Chapter 10 - WHAT THEY TOLD SOPHIE
Dr. Mara Levin, a child psychologist appointed by the court, interviewed Sophie.
I was not allowed in the room.
That was good.
This time, adults needed to stop crowding her truth.
Afterward, Mara met me and Rachel.
“Sophie says Caroline and Diane have repeatedly told her you become sick when she talks about Grace.”
I closed my eyes.
“She believes remembering her mother hurts you.”
My throat tightened.
Mara continued.
“She also says Allison told her there can only be one mommy in the house.”
Allison, sitting across the room with her attorney, began crying.
“I said it once.”
Sophie remembered once.
That was enough.
Mara looked at her.
“Children don’t need repeated harm for harm to matter.”
Allison nodded.
Then Mara turned back to me.
“Sophie does not want to leave you.”
I exhaled.
“But she is afraid the adults around you will make you choose.”
“Choose what?”
“Your wife or her.”
The entire story reduced itself to that sentence.
A six-year-old believed love had limited seats.
Allison whispered, “Oh my God.”
I looked at her.
“She thought you wanted her gone.”
“I never—”
“You made her feel it.”
Allison covered her mouth.
The next day, Diane turned herself in.
She brought a lawyer.
And a phone.
On it were hundreds of messages from Caroline.
The plan was clear.
Pressure Allison.
Make Grace’s memory look unhealthy.
Create conflict.
Document my reactions.
Push Sophie into asking to stay with Caroline temporarily.
Then use temporary guardianship to access trustee authority.
Diane had followed along because Caroline promised her a share of the lake-property proceeds.
Then Diane heard Sophie crying in the school bathroom.
She panicked.
“I thought it was just paperwork,” she told police.
It is amazing how often adults say that after paperwork hurts a child.
Then Diane gave investigators one final message.
From Caroline.
If Michael wins the hearing, we move to Plan B.
Rachel read it.
“What is Plan B?”
May you like
Diane went pale.
“The lake house.”
