Chapter 33 The Insurmountable Obstacle
the insurmountable obstacle [trope]
the colossal hurdle that stands between the couple and their happy ending; characters will spend a solid chunk of this whispering, “there’s no way this is going to work.” spoiler alert: it always works out, but not without some serious emotional cartwheels.
The courtroom is colder than I expected, a cold that seeps into your bones and makes you wish you’d brought a sweater.
I clasp my hands together over my long, black skirt to keep them from trembling and turn around, my eyes scanning the room.
Ethan’s sitting right behind me in his Sunday best, and he gives me a hesitant smile that quickly falters.
My heart squeezes. This is all for him. I have to remind myself of that.
At least it’s Friday. The latest episode of Murders & Manuscripts aired last night, and no one in Willowbrook died. Which must mean Vanessa was behind all of it, just like Rafael said.
Next to Ethan, Rafael leans back in his seat, looking uncharacteristically tense. He’s wearing a suit—a boring gray one that seems to smother him. When he sees me looking, he gives me a thumbs-up.
Steve is going through papers as he stands next to me, calm and collected like a lighthouse in the middle of a storm, and across the room, my grandparents sit stiffly, my grandmother’s hands folded over her purse, my grandfather’s back as straight as a surfboard.
It’s strange seeing them there, on the opposite side, like we’re enemies, but I can’t think about that right now.
Right now, we are enemies.
The door at the front of the room opens, and the bailiff steps in, his voice booming, “All rise for the Honorable Judge Harrison.”
We stand, the room falling silent as Judge Harrison, a stern-looking redhead with sharp eyes, enters and takes her seat at the bench. She clears her throat, bringing the room to absolute silence.
“Good afternoon,” she begins. “This court is now in session. We are here today to address an emergency custody matter concerning the minor Ethan Moore. The petitioner, Ms. Scarlett Moore, is seeking temporary modification of the existing custody arrangement. The respondents, Mr. and Mrs. Moore, are contesting this request.”
My heart pounds as her words echo through the courtroom. This is it, the moment everything changes for Ethan and me.
The judge’s sharp gaze flicks to me. “Ms. Moore, you’re represented by Mr. Morgan, correct?”
“Yes, Your Honor,” I reply in a shaky voice.
“And the respondents are represented by Mr. Jennings?”
“Yes, Your Honor,” says the tall, silver-haired man seated beside my grandparents. His calm, confident demeanor sends a chill through me—he’s clearly prepared to fight.
Judge Harrison reviews the file in front of her. After a moment, she sets it aside and looks up. “Very well. Mr. Morgan, you may proceed.”
Steve rises, his confident presence beside me both comforting and daunting.
“Your Honor, we are here today because Ethan Moore’s grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Moore, intend to send him to boarding school, against his express wishes.
This decision will have profound and immediate consequences for his emotional well-being. ”
He steps forward, his voice strong but measured.
“Ethan’s facing significant challenges in his current school.
He’s struggling to fit in, and he’s been the target of bullying.
Rather than addressing these issues directly, his grandparents have chosen to remove him from the situation entirely and send him away.
Their focus seems to be on avoiding conflict and protecting their own social standing rather than addressing what’s best for Ethan. ”
Steve glances at me before continuing. “Ms. Moore has built a life where he can feel safe and supported. She has a stable job, owns a home, and is ready to provide the love and care Ethan needs to heal and thrive.”
He steps back, nodding at me as he takes his seat.
I’m not sure what I expected, but that was good, right? I can’t tell if the judge thinks so, too, but a quick glance at Ethan and Rafael shows they think it’s promising.
“Your Honor,” Mr. Jennings says as he rises, “my clients believe their decision to send Ethan away is in his best interest. The school they’ve chosen is a prestigious institution with a strong academic and social support system.”
He paces slightly. “We dispute the claim that Mr. and Mrs. Moore are more concerned with their reputation than with Ethan’s well-being. They’ve provided him with stability and security for the past five years—not Ms. Moore.”
I dig my nails into my palms, biting back the words I want to shout. It wasn’t my decision. They made it for me.
