They Forgot Me at the Courthouse on Divorce Day, Then Forgot to Tell Me They Got Back Together Chapter 04

They Forgot Me at the Courthouse on Divorce Day, Then Forgot to Tell Me They Got Back Together Chapter 04

The color drained from every face in the room.

Ethan recovered first. “You think you can scare us with some fake papers?”

He looked almost relieved, like he’d decided there was no way I could pull something like this off. “Forging federal documents is a felony. When the cops get here, we’ll see who ends up in handcuffs.”

He sounded more confident with every word, a grin spreading across his face. Mom and Dad seemed to draw confidence from that, standing there with the smug certainty of people who thought they still controlled everything.

“You really thought you could pull one over on us?” Dad’s voice was acid. “Dream on.”

Mom leaned in. “You can still drop this and apologize. But once the police see what you’ve done, don’t expect us to bail you out.”

A second later, footsteps echoed down the corridor. The officers were here. Ethan rushed to the door and waved them in.

“Her, right there.” He pointed at me. “Disturbing the peace, forging documents, and wasting police time. Arrest her.”

The officer scanned the room, then stopped when he saw what I was holding. His posture changed. “Are you Lena? From

the National Honors Research Program?”

The color drained from my parents’ faces a second time. Even the doctor who’d been ready to prep the match had gone

completely still.

I nodded. “They’re claiming my documents are forged. Would you mind verifying them?”

The officer gave the three of them a long, unreadable look. We went to the station, and it didn’t take long.

“Honestly, we didn’t need to run it, but since you asked, we were thorough.” The officer set the papers on the desk.

“Everything checks out. These are legitimate, legally binding documents. No question.”

He turned to my parents, his expression hardening. “Which means, legally, she is entirely independent, and you have no

authority over her medical decisions.”

Mom’s voice went shrill. “That’s impossible. We never signed anything like that!”

Something cold settled in my chest, not anger, just clarity. I smiled. “You didn’t read what you signed. Remember? When you needed my blood for Chloe, you couldn’t scrawl your names fast enough.”

I watched the memory hit them. Their composure collapsed all at once.

I tilted my head. “What’s the matter? You seemed so confident a minute ago.”

The station door opened.

I heard there was a problem.”

The officer nodded respectfully. “Mr. Collins.”

Graham gave him a nod. “Thanks for the call.”

Ethan’s eyes went wide. Whatever bravado he had left vanished. Mom and Dad went weak at the knees, slumping into the precinct chairs as if the strength had gone out of them.

Graham looked down at them like they were something he’d scraped off his shoe. This woman is a federally funded researcher under my direct supervision. You assaulted her and attempted to coerce her into an illegal medical

procedure.”

His voice dropped. “Do you have any idea how many laws you just broke?”

Mom’s lips were trembling. She leaned forward frantically. “Lena, I didn’t mean-I swear I didn’t know-

Ethan and Dad shrank back in terror. “Lena, please, it won’t happen again. We swear.”

“We’re still family,” Ethan said. “Doesn’t that count for anything?”

But I caught it, the flicker behind his eyes. Something hard and calculating, gone as fast as it appeared. I didn’t miss it.

I let the silence stretch. Then I gave them the faintest smile. “Fine. I forgive you.”

Relief flooded their faces.

“But don’t ever show up in my life again.”

“Yes, of course, whatever you want.” They were nodding, practically tripping over each other to agree.

I turned and followed Graham out.

None of it was going to stop me. The next morning, I pressed my forehead against the airplane window and watched the ground fall away. I was on my way to Seraphina, eyes burning but open.

Three years later, my life looked nothing like the one I’d left behind.

Three international patents. A string of publications in top-tier journals. My face ended up on the covers of magazines I used to flip through in waiting rooms.

Interview requests came more and more often, and I got better at them, polished, composed, like someone who’d been

born for it.

I’d climbed from junior researcher to deputy program lead. Then one afternoon, a colleague back in the States called.

see the gather ghs color handsove

I didn’t need to guess who was behind that Honestly, I was surprised it had taken them this long

nicked the link. The post. wet long paraphs with an entietted tomoghost.

The headline landed like a slap across the face.

HEARTBROKEN PARENTS SPEAK OUT: Prominent Scientist Cuts Off Family, Refuses to Save Dying Sister