STEPDAD ALMOST WINS CUSTODY BATTLE, GIRL SAYS THREE WORDS THAT CHANGE EVERYTHING

Divorce is hard for everyone, especially the children. While most parents only want what's best for their kids, custody battles can get ugly. Parents often want to get back at each other and they struggle to keep their child's interests at heart.

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Janet Miller never expected to find herself facing losing her child in court. She always thought Roger cared about her and her daughter Jasmine, but now he was trying to tear their family apart. However, when Jasmine spoke up, the judge heard something that made his blood run cold. So, what did Jasmine say?

Meet the Millers

From the outside, the Millers seemed like any regular family. Janet was 32 years old and her daughter Jasmine was eight. Janet married Roger four years ago after her first husband, Jasmine’s father, died from a tragic overdose. Roger adopted Jasmine and was now her legal guardian.

The three of them lived in New Jersey with their loyal and loving dog Rover. When things were good, Roger treated Janet and Jasmine like princesses. However, the Millers had a dark secret.

Trying to Be a Family

Janet hadn’t had an easy life and she struggled with demons from her past, sometimes seeking to escape reality through a drink or other substances. However, she saw Roger as her second chance at happiness and strived to make things work.

She loved Jasmine more than anything in the world and always made sure her daughter had whatever she needed, even in her darkest moments. She got Rover to be a friend to Jasmine and the girl and the dog were as close as could be, spending hours playing out in the backyard or snuggling on the couch.

Hard Times

However, no matter how hard Janet tried, times were tough for the Millers. With her traumatic background, she struggled to hold down a job and couldn’t always make ends meet. She hoped Roger would bring more stability to their lives, but he had his own demons to battle.

Through it all, Jasmine was a ray of sunshine, but Janet worried that her daughter wasn’t getting to enjoy her childhood as she should. Janet had no idea she was about to face the biggest challenge life would ever throw at her.

Roger’s Rage

What really scared Janet was Roger’s anger. He was a volatile man and could turn from sweetness and light to pure rage in seconds. She tried not to aggravate him, but sometimes, he seemed to get furious over the tiniest things.

She knew she wasn’t always easy to live with and she could take his outbursts, but she was terrified that one day, his rage would spill over to Jasmine. All she wanted was to protect her daughter. But Janet could never have predicted what Roger would do next.

What the Neighbors Heard

One Friday night, the Millers were at home. Their next-door neighbors were used to hearing shouting from their house, but this time, things were different. They heard screaming and shouting, china smashing and a dog barking. Suddenly, there was an ear-splitting bang, and then everything went silent.

The next sound was the muffled sobbing of a child. The neighbors were horrified. Scared to intervene themselves, they called 911, hoping the police would get there before anyone else got hurt. They didn’t know that for one family member, it was too late.

Police Involvement

The police took over 30 minutes to arrive. By the time they arrived, Janet tidied herself up and wiped Jasmine’s tear-stained face. Roger was nowhere to be seen. Janet assured the officers that it had all been a misunderstanding and she had just dropped something valuable and her husband had been frustrated—nothing unusual.

The police looked doubtful as they took her statement and informed her that they’d be back to check in in a few days. Janet went to bed, knowing in her heart that the worst was yet to come. She was about to be proved right.

Roger’s Plan

Roger came home the next morning, pleased with himself for covering his tracks from the night before. But now the authorities were involved, he knew it wouldn’t be long until they came calling again. He needed to do something.

He was furious with Janet for allowing the police into their home and wanted to hurt her. He knew exactly what the most devastating thing that could possibly happen to her would be. He decided to go for the jugular.

Legal Battle

Roger called up an old friend who owed him a favor. He was a lawyer with an office in a seedy strip mall who specialized in cases that weren’t necessarily above board. He was the perfect accessory to Roger’s devious plan.

By the end of the conversation, Roger had set in motion a process that would become Janet’s worst nightmare. He was taking her to court and he was going to sue her for custody. He was going to take Jasmine away from her.

The Trial

In the next weeks, Roger spent a lot of time with his adopted daughter, coaching her for the court case. At first, he sweet-talked her, showering her with gifts. When she still acted scared of him, he began to threaten her.

Before long, it was the day of the court case. Roger was ready. Jasmine was like putty in his hands and he knew she’d say exactly what she needed him to say. Janet had spiraled into a deep depression since the night the police came and Roger watched on smugly, knowing it wouldn’t be hard to convince a judge she was an unfit mother. He knew she would try to counter-sue, accusing him of mistreatment, but he was ready.

Young Witness

The case hinged not only on the evidence Roger had to present against Janet, but also on Jasmine’s testimony. Trembling, the eight-year-old girl took the stand, teddy bear in hand. The judge smiled at her kindly. “Now Jasmine, we need you to tell us the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, do you understand? No one is here to hurt you, we just want to figure out what’s best for your family,” he said.

Jasmine nodded mutely, looking agonized. She gazed between her broken-looking mother and the cold shark-like smile of her stepfather and gave a tiny whimper. She was trapped.

Making a Choice

“Now Jasmine, this decision impacts you the most so we’d like you to tell us who you want to live with,” said the judge gently. Jasmine stared up at him, her eyes huge. She swallowed and gulped, “I’d like to live with Daddy.”

The courtroom was silent, listening intently to the little girl’s quiet voice. After she gave her answer, Roger punched the air and his oily-haired lawyer gave a satisfied smirk. They won. Roger would be cleared of the charges Janet brought against him and Jasmine would be his.

Janet’s Despair

Feeling like all the breath had been knocked out of her, Janet slumped in her seat. This hurt more than anything Roger had ever done to her. She couldn’t believe she was about to lose her daughter, her greatest joy. She knew she hadn’t been the best mother, but through everything, she’d always tried her hardest to give Jasmine a good life. How could Roger do this to her?

Plus, she knew he didn’t really care about Jasmine, he was only trying to hurt her. Janet had felt so sure that Roger was different. How had it come to this?

Looking Back

Janet cast her mind back, trying to figure out where things had gone wrong. After her first husband had died, she felt hopeless and Roger made her feel like life was worth living again.

How could she have known that just a few years later, she’d be sitting in a courtroom fighting to save her daughter from a violent predator who she no longer recognized as the man she first met? But as Janet sifted through her memories, she knew the red flags had been there, she just hadn’t wanted to see them.

How They Met

Roger Miller walked into Janet’s life four years prior when the young mother was working as a waitress at a local watering hole. One rainy evening, a group of bikers staggered in, having clearly had a few too many drinks already. Janet could hold her own with most customers, but these men made her feel uneasy.

She brought their drinks swiftly and started to clear the other tables. However, one man stood out from the others. He motioned her over, apologizing for his friends’ rowdy behavior, and offered to buy her a drink. She didn’t know then that she was making the worst mistake of her life.

He Seemed Different

But Roger was a perfect gentleman. He was polite and attentive and Janet felt like he really listened to her. They talked until the end of Janet’s shift and then Roger asked shyly if he could have her number. Janet had butterflies, she hadn’t felt like this in years.

The two started spending a lot of time together, and it wasn’t long before Roger moved in with Janet, Jasmine, and Rover. At first, everything seemed wonderful—Jasmine was thrilled with her new stepdad and