Worship Him

8. Destiny

8

DESTINY

B arrett and I step out of his car, my heels clicking against the courthouse steps. The crisp air does nothing to settle the unease knotting in my stomach.

“You sure you don’t know what this is about?” I ask Barrett, adjusting the strap of my handbag.

“Thomas said they wanted to present something new,” Barrett replies, holding the door open for me. “We couldn’t exactly refuse without raising eyebrows.”

I nod, taking a deep breath as we walk through security. The metallic clinking of the detector seems to echo my nervous heartbeat. I keep my face composed; no one needs to see the turmoil inside me.

We enter the courtroom, and I’m struck by how sterile it feels—wooden benches, stern-faced judge, and the faint smell of old books and paper.

But it’s Adam’s eyes that grab me. They’re filled with an anger that nearly knocks me off balance.

"Steady," Barrett murmurs, placing a hand on my elbow to guide me forward.

“He’s looking at me as if I’m his arch-nemesis. What’s going on?” I whisper to him as we take our seats.

“Not sure, but we’ll find out soon enough,” he murmurs back, his eyes narrowing at Adam’s lawyer, Thomas, who stands across from us.

We take our seats, and I can't help but steal glances at Adam. His jaw is clenched, eyes blazing with a ferocity I've never seen before. What could have happened to make him look at me like that?

"All rise," the bailiff calls out, and we stand as the judge enters. Something about the air in the court room makes my heart race. I’m scared, and I don’t even know why.

Once we're seated again, Thomas stands up.

“Your Honor, we have new evidence that we believe is pertinent to this case,” Thomas announces, his voice sharp. He hands a folder to the judge, who starts flipping through it with a frown.

My heart races. New evidence? What could they possibly have?

Barrett leans over to me. “Stay calm. We’ll handle whatever this is.”

I nod again, though my fingers are digging into my palm beneath the table.

"Proceed," the judge says.

Thomas smirks, looking directly at me. “It has come to our attention that Mrs. Lewis has been concealing the existence of a child born during the course of this marriage.”

The room goes silent. My heart stops. I can’t breathe.

Everything around me goes dark, and I feel like I’m about to slip into an abyss of my own creation.

Barrett grabs my hand, bringing me back to the moment. I feel the blood rush through my body, sweat forming on my forehead.

“What?” I finally manage to whisper, my voice shaking.

Adam’s eyes lock onto mine, a storm of emotions swirling in them—hurt, anger, betrayal.

“Yes, Your Honor,” Thomas continues. “A child that Mr. Ryder had no knowledge of. Given the timing, it’s highly likely that Mrs. Lewis was unfaithful during their marriage.”

“That’s not true!” I blurt out, standing up. “I didn’t?—”

“Mrs. Lewis!” The judge bangs his gavel. “You will have your turn to speak.”

Barrett pulls me back into my seat, whispering fiercely, “You need to remain calm, Destiny.”

Thomas doesn’t miss a beat. “Mr. Ryder has every reason to believe that this child is not his, which complicates the divorce proceedings further.”

Adam remains stone-faced, but his eyes tell a different story—a mix of rage and sorrow that cuts through me like a knife.

“Your Honor,” Barrett interjects, standing up smoothly. “These are serious accusations without any solid proof at this point. We request time to review these documents and respond appropriately.”

“Time?” Thomas sneers. “You’ve had over a year! Clearly, Mrs. Lewis has been hiding something significant from my client. It looks like she did so intentionally to gain more from the divorce.”

Barret stiffens, ready to retort.

“That’s enough,” the judge says sternly.

I watch in stunned silence as Thomas hands another stack of papers to the judge. My heart pounds so loudly I can barely hear his words.

"Your Honor, we're presenting evidence of Mrs. Lewis's deception," Thomas says, his voice dripping with disdain. "We intend to use this information to dissolve any stakes she has in Mr. Ryder's company."

The judge flips through the documents, focusing on some pages before paging further. I glance at Adam, but his face is an impenetrable mask.

Thomas continues, "We want her name completely removed from everything related to Mr. Ryder's business. It's safe to say that my client wants nothing to do with Mrs. Lewis or her company."

The words hit me like a physical blow. I grip the edge of the table, willing myself not to crumble.

Barrett leans in close. "Destiny, breathe. Don’t let them get to you."

