Chapter 8: Family Testimonies

The morning of the trial arrives with the kind of cold, sharp clarity that makes you feel every nerve ending in your body. I’ve been waiting for this moment for weeks, ever since my mother filed her lawsuit. She’s trying to destroy me. She’s trying to prove that I’m just as “sick” as my father. She’s trying to tear down everything I’ve built.

You’re probably wondering how I feel about being sued by my own mother. Whether I’m hurt or angry or betrayed. The answer is all of the above. But mostly, I’m determined. She’s not going to win. She’s not going to destroy what I’ve created. She’s not going to take away my pets, my family, my freedom.

The courtroom is packed. Press, family, supporters, opponents—everyone is here. The air is thick with tension, anticipation, and fear. I sit at the defendant’s table with Helena Moreau, my lawyer. Lexi sits beside me, nude and collared, her presence a constant reminder of what I’m fighting for. Stone kneels at my feet, his body on display.

My mother sits across the room, her face cold and hard. Her lawyer, a hawkish woman named Crane, prepares her arguments. My mother has been planning this for months, determined to destroy me, determined to prove that I’m just as sick as my father.

The judge enters. The trial begins.

Crane stands, her voice sharp and commanding. “The prosecution will demonstrate that Ruth Copeland has engaged in undue influence, manipulation, and coercion. Her pet, Lexi, was vulnerable, desperate, and exploited. We will show that Lexi’s consent was not freely given—it was manufactured.”

Helena rises to respond. “The defense will demonstrate that Lexi’s consent was freely given, willingly offered, and legally valid. We will show that Ruth Copeland is not an abuser—she’s a woman who gave a desperate soul exactly what she needed: belonging, purpose, and freedom.”

The trial is set. The battle lines are drawn.

I lean over to Helena. “She’s going to try to destroy Lexi’s credibility. She’s going to try to make her look like a victim.”

Helena nods. “I know. But Lexi is strong. She’s going to prove them wrong.”

I look at Lexi, who’s kneeling beside me, her body naked and vulnerable. She’s scared; I can see it in her eyes. But she’s also determined. She’s not going to let them break her.

The first witness is Caroline. She’s called to the stand, her face pale but composed. She’s been preparing for this moment for weeks, ever since she revealed Bud to the family.

“Ms. Copeland, you’ve been hiding a pet for twenty years. Can you confirm this?”

“Yes. My pet, Bud, has been hidden in my home for twenty years. I never collared him publicly. I never let anyone see him. I was ashamed. I was afraid.”

“And what changed?”

“I saw my sister Ruth. I saw her collaring Lexi. I saw her refusal to hide. And I realized that I had been running from myself for twenty years.”

Crane approaches, her voice sharp. “Ms. Copeland, are you saying that you support the Paradigm?”

“I’m saying that I support the right to choose. Bud chose this. Lexi chose this. Stone chose this. They are not victims. They are volunteers.”

“But you hid Bud for twenty years. Doesn’t that suggest that you believed there was something shameful about the Paradigm?”

Caroline pauses, her face flushing. “I was afraid. I was ashamed. But that doesn’t mean the Paradigm is wrong. It means I was too scared to be seen.”

“So you’re saying you were wrong to hide?”

“Yes. I was wrong. I was wrong to be afraid. I was wrong to be ashamed. I was wrong to hide. I was wrong to let fear control my life.”