The tattered door swung open to reveal none other than my stinking ex himself. He smirked when he saw me and grabbed his pathetic junk, making a disgusting thrusting movement with his hips.
“Finally came back for more, huh?”
“You wish,” I sneered, planting my hands on my hips. “I’m here to tell you to back the fuck off. You stay away from us, and you stay the fuck away from the hospital.”
“Why would I do that?” He let go of his stupid crotch and reached up to grip the top of the doorframe. “You don’t want me near your precious pretty boy boyfriend? Is that it?”
“I don’t want you near my daughter,” I yelled, feeling heat rushing to my cheeks. “You could’ve killed her the last time you took a supposed interest in her, you dumb dildo. I don’t know why you’re suddenly sniffing around the hospital, but just stay the fuck away.”
“Or what?” He lowered his voice, dropping his chin and scowling when he met my gaze. “What are you going to do about it, bitch? She’s my daughter, too.”
“You donated sperm for her conception. That’s about it.” I didn’t step back or avert my eyes. “You’re no father to her. You never have been and you never will be. Stop harassing us or I’ll call the cops.”
“Well, if you don’t, sweetheart, I will.” He flicked his hand to indicate the neighbors’ houses. “This is going to be great for the custody battle. There I was, just sitting at home and minding my own business when the crazy mother of my child came to yell at me in the middle of the day.”
My heart nearly stopped at the mention of a custody battle, and my blood ran cold. But I refused to give him the satisfaction of seeing the fear those words caused me.
I decided to call his bluff instead.
“You don’t have any money, Craig.” I laughed. “No money and no knowledge about legal proceedings. You’ll never take her away from me. No judge would let that happen.”
He smirked again, shoving his hands into his pockets. “You’re wrong, darlin’. I got a lawyer. He thinks I’ve got a good case.”
“You’ve got a good case?” My eyebrows went all the way up. “Your lawyer must be as dumb as you are.”
He cocked his head before he doubled over laughing. “The only dumb one here is you. Did you really think I’d ever let my little girl stay with a mentally unstable woman who got her injured?”
“You got her injured, asshole.” Unlike some other people, the angrier I got, the softer my voice became. “There are hospital records and staff who will testify for me.”
He laughed some more before straightening up to wipe his eyes. “You mean your boyfriend and his bodyguard? I got it on good authority that no judge will believe them. They got a conflict of interest.”
“No, they don’t. Neither do the paramedics or dozens of others who were working at the hospital that day.” My mind was racing now. Every bit of jargon I’d learned from legal dramas came flying out of my mouth. “I have years’ worth of records from her schools as evidence. I’ll get statements from every person who saw you at the hospital and the staff who treated her there. I’ll bury you in documentary proof that you’re a useless shitbag who wouldn’t know a good father if one hit you in the face.”
I was breathing so heavily that I was practically panting, and I could feel the heat from my cheeks all over my face now. My heart was frozen and my fingers had gone numb. At least half my vision had faded to red.
Craig, however, looked perfectly unaffected—just like the fucking psychopath he was. “Tell yourself whatever you need to if it’ll help you sleep better at night, but you’ll be hearing from my lawyer. I’m going to take full custody of Adi and there’s nothing you can do about it.”
A strangled scream died in my throat. I itched to smack him right through his smug face, but on the off chance that he really had hired a lawyer, I knew it wouldn’t help my case.
Still, I couldn’t think straight. I couldn’t even breathe properly. But somehow, I managed to take a step closer to him to get in his face.
“Keep dreaming, asshole.” I narrowed my eyes and stood up to my full, albeit not very imposing, height. “Just know that if you get so much as one day with