Dumped My Ex, Married the Mafia Don novel · Chapter 13 of 32
Chapter 13: The Stand
Tito wasn't there.
He was home with Paola, building Lawyer a second floor out of shoeboxes.
Fiorella sat on the left side of the gallery in her black dress.
Her nephew from the bakery counter sat beside her, holding her purse.
Whitman was already at our table, unpacking his briefcase.
His father sat beside him, straight as a flagpole.
"The firm sends its senior partner for important clients," Whitman said, shaking Valerio's hand.
He didn't shake mine.
I'd brought him the full chart three weeks ago. All seventy-four stamped pages, and a letter from my new doctor.
He'd put them in a blue binder in front of me and said, "Perfect, Jo. This ends it."
I looked at his side of the table.
No blue binder.
The judge came in. She was small and grey and looked tired before anybody said a word.
Fiorella's lawyer stood up first.
He was a heavy man in a good suit, and he had Exhibit C in his hand.
"Your Honor, I'll read from the stepmother's psychiatric file."
Valerio's hand went flat on the table.
"Patient tearful," the lawyer read. "Patient reports poor sleep. Patient confused, forgetful, not coping."
The aunts behind me had stopped breathing.
"Patient reports she has stopped seeing friends."
"Mr. Kittering," the judge said. "Your response?"
Whitman stood and buttoned his jacket.
"Your Honor, we had prepared a fuller medical picture." He patted his empty side of the table. "I'm afraid my associate left the binder at the office."
His father turned his head and looked at him.
"I'd ask for a short recess to retrieve it."
"You'd ask for a recess," the judge said, "to fetch the only exhibit that matters."
"An oversight, Your Honor."
Fiorella's lawyer smiled.
"Then I'll call the stepmother," he said. "Since she's here."
I stood up before Whitman could object.
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