Chapter 7 - BROOKE
Brooke contacted me through her lawyer.
Not directly.
She wanted to negotiate cooperation.
Rachel said:
“Do not assume that means truth.”
I didn’t.
Brooke’s version:
She and Dominic had dated briefly before he married me.
True? I had known they were college acquaintances, not dated.
They reconnected six years earlier during a charity event.
I was pregnant with Leo.
They slept together twice.
She became pregnant.
She told Dominic.
He denied paternity publicly.
Privately, he paid.
Brooke claimed he promised he would eventually tell me.
Five years passed.
She raised Liam mostly alone.
Dominic visited.
Victoria bonded.
Then when Leo’s autism diagnosis came, Victoria began openly comparing boys.
Brooke claimed she hated that.
Opening scene said otherwise.
Her lawyer acknowledged video/witness testimony could show she mocked Leo.
Why?
Brooke said:
“I became cruel because I was resentful.”
At least honest.
She believed Clara had “everything.”
Marriage.
House.
Money.
Name.
While Brooke and Liam existed in shadows.
Dominic told her:
Clara knows there was a child possibility.
Clara doesn’t want scandal.
Clara agrees financial support can come through family accounts.
All false.
Did Brooke know fake therapy invoices were paid from my account?
Yes.
There.
Not innocent.
Why create LLC?
Dominic suggested.
He said I wanted consolidated child-services billing.
Did she believe?
At first.
Then later?
She stopped pretending.
She knew Liam’s school payments were disguised.
“Why continue?”
“Because I told myself you could afford it.”
That sentence appeared in too many family betrayals.
Ability to absorb loss turned into permission.
Then abuse of Leo.
Did Brooke place his food on floor?
No.
Did she participate in “floor rules”?
She saw.
Sometimes laughed.
Once told Victoria:
“This is messed up.”
Then did nothing.
Opening:
“Look at your little dog.”
She admitted.
Why?
“Because I wanted you to feel humiliated.”
My stomach turned.
“Me?”
“Yes.”
“You used my son to humiliate me.”
She cried.
“Yes.”
No excuse.
Then Liam.
Was Dominic father?
Brooke’s lawyer said:
“There is a private paternity test.”
My body went still.
“Result?”
“We will provide through discovery if confidentiality protections are entered.”
Rachel said:
“Do not answer now.”
Good.
Brooke wanted:
No criminal referral from my company if she repaid certain funds and cooperated.
We could not control prosecutors.
Civil settlement possible.
Rachel said:
“Clara will not trade child safety or testimony for money.”
Correct.
Then Brooke asked through counsel whether Liam could continue health insurance paid by Dominic.
Not my decision.
Dominic’s parental obligation if paternity confirmed.
Good.
I refused to turn financial anger toward a child.
Then Brooke provided one useful thing voluntarily:
Text screenshots.
VICTORIA:
Leo has Clara’s nervous nature.
BROOKE:
He’s autistic.
VICTORIA:
That is what people call bad breeding now.
Brooke replied:
That’s disgusting.
Two months later Brooke herself called Leo “dog.”
People can recognize cruelty and still join it later.
Then Dominic:
Don’t let Clara see Liam and Leo together too much.
Brooke:
Why?
Dominic:
She notices faces.
There.
My hands shook.
Faces.
Same age.
Same eyes.
The paternity test became almost unnecessary emotionally.
May you like
Legally, still necessary.
Chapter 10 waited.
