Updated Dec 3, 2025 • ~10 min read
“Here’s what I see. A woman who’s pregnant, married, and has a support system. A biological father who initially showed hesitation but now wants full custody. And a legal husband who’s willing to step up despite not being the biological parent.”
She paused, and my heart hammered.
“This is messy,” she continued. “Unconventional. But unconventional doesn’t mean unstable. Mr. Bennett, you have rights as the biological father, but seeking full custody at this stage seems premature, especially given your initial response to the pregnancy.”# Chapter 8: The Court Hearing
LINA’S POV
The courthouse looked different when you weren’t getting married in it.
Harsher. More official. The kind of place where lives got decided by strangers in black robes.
I sat in the hallway outside the courtroom, my hand clutching Seb’s like a lifeline. Natalia was inside, handling preliminary motions. Jasper was somewhere nearby—I could feel his presence like a storm cloud.
“Breathe,” Seb murmured. “In and out.”
“I’m breathing.”
“You’re hyperventilating.”
He was right. My chest felt tight, my vision spotty. “What if we lose? What if the judge sees right through us and—”
“We’re not going to lose.” His thumb stroked across my knuckles. “Look at me.”
I turned. His dark eyes were steady, certain.
“We have the truth on our side,” he said. “You’re a good person who’s going to be an amazing mother. That’s all that matters.”
“But the marriage—”
“Is real. In every way that counts.” He squeezed my hand. “Trust me?”
Before I could answer, Natalia emerged from the courtroom.
“They’re ready for us,” she said. “Remember what we discussed. Answer questions honestly but simply. Don’t volunteer extra information. And no matter what Thornton says, stay calm.”
My legs felt like jelly as we walked into the courtroom.
SEB’S POV
Jasper Bennett looked exactly like I’d imagined—clean-cut, nervous, wearing an expensive suit he probably bought just for this. When his eyes landed on Lina, something flickered across his face. Guilt, maybe. Or regret.
Too late for that now.
Judge Veronica Ashford was a woman in her fifties with steel-gray hair and an expression that suggested she’d seen every trick in the book. She looked at us over her reading glasses.
“This is a preliminary hearing to determine temporary custody arrangements,” she said. “Mr. Thornton, you may begin.”
Damian Thornton stood—a man who looked like he billed by the minute and enjoyed every second of it.
“Your Honor, my client Jasper Bennett seeks full custody of his unborn child. The respondent, Mrs. Santoro, is currently involved in what we believe to be a fraudulent marriage designed to circumvent immigration law.”
I felt Lina stiffen beside me.
“Mrs. Santoro married Sebastian Santoro less than three months ago in a rushed courthouse ceremony,” Thornton continued. “They maintained separate bedrooms. Mrs. Santoro moved into Mr. Santoro’s apartment immediately after the wedding. The timeline and circumstances suggest this marriage is a sham, making Mrs. Santoro’s living situation unstable and unsuitable for raising a child.”
“Mrs. Kingsley?” Judge Ashford said.
Natalia stood, perfectly composed. “Your Honor, my clients’ marriage may have begun quickly, but that doesn’t make it fraudulent. They’re a young couple who fell in love and made an impulsive decision to marry—hardly unusual. As for their living arrangements, many couples maintain separate bedrooms initially and later combine spaces. That’s a private matter, not evidence of fraud.”
“What about Mr. Bennett’s rights as the biological father?” the judge asked.
“Mr. Bennett showed no interest in this pregnancy until recently,” Natalia said. “He was initially hesitant, needed time to think, and only filed for custody after learning about Mrs. Santoro’s marriage. This appears to be a retaliatory action, not genuine parental concern.”
Thornton’s jaw tightened. “Your Honor, my client was processing difficult news. That’s not the same as abandonment.”
“Processing for how long?” Judge Ashford looked at her notes. “Mrs. Santoro informed Mr. Bennett of the pregnancy six weeks ago. He filed for custody last week. What changed?”
Good question.
LINA’S POV
“Mr. Bennett became aware of Mrs. Santoro’s fraudulent marriage,” Thornton said smoothly. “He realized the environment she was creating for their child was unstable and potentially illegal. As a responsible father, he felt he had no choice but to seek custody.”
Judge Ashford turned to me. “Mrs. Santoro, when did you marry Mr. Santoro?”
“Three months ago, Your Honor.” My voice came out steadier than I felt.
“And when did the pregnancy occur?”
“Approximately nine weeks ago.”
“Before your marriage.”
“Yes, Your Honor.”
“Does your husband know he’s not the biological father?”
I felt Seb’s hand find mine under the table.
“Yes,” I said. “He’s known from the beginning.”
“And yet he’s here, supporting your custody claim.” The judge looked at Seb. “Mr. Santoro, why?”
Seb stood. I’d never seen him nervous before, but there was something vulnerable in his posture now.
“Because she’s my wife, Your Honor,” he said simply. “And I love her.”
The courtroom went silent.
“You love her,” Judge Ashford repeated. “Despite knowing the child isn’t yours. Despite this unconventional situation.”
“Yes.” Seb’s voice was clear. “I married Lina because I wanted to build a life with her. The pregnancy doesn’t change that. If anything, it makes me more certain.”
“How long have you known Mrs. Santoro?”
“Four months.”
Thornton pounced. “Four months, Your Honor. Mr. Santoro has known my client’s girlfriend for four months, married her after one month, and now claims to love her. This is clearly a performance.”
“Or it’s the truth,” Natalia cut in. “People fall in love quickly. It happens. The question isn’t whether their relationship developed conventionally—it’s whether Mrs. Santoro can provide a stable, loving home for this child. And the answer is yes.”
Judge Ashford leaned back. “Mr. Bennett, why are you seeking full custody rather than shared parenting?”
Marcus stood, and I saw his lawyer’s hand on his arm—a warning.
“I want what’s best for my child, Your Honor,” he said carefully. “I don’t think Mrs. Santoro’s current situation is stable.”
“Because of her marriage?”
“Because of the circumstances surrounding it.”
“But you have no evidence of fraud,” the judge said. “Only suspicions.”
“The timeline speaks for itself—”
“The timeline shows two people who got married quickly. That’s not illegal.” Judge Ashford looked between all of us. “Here’s what I see. A woman who’s pregnant, married, and has a support system. A biological father who initially showed hesitation but now wants full custody. And a legal husband who’s willing to step up despite not being the biological parent.”
She paused, and my heart hammered.
“This is messy,” she continued. “Unconventional. But unconventional doesn’t mean unstable. Mr. Bennett, you have rights as the biological father, but seeking full custody at this stage seems premature, especially given your initial response to the pregnancy.”
Thornton started to object, but she held up a hand.
“I’m ordering shared legal custody upon the child’s birth, with Mrs. Santoro maintaining primary physical custody. Mr. Bennet will have visitation rights to be determined after the baby is born. This gives everyone time to establish paternity, assess parental fitness, and determine what’s actually in this child’s best interest.”
“Your Honor—” Thornton began.
“My decision is made. However,” she looked at Seb and me, “I’m also ordering a home study and a follow-up hearing in three months. If there’s any evidence that this marriage is fraudulent or that Mrs. Santoro’s living situation is unstable, we’ll revisit custody arrangements.”
My stomach dropped. Three months. They were going to investigate us for three months.
“Court adjourned.”
SEB’S POV
In the hallway, Jasper approached us.
“Lina, can we talk?”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Natalia said.
“Five minutes. Please.” He looked at Lina, and I wanted to punch him. “Alone.”
“Absolutely not,” I said.
“Seb,” Lina touched my arm. “It’s okay. Five minutes.”
“Lina—”
“I need to do this.”
I watched them walk to a quiet corner, every muscle in my body tense. Natalia stood next to me.
“You did well in there,” she said. “That declaration of love was convincing.”
I didn’t look away from Lina. “It wasn’t a performance.”
“I know.” Her voice softened. “That’s why it worked.”
LINA’S POV
Jasper looked tired. Older than I remembered.
“I didn’t want it to be like this,” he said.
“Then why file for custody? Why go after me like I’m some unfit mother?”
“Because I panicked.” He ran a hand through his hair. “You called me, told me you were pregnant, and I freaked out. Then I found out you’d gotten married to some guy right around the time we were together and I just… I thought you were trying to pass the baby off as his.”
“I never said Seb was the father.”
“I know. I know that now.” He looked miserable. “My lawyer convinced me you were unstable. That you’d married for a green card. That I needed to protect my child.”
“So you tried to take my baby.”
“I made a mistake.” His voice cracked. “I was scared and I listened to the wrong people and I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, Lina.”
I stared at him. This man I’d barely known. This stranger who’d turned my life upside down twice.
“What do you want, Jasper?” I asked quietly.
“I want to be a father. But not like this.” He glanced at Seb, who was watching us like a hawk. “Is he good to you? Your husband?”
“Yes.”
“Do you love him?”
The question caught me off guard. “I—”
“You do. I can see it.” Jasper smiled sadly. “For what it’s worth, I think you’ll be a great mom. And I think maybe I should have trusted that from the beginning instead of letting my lawyer turn this into a war.”
“So what now?”
“Now I drop the full custody petition. We work out something reasonable. Co-parenting.” He held out his hand. “If you’re willing.”
I looked at his hand. At the man who’d created this mess but was trying, however clumsily, to fix it.
I shook it. “We can try.”
When I walked back to Seb, he pulled me into his arms immediately.
“What did he say?” he asked against my hair.
“He apologized. He’s dropping the full custody thing.”
“Just like that?”
“Just like that.” I pulled back to look at him. “But Seb, the judge ordered a home study. They’re going to investigate us. Our marriage. Everything.”
“Then we’ll pass their investigation.”
“How can you be so calm about this?”
“Because I meant what I said in there.” His hands cupped my face. “I love you, Lina. That wasn’t for the judge. That was the truth.”
My breath caught. “Seb—”
“You don’t have to say it back. I just needed you to know.” He kissed my forehead. “Come on. Let’s go home.”
Home.
When had his apartment become home?
When had this fake marriage become real?
I didn’t have answers. But as we walked out of that courthouse, his hand in mine, I realized I didn’t need them.
Not yet.
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