His Ex-wife Betrayal

CHAPTER 8

Judge Morrison's voice cut through the silence like a blade. "Primary physical custody to Mr. Damien Webb."

The courtroom exploded. Lisa's scream tore through the air. She collapsed against Patricia's shoulder, her body shaking with sobs that seemed to come from somewhere deep and broken. 

Derek shot to his feet, his chair scraping violently against the floor. His face flushed crimson, veins bulging at his temples. Judge Harrison's jaw clenched so tight that Damien could see the muscle twitching. His eyes promised vengeance. 

Richard Chen remained seated, perfectly still, but Damien caught the ghost of satisfaction flickering across his features. Victory felt surreal, like watching someone else's life unfold on a screen. Damien's hands trembled in his lap, and he pressed them together to stop the shaking.

Judge Morrison continued speaking, her voice steady and authoritative. “The evidence clearly shows that Damien had been Emma's primary emotional caregiver despite his work schedule.  He knew her fears, her dreams, her daily rhythms. Lisa's affair and subsequent choices showed a pattern of prioritizing personal desires over their daughter's stability.” She paused and scanned the room. 

“Lisa would receive supervised visitation initially then unsupervised pending completion of court-ordered parenting classes and individual therapy.” 

The judge's words washed over Damien like waves. Emma. He could keep Emma. His daughter wouldn't be taken from him. The relief hit him so hard he thought he might collapse right there in the courtroom.

The gallery emptied slowly, spectators whispering and staring. Photographers took repeated shots of him and Lisa. They were going to be all over the news. 

Damien stood on unsteady legs. Catherine touched his shoulder, squeezing gently. 

"Congratulations," she whispered. "You did this." 

Outside the courtroom, Lisa intercepted him in the hallway. Her fingers dug into his arm with desperate strength. 

Mascara streaked her face in black rivers. "Please," she choked out. "Please don't do this to me. She's my daughter too. Yes, I made mistakes, but I love her. Damien, please." Her eyes were wild and pleading. 

For a moment, Damien saw the woman he had married nine years ago, before everything shattered. 

Then Derek appeared, grabbing Lisa's other arm roughly. "Come on," he growled. "We'll file an appeal. This isn't over."

Damien pulled free from Lisa's grip without speaking. What could he say? That he was sorry? He wasn't, not anymore. He walked toward the exit, Catherine and Richard flanking him like bodyguards. 

Behind him, Lisa's sobs echoed down the marble hallway. 

Richard stopped him on the courthouse steps, his expression serious despite their victory. "Damien, listen carefully. This battle isn't finished. Judge Harrison has connections throughout the state judiciary. He'll push for an appeal and find a sympathetic judge. We need to prepare for round two."

Damien nodded, too exhausted to feel afraid. The adrenaline that had carried him through the hearing was draining away, leaving him empty. 

Catherine hugged him briefly, her smile genuine. "Go get your daughter," she said softly. "Enjoy this moment because you earned it." 

“Thank you, Catherine.” Damien managed to say.

The drive to Mrs. Patterson's house passed in a blur. Damien's mind replayed the judge's words on an endless loop. Primary custody. 

Emma was coming home. Traffic lights changed colors and other cars moved around him. The world continued spinning, indifferent to the fact that his entire life had just changed course. He turned on the radio but couldn't focus on the music. His thoughts kept circling back to Emma's face when he told her the news.

He parked outside Mrs. Patterson's small house and sat for a moment, letting reality settle into his bones. Through the living room window, he could see Emma sitting at the kitchen table, coloring. Mrs. Patterson stood nearby, washing the dishes. 

The scene was so peaceful, so normal. Damien closed his eyes and breathed deeply. This was real. This was happening. 

His phone vibrated against the center console, jarring him from the moment. It was an Unknown number. Damien almost ignored it. He had received dozens of calls from reporters and unknown numbers since the custody battle became public but something made him answer. 

"Hello?" His voice sounded strange to his own ears, shaky and uncertain.

"Mr. Webb?" A woman's voice, nervous and uncertain. "You don't know me, but I need to talk to you about Derek Campbell." 

Damien's stomach dropped. His hand tightened on the phone. "Who is this?" The woman took a shaky breath, and he could hear traffic in the background, like she was calling from a street corner. 

"My name is Rachel Santos. Derek did this to me too. Three years ago. The manipulation, the gaslighting, destroying my life piece by piece." Her voice cracked with emotion. "I saw the news about your custody case. I have evidence that could destroy him." 