But I can't breathe. The room spins as I struggle to process what's happening. Adam wants to cut me out of his life entirely? How can he be so cold?

"Your Honor," Barrett interjects, rising to his feet. "This is a blatant attempt to manipulate the proceedings. We haven't even had a chance to address the accusations about the child."

The judge holds up a hand. "I understand, Mr. Harris. Mrs. Lewis will have her opportunity to respond."

I force myself to look at Adam again. His jaw is clenched, eyes blazing with an intensity that used to make me weak in the knees. Now, it just makes me feel hollow.

"Mr. Ryder," the judge says, turning to Adam. "Are you certain you want to pursue this course of action?"

Adam nods curtly. "Yes, Your Honor. I want a clean break."

The words slice through me. A clean break? As if our time together meant nothing? I knew he could be detached, but this…this hurts.

I stand up abruptly, my chair scraping against the floor. "Adam, please. Let me explain-"

"Mrs. Lewis," the judge warns. "This isn't the time."

I feel cornered, breathless as if my lungs are being pressed together by an outside force. The walls of the courtroom seem to close in on me, and I feel the weight of Adam’s stare like a physical force.

My legs move before my mind catches up, and suddenly, I’m running down the aisle and out the door.

The cool air outside slaps me in the face, but it does nothing to quell the firestorm inside.

“Destiny!” Barrett calls after me, his footsteps echoing mine.

I don’t stop until I reach the bottom of the courthouse steps. My breath comes in ragged gasps, tears streaming down my face.

“Hey, hey,” Barrett says, catching up and putting a hand on my shoulder. “You can’t let them work you up like this.”

I shake my head, trying to form words between sobs. “He thinks I cheated on him, Barrett! He thinks Avery isn’t his! How do I even begin to fix this?”

Barrett sighs, his grip tightening slightly. “You need to get a hold of yourself first. We’ll figure this out. Adam’s just reacting out of anger right now.”

“How can you be so calm?” I ask, wiping my tears with the back of my hand. “This is a disaster!”

“Because I’ve seen worse,” he replies, guiding me to a nearby bench. “And because I know you can handle this.”

I sit down heavily, my whole body trembling. The world feels like it’s spinning out of control.

“You need to talk to him,” Barrett says softly. “Not in a courtroom, not with lawyers present—just you and him.”

“And say what?” I snap, frustration bubbling over. “That I kept his child from him for a year because I was scared he’d want us back together for the wrong reasons?”

“Yes,” Barrett replies simply.

The honesty in his voice catches me off guard. He really believes it’s that simple.

“I don’t know if he’ll ever forgive me,” I whisper.

“Maybe not immediately, and maybe not at all,” Barrett admits. “But he deserves to know the truth. You know that.”

I nod slowly, the fight draining out of me. “You’re right.”

Barrett stands up and offers me his hand. “Come on, let’s get out of here.”

“Can we really do that?” I really don’t want to go back, but don’t want to make things worse.

Barrett gives me an encouraging smile. “I’ll just say you needed a break. I’m sure the judge will understand. And it’s not like they can really do anything without us there.”

I smile weakly. “Thank you. I don’t think I can handle seeing Adam right now.”

As we walk away from the courthouse, I can’t help but glance back one last time. Adam’s still inside, probably fuming and plotting his next move.

“Do you think he’ll ever understand why I did it?” I ask quietly as we reach the parking lot.

Barrett pauses before answering. “He might not understand now, but give him time. The truth has a way of coming out.”

I take a deep breath and nod again, feeling a sliver of resolve amidst the chaos.

His hand rubbing my back helps me calm down and I feel a wave of relief wash over me. I’m lucky to have a lawyer who actually cares about me.

I give him a watery smile. “Thank you, Barret. I know I’ve messed up and this is all my own fault, but you’ve been really kind this whole time. I couldn’t have asked for a better lawyer.”

He awkwardly adjusts his glasses. “You’re most welcome, Des. I’ve come to think of you as more than a client—you’re a friend in a difficult situation. And I want to help you.”

I nod gratefully, filled with new hope. I may be sharing a bench with a divorce lawyer outside a courthouse after being accused of cheating, but I’m strong enough to weather through it.

Staring at my hands, I softly sob, feeling my shoulders tremble. Being strong means allowing yourself to cry when you need it, right?

Barret comforts me, his hand rubbing my back again, like a worried parent.

We’ll get through this. I have to. For Avery.