Chapter 14 - The Expert Serena BoughtThe consulting firm had done nothing illegal.
That was important.
Serena had contacted them using Marissa’s trustee credentials and presented herself as an authorized family representative.
She supplied documents.
School records.
Videos.
Written concerns.
The firm produced a preliminary report.
But the report was based almost entirely on Serena’s selected material.
Marissa read it with Dana.
Possible inconsistency in maternal routines.
Child reportedly experiences emotional tension during transitions.
Consider comprehensive custody evaluation.
The language was careful.
Nothing declared Marissa unfit.
Serena had apparently hoped for more.
Emails showed her pressuring the consultant.
You’re missing the pattern.
There are repeated failures.
Her mother is emotionally unstable.
The consultant eventually refused to go further without interviewing both parents.
Serena stopped responding.
Twenty-five thousand dollars of Hazel’s money wasted.
“Can we recover it?” Marissa asked.
Dana nodded.
“We’ll seek restitution from Serena. The firm appears to have acted in good faith.”
Marissa looked at the report.
The document bothered her differently from fake invoices.
This one looked legitimate.
Professional.
Neutral.
That was the point.
Serena had tried to manufacture authority around her story.
Not forge an expert’s words.
Feed the expert only what supported the conclusion she wanted.
It was more sophisticated than lying.
And more common.
Evan read the report later.
“I saw this.”
Marissa stared.
“What?”
“Serena showed me a summary.”
“And you didn’t tell me?”
“She said it was informal.”
“It was paid for with Hazel’s trust.”
“I didn’t know.”
Marissa closed her eyes.
“Stop saying that.”
Evan’s face tightened.
“What should I say?”
“That you didn’t ask.”
He looked at her.
“That I didn’t ask.”
“Yes.”
The words were painful but clean.
He continued.
“I saw what I wanted.”
Marissa waited.
“I wanted an expert to tell me I deserved more custody.”
“And?”
“I didn’t ask who paid the expert.”
That was the first time he named his responsibility without Serena inside the sentence.
Marissa nodded.
“Thank you.”
“For what?”
“For saying it accurately.”
The criminal assault case moved toward trial.
Serena rejected an early plea offer.
Her attorney believed reasonable doubt remained around intent.
Tessa was expected to testify.
So was mall security.
The video would be played.
Marissa feared that most.
Not because the jury might misunderstand.
Because Hazel’s fall would become a clip.
Replayed.
Paused.
Discussed frame by frame.
Dana reminded her Hazel would not be forced to sit in the courtroom.
Marissa could step out if necessary.
“I won’t.”
“You don’t have to prove anything.”
“I know.”
“Then why?”
“Because she had nobody beside her at the top.”
Dana looked at her.
Marissa continued quietly.
“I’ll be there when everyone sees what happened.”
That evening, Hazel asked whether Serena was going to jail.
“I don’t know.”
“Do you want her to?”
Marissa thought carefully.
“I want the court to decide fairly.”
“That’s not what I asked.”
Marissa smiled sadly.
“No.”
Seven-year-olds.
She answered honestly.
“Part of me does.”
Hazel looked down.
“Is that bad?”
“No.”
“Do I have to want that?”
“No.”
Hazel’s eyes filled.
“I don’t want to see her.”
“You don’t have to.”
“But I don’t want her to be hurt either.”
Marissa pulled Hazel onto her lap.
“You can feel both.”
Hazel leaned against her.
“I’m mad.”
“I know.”
“And sad.”
“I know.”
“And I miss when she was nice.”
Marissa closed her eyes.
Serena had not been cruel every minute.
That complexity confused Hazel.
It also made the betrayal more realistic.
People did not need to be monsters all day to do monstrous things.
“Missing good moments doesn’t make the bad thing disappear,” Marissa said.
Hazel nodded.
Later, Julian called.
He had identified how Serena accessed the trustee portal.
The system logs showed a login from Evan’s home.
Then another.
Then another.
Marissa had used that computer only once.
Someone saved her credentials.
Serena’s browser contained an autofill entry.
Her defense might still argue Evan accessed it.
Then investigators found a note in Serena’s password manager.
M trust: Evelyn!2009
Marissa stared.
Her old password.
Serena had written it down.
Underneath was another note.
change admin before review
Marissa felt her hands begin shaking.
May you like
Serena had not just wanted money.
She had wanted to become invisible inside the system.
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