Zaden glanced at me, and I offered a weak, supportive smile, praying silently that whatever he was about to reveal wouldn’t backfire. He unlocked his phone with a swift movement, scrolling through until he found what he was looking for.

“Last night,” Zaden began, “my dad and I talked. He said I should say I wanted to live with him. He was really mad when I said I didn’t want to.” He paused, looking directly at the judge. “He said…well, it’s better if you hear it.”