“I have here,” the judge begins, her voice calm but firm, “transcripts from Ms. Moore’s podcasts. Mr. Jennings, these were submitted as part of your evidence. Can you explain the relevance of this material?”
I stare at Steve, silently wondering the same, but he raises a hand as if he’s not the least bit surprised.
“These transcripts highlight a concerning aspect of Ms. Moore’s lifestyle. Her preoccupation with dark and violent themes raises serious questions about her ability to provide a nurturing and emotionally stable environment for a young and impressionable child.”
What? I feel my stomach drop. I discuss crime fiction, for crying out loud. That doesn’t make me dangerous.
Before the judge can respond, Steve stands. “Your Honor, there is absolutely no evidence to suggest that Ms. Moore’s work has ever negatively impacted her relationship with Ethan.”
The judge listens carefully, her expression giving away nothing. She sets the transcripts aside and picks up another document.
“Next, I have a copy of Ethan’s recent school report and notes from more than one teacher expressing concerns about bullying, submitted by Mr. Morgan.” She reads thoroughly, then lifts her head again. “And this is a copy of the Willowbrook Whistle. Why am I reading this, Counselor?”
Jennings says, “Because Ms. Moore, who claims her affinity for darker themes is fictional and limited to her job, has been credited with the events that led to the arrest of a serial killer. Apparently, she took over a local investigation.”
“And?” I snap before I can stop myself.
“If you don’t mind, Ms. Moore, I will ask the questions,” the judge says. When I nod, cheeks heating, she turns to Jennings. “So, is your argument that Ms. Moore is an unfit guardian because of this?”
“Once again, Ms. Moore seems to be inexplicably attracted to danger and darkness. Her professional life, her love life, and even her interests seem to speak of someone who isn’t suited for the role of caregiver.”
I stand, my chair loudly scraping against the floor. “Are you serious right now?”
“Scarlett—” Steve begins, also standing.
“You’ve neglected to say I also host a podcast about romance. Does that make me a prostitute?” I bark.
“Scarlett!” Steve whisper-screams.
“And my love life?” I insist. “How’s that in any way relevant to this?”
“Ms. Moore,” the judge’s voice thunders. “Sit down and let your lawyer speak for you. That’s what you’re paying him for.” She exhales sharply. “Unless you’d like me to find you in contempt.”
“No, Your Honor. Ms. Moore won’t say another word,” Steve answers in my place. He gestures at me to sit down, and I do, pressing my lips together.
This is unbelievable.
Jennings grabs a stack of papers and holds them out for the judge. “We have a supplemental document we’d like to submit into evidence.”
“Objection,” Steve rebuts. “We were not given any notice of additional evidence, and we haven’t had the opportunity to review or respond to whatever this is.”
“We received it late yesterday and moved as quickly as we could to review it.”
The judge reads through the paper, then with a pointed look at me, she sighs. “I’ll allow this to be entered into the record, but with caution,” she says, her voice tight. “Given the late submission, opposing counsel will have the opportunity to respond before any ruling is made.”
As Jennings hands Steve a paper, he says, “This is a record of one Mr. Rafael Gray’s criminal history.
” I see Rafael face-palming out of the corner of my eye.
“Mr. Gray is Ms. Moore’s romantic partner, and his past behavior cannot be ignored.
He’s been in trouble with the law before—even suspected of his father’s assault.
Most recently, he’s been arrested for breaking and entering by the local police. ”
Holy shit.
A hush falls over the courtroom as Steve’s head snaps toward me. I can feel his gaze burning into the side of my face, but I can’t bring myself to look at him.
Yes, I didn’t mention Rafael—or his arrest—but he’s not the one asking for custody. And besides, without him breaking and entering, we would have never caught the Lit Killer.
“His history shows a pattern of instability, and allowing Ethan to be exposed to such an individual raises significant concerns about his safety and the environment Ms. Moore is offering.”
The judge’s brows rise as she goes through the papers, and I can feel the shift in Steve. He’s not as confident as before—he knows we’re losing.
Eventually, she looks up and sets the papers down, utterly unimpressed. “I will need additional time to review the statements submitted by both parties,” she says. “Given the seriousness of what’s being requested here, the court does not take this lightly.”
