Chapter 2 - Sophie’s version
Sophie did not say Victoria hated Noah.
She said something worse.
“She said if I wanted Raffaele to love me, I had to stop acting like Noah was more important.”
Daniel closed his eyes.
The child interviewer remained calm.
“What did that mean to you?”
Sophie twisted a tissue.
“I don’t know.”
“Did your mom explain?”
“She said boys get everything if girls let them.”
“Did she tell you to take things from Noah?”
Sophie nodded.
“Like what?”
“Chair.”
“Anything else?”
“Blue room.”
I looked at Daniel.
He looked at me.
“What blue room?”
At the mansion, there was a blue guest suite overlooking the garden.
Victoria had suggested converting it for Sophie after the wedding.
No problem.
But Noah’s nursery sat directly across the hall.
Sophie continued:
“Mom said after wedding I get big room and Noah goes lake.”
“Did you want Noah to go?”
“No.”
“Did you tell your mom?”
“Yes.”
“What happened?”
“She said I’m too weak.”
Then school.
“Did you want to go to the new school?”
“No.”
“Did you know you were enrolled?”
“She said it would make Dad stop controlling everything.”
Daniel whispered:
“Jesus.”
Sophie looked through the glass.
Saw him.
Then looked at me.
“Is Noah mad?”
I stepped away from glass before I did something stupid like walk into an interview room and answer.
A child safety interview was not a family conversation.
Later, Daniel sat with Sophie while I stayed with Noah.
Noah had a small red mark on his shoulder.
Pediatrician examined.
No bruise developing.
No injury requiring treatment.
He was mostly upset because he believed he had done something wrong by wanting his chair.
I sat on the floor with him.
“You did nothing wrong.”
“Victoria mad.”
“I know.”
“Chair Sophie?”
“It can be anyone’s chair.”
He frowned.
“But I sit.”
“Yes.”
Then:
“Sophie sad.”
“Yes.”
“Give chair.”
I almost laughed.
Three years old.
He had already solved the moral problem.
He would have given it voluntarily.
May you like
Victoria needed it taken.
That distinction defined everything.
