---- "But Mommy, Mr. Jefferson's already really nice to us. I don't want to pretend to be sick to trick him..." "Shh! You're not pretending. You have severe depression, and you're not allowed to say otherwise again!" Then, Jacob's pained yelp rang out. "Mom, you're hurting me..." "Be good, Jacob. As long as you listen, I'll buy you the toy you want most." Ishot a cold look at the staggering Harold in front of me. My voice was edged with mockery. "You heard it, didn't you? That's the childhood sweetheart you were so desperate to protect. "You abandoned your wife and daughter for a lie, Harold. How pathetic." Thad no desire to waste another minute on him. Pocketing my phone, I said flatly, ''Two days from now, I'll see you at the courthouse. You don't have to show up if you don't want to. I'll proceed through legal means. ---- "But I don't want Yvette to witness us confronting each other in court. That would be too cruel for her. If you still have the slightest sense of responsibility as a father, show up on time so we can put an end to this."