena had heard us and peeked into the doorway...that was the night she screamed in her bed and refused to let me leave her room. Two months later Mia saw it herself. The arguments were futile, stupid. But everything was always my fault."

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