Chapter 66

Valerie Will POV

Everything froze for a moment.

Did I hear correctly?

The Judge’s voice echoed in my head. “….therefore, temporary full custody is granted to Mr. Patrick Banks until the next hearing date.”

My lips parted slightly, but words didn’t come out.

Was it just a nightmare? It had to be. I wanted to wake up. This couldn’t be my reality. No. My eyes darted over to Patrick, who had a satisfied smile on his face.

Full custody.

Patrick had won.

It felt like a physical knife was being pierced into my chest. I couldn’t breathe properly. I couldn’t even move.

Clara gently placed a hand on mine. “It’s just temporary. We will appeal.” Her voice was soft but her attempt to reassure me didn’t work. “I promise you, Valerie. This isn’t over.”

How could she be so sure?

She was the same person who assured me that there was no way Patrick would win the full custody battle. What went wrong?

I knew his lawyer was g