Her gaze settles on me.
“Ms. Moore, I trust you understand the significant life changes this motion would entail—both for you and for the child. If this request is granted, the court expects a full and sustained commitment to that responsibility.” She narrows her eyes.
“And compliance will be monitored until the child is of age or no longer under your care.”
When I nod, the judge continues. “We will reconvene Monday at nine o’clock to continue this hearing. I’d very much like to hear Ethan’s testimony. Until then, court is adjourned.”
She bangs the gavel, and the tension in the room seems to snap like a taut wire. I exhale shakily, feeling the weight of what just happened pressing down on me.
I fucked up, didn’t I? I really fucked up.
“Jesus, Scarlett.” Steve turns to me, his tone hushed. “What the hell? Why didn’t you tell me—”
“I didn’t think it mattered, Steve. It’s really… new, and—”
“Really? You didn’t think you needed to share this with me?”
“I—I don’t know. I thought you knew. I mean, everyone in town…” Rafael calls my name, but I keep my eyes on Steve. “Look, the only reason he was arrested is that he broke into the serial killer’s apartment, which led to her arrest.”
“You mean the ex-cop?”
Oh, God. “What did the judge mean?” I ask. Terms like “significant changes” and “monitored compliance” echo in my mind like a bad omen.
He hesitates. “Scarlett, you have to understand, emergency hearings are extremely hard to win even in cases where there’s clear neglect, and this…
” He scratches his temple. “Nothing but absolute perfection will do. What the judge meant is that she might grant your motion, but only if you cut ties with… with anything that might hurt Ethan’s upbringing.
That there will be regular checks to make sure you continue to maintain an appropriate environment. ”
“Nothing in my life will hurt Ethan.”
Certainly not Rafael, if that’s what he means.
“Look, I’m sorry. But you might need to decide what your priority is here. If it’s your brother…” He glances behind him, where Rafael is waiting for me. “Or your boyfriend.”
After a quick “Excuse me,” he leaves to talk to Jennings. I still haven’t processed his words as I turn to Rafael and notice Ethan’s not there.
Rafael points his thumb over his shoulder. “He just bolted.”
Bolted? I glance at the doors, watching Ethan pull them open and disappear behind them. My heart sinks as I push through the crowd, the sound of murmured conversations and shuffling papers blurring into the background.
“Ethan, wait!” I call after him as I walk out of the courtroom, but he doesn’t stop. I catch up to him just as he’s pushing through the courthouse doors and out onto the front steps.
He spins around to face me, his face flushed with anger and a crazed look in his eyes. “You promised me, Scarlett,” he spits out. “You said you’d get custody. You said everything would be fine. But you had to go after a killer, and read those stupid books, and—and date Rafael!”
I flinch, feeling a sting deep in my chest. “Ethan, I didn’t—”
“Stop, okay? Just stop giving me hope!” he shouts, cutting me off. “These weeks—I could finally breathe, Scarlett. I could see the light at the end of this never-ending tunnel. And now—what, am I supposed to just go back? To go to Virginia and never see you again?”
“No, of course not. Ethan, this is just… a hiccup. Okay? Steve will fix everything, and you’ll get to talk to the court, too. It’ll be fine, I promise.”
“Stop promising things!” Passersby turn to us, but he doesn’t seem to care. “You act like you can fix everything, but you can’t! You couldn’t do anything last time, and you can’t help me now either.”
“Ethan, please, just listen—”
“No! Why did we even do this? Why?” He shoves me back, and I stumble, nearly losing my balance.
Before I can react, Rafael is there, stepping between us, his face a mask of cold fury. “Do not,” he growls, his voice low as his face nears my brother’s, “raise a hand against your sister.”
“Rafael, stop!” I grab his arm, pulling him back. “Everything’s okay.”
Ethan glares at him, his fists clenched, then he looks at me with an expression so hateful I barely recognize him. “I hate you,” he says, and it’s like a knife twisting in my heart. “I knew this was a mistake!”
Then he’s gone, running down the courthouse steps and disappearing into the crowd.