Chapter 3

The roses in the garden were ruined by the heavy rain. Scott had planted those roses himself before we got married, and I remembered him telling me, "These roses suit you perfectly." Now, those roses were dying.

I returned to Connor's bedside and leaned down to kiss him on the forehead. "My sweet boy," I whispered. "I won't lose." I heard something crashing in the study, and I knew that war was about to begin.

News of Scott and me fighting over Connor's custody spread overnight among Cloverton's upper social circle.

"Did you hear that she doesn't want a cent of the Jamesons' fortune? That's crazy!"

"I bet that's a tactic she's using to get more out of them. I've seen my fair share of women like her."

Even my best friend, Chloe Santos, traveled from out of town to come home and talk sense into me. "Have you gone crazy, Sophie? Scott was the one who cheated, and he's the one in the wrong. You should be taking every cent you can from him! Do you have any idea how much it costs to go to court? Do you know how much it takes to bring up a child?"

It warmed my heart to see her eyes redden because of me. I still had someone in this world who was truly worried for me. I held her hand and said, "I have a plan, Chloe."

On the day we met in court, Scott's lawyers presented a bunch of evidence. They said that as a doctor, I had to work overtime regularly and could not guarantee I would have enough time to raise Connor well. I only had a small apartment I bought before getting married, and my savings were no more than a hundred thousand, while Scott had a net worth of several billion. They even found records of my visits to a psychiatrist for three months. I had seen the psychiatrist when I was facing too much stress studying at university.

The judge looked at me sympathetically. Scott looked at ease in his suit, seated in the defendant's seat. He would occasionally throw me condescending looks.

When the court was adjourned, I bumped into Scott and Rita in the corridor. Rita smiled sweetly. "I heard you're insistent about getting custody for Connor, Dr. Rivers. Why go to all that trouble? It would be such hard work to bring up a child as a single mother."

"You haven't even married into the Jamesons yet, and you're already poking your nose into their family affairs, Miss Sloane." I then ignored her and turned to Scott. "I want Connor."

He replied coldly, "You can't afford to bring him up. One year of his school fees alone is worth several years of your annual income!"

"That's my business."

Scott stared at me for a long time before suddenly smiling. "All right. I'll see you in court."

The next time we went to court, my lawyer looked at me grimly. "They found your medical records from three years ago." I was stunned at his words. Back then, I had done everything I could to save my patient, but I ultimately failed. However, the disciplinary hearing had determined that I was not responsible for his death.

My lawyer sighed. "There is nothing the Jamesons can't find out. They even found the patient's family, who made a scene at the back then. They're paying them to stand witness in court to accuse you of malpractice and having no sense of responsibility." My hand shook slightly as I held some documents. However, it was not because of fear. I felt a chill run through my heart.

Scott was determined to push me to the brink. Not only was he planning to win, but he also wanted to ruin my reputation. When we went to court for the third time, I stood up. "I'm willing to give up all financial compensation. All I want is Connor's custody."

Mixed emotions flashed in Scott's eyes, while Rita's gleeful expression vanished and was replaced by a puzzled one. She probably could not understand why someone would be willing to give up the Jamesons' fortune.

The judge eventually granted me custody, but I had to guarantee Connor's quality of life, while Scott reserved the right to visit him at any time. When we walked out of the courthouse, Rita said with a smile, "It's going to be a hard life for you, Dr. Rivers. Feel free to come to us if you face any problems."

All Scott did was look at me, not saying anything. Chloe was the one who drove her worn-out car to take Connor and me home. Connor played with his toys in the backseat and asked, "Where are we going, Mom?"

"We're going home," I replied as I kissed him on the forehead. I looked at the rearview mirror and saw the Jamesons' Rolls-Royce getting further and further away from us. Scott and Rita eventually became two dark dots in the distance.

Chloe wiped her tears as she drove. "Didn't you bring anything with you, Sophie? Where are your clothes? What about those purses in your closet? Any one of them is worth tens of thousands."