Damien's pulse hammered in his ears. He sat up straighter, suddenly alert. "What kind of evidence?"

Rachel's next words came out in a rush, like she had been holding them back for years. "Phone records, Emails, Text messages. I saved everything before he could delete it. Screenshots, cloud backups, everything." She paused, and Damien could hear her breathing hard. "Mr. Webb, what Derek did to you wasn't random. None of it was." 

Damien gripped the steering wheel with his free hand to steady himself. 

"What do you mean?" His voice came out barely above a whisper. 

Rachel made a sound between a laugh and a sob. 

"Three years ago, Derek destroyed my career, my engagement, my entire life. When I tried to fight back, he buried me. I had no resources, no connections. I had to disappear just to survive."

Damien's mind raced. "Why are you calling me now? Why didn't you come forward during the trial?" Rachel's voice hardened with determination. 

"Because I was terrified but watching what he did to you and your little girl, I can't stay silent anymore. You won today, Mr. Webb. You actually beat him in court. That means there's hope. That means maybe this time, he won't get away with it." 

She paused again, and when she spoke next, her voice was barely audible. "I need to meet with you. Face to face. What I have to tell you, I can't say over the phone. There are things you need to understand about Derek Campbell. About how his mind works and what he's really capable of."

Damien looked toward Mrs. Patterson's house. Emma had moved to the window and was waving at him, her face bright with a smile. He waved back automatically. "When?" he asked Rachel.

 "Tonight if possible. There's a coffee shop on Maple Street, near the old library. Do you know it?" 

Damien did. It was twenty minutes from his apartment. "I can be there at eight. After I put my daughter to bed." 

Rachel's relief was audible. "Thank you. Mr. Webb, I know you have no reason to trust me. But what I'm about to tell you will change everything you think you know about what happened to you."

The call ended, and Damien sat staring at his phone. Questions flooded his mind. Who was Rachel Santos? What had Derek done to her? And what could she possibly tell him that was worse than what he already knew? He got out of the car and walked toward Mrs. Patterson's house. Emma burst through the front door before he reached the steps, launching herself into his arms. 

"Daddy! Did you win? Mrs. Patterson said there was a big meeting about me today!" Damien caught her, holding tight. She smelled like crayons and chocolate chip cookies.

"I won, princess. You're staying with me." 

Emma pulled back to look at his face, her eyes searching. 

"Forever?" 

Her voice was small, hopeful, afraid to believe. Damien nodded, unable to speak past the lump in his throat. "Forever."

Emma threw her arms around his neck, and he felt her tears wet against his collar. "I love you, Daddy. I was so scared."

They stood there for a long moment, Emma clinging to him while Mrs. Patterson watched from the doorway with tears in her own eyes. Finally, Damien carried Emma to the car, thanking Mrs. Patterson and promising to call her tomorrow. 

The drive home was filled with Emma's questions. 

Would she still see Mommy? Yes, supervised visits. 

Would Uncle Derek be there? No. 

Could she bring ‘Peanut the elephant’ to the visits? Of course. Damien answered each question patiently while his mind churned with thoughts of Rachel Santos and her mysterious evidence.

That evening, after Emma fell asleep clutching her stuffed elephant, Damien stood in her doorway watching her breathe. 

The victory felt fragile, like it could shatter at any moment. Richard's warning echoed in his mind— this wasn't over. Judge Harrison would push for an appeal, and Derek wouldn't accept defeat. 

And now this Rachel Santos is claiming to have evidence of something darker. Damien checked his watch. Seven-thirty. Time to go. He grabbed his jacket and headed for the door, texting Mrs. Patterson to ask if she could listen for Emma through the baby monitor he had left on. She agreed immediately.

The coffee shop was nearly empty when Damien arrived. A woman sat alone in the back corner, her hands wrapped around a cup. 

She was younger than he expected, maybe thirty, with dark circles under her eyes and the haunted look of someone who had survived something terrible. She looked up when Damien approached, and recognition flashed across her face. 

"Mr. Webb?" He nodded and sat down across from her. Rachel studied him for a moment, then pushed a thick manila envelope across the table. 

"Everything is inside but before you look at it, I need to tell you the story. Because without context, you won't understand how deep this goes."

Damien's hands rested on the envelope, but he didn't open it. "I'm listening." Rachel took a shaky breath. 

"Derek planned everything from the beginning, Mr. Webb. Your wife, the hospital, the custody battle. It was all calculated revenge and I can prove it."