Chapter 6 - The Ambush at School
On Wednesday morning, twenty-four hours before the emergency court hearing, Celeste decided she was tired of waiting for the legal process.
I was at my house organizing my art inventory when my phone chimed with a frantic text from Daniel.
Celeste just showed up at Mason and Leah's middle school in Baton Rouge with her lawyer. She's trying to pull them out of class.
My heart surged into my throat. "I'm on my way," I texted back, grabbing my car keys and rushing out the front door.
By the time I pulled into the visitor parking lot of Baton Rouge Middle School, two parish sheriff’s cruisers were already parked near the front entrance, their light bars flashing blue and red against the morning sky.
Inside the main administrative office, the air was suffocatingly tense.
Celeste was standing near the front desk, wearing an expensive designer sunglasses headband, a designer trench coat, and an expression of pure fury. Beside her stood Harold Vance, a sharp-suited attorney holding a leather briefcase.
Across the room, Daniel stood calmly beside the principal's desk. Mason and Leah were sitting in chairs behind the principal, looking terrified as school staff tried to comfort them.
"I am their mother!" Celeste was shouting at the school principal, her voice echoing down the tiled hallway. "I have primary physical custody! This man has illegally detained my children, and you are aiding and abetting a kidnapping!"
"Ma'am, please lower your voice," the school principal, a stoic woman named Mrs. Landry, said firmly. "Mr. Spectre provided us with a certified copy of the parish court order two hours ago, along with an emergency stay issued by Judge Miller pending tomorrow's hearing. Until the court clarifies custody, the children remain in their current placement."
"That stay is invalid!" Harold Vance interjected, stepping forward. "My client was out of the country on pre-arranged travel! Mr. Spectre took advantage of her absence—"
"Her absence?" I called out, pushing open the glass office doors.
Everyone turned to look at me.
Celeste’s eyes flared with pure hatred. "Naomi. You traitorous bitch."
"Nice coat, Celeste," I said, walking right past her attorney to stand beside Daniel. "Did you buy that in Paris while Dad was paying your mortgage back home?"
"Shut your mouth!" Celeste yelled. "You ruined my family! You snuck behind my back!"
"Mom, stop!" Mason suddenly shouted from the back of the room.
The entire office went dead silent.
Mason stood up from his chair. His hands were shaking, but his voice was loud and clear.
"Stop shouting," Mason said, looking directly at Celeste. "We don't want to go with you right now. We want to stay with Dad."
Celeste blinked, her arrogant posture instantly wavering. "Mason... honey... he's brainwashed you. He's telling you lies—"
"He didn't tell us anything!" Leah spoke up, standing beside her brother, her eyes filled with tears. "He showed us the birthday cards, Mom! The ones you told us he never sent! We found them in your closet before we left!"
Celeste went pale. She glanced quickly at her lawyer, whose confident demeanor suddenly eroded into visible embarrassment.
The two sheriff's deputies stepped forward. "Ma'am," the senior deputy said to Celeste, "you need to step outside the building now. The school is executing the court's emergency stay order. If you continue to cause a disruption on school grounds, we will arrest you for disturbing the peace."
Harold Vance grabbed Celeste's arm, pulling her back. "Celeste, come on. We handle this in court tomorrow. Do not make this worse."
Celeste stared at her two eldest children, then glared at me with an intensity that could have melted steel.
"You're dead to me, Naomi," Celeste whispered venomously. "Both of you."
May you like
She turned on her heel and stormed out of the building, her lawyer hurrying behind her.
Daniel took a deep, shaky breath, turning around to pull Mason and Leah into a tight embrace. I watched them hold each other, feeling a profound sense of relief—and knowing that the real battle was only eighteen hours away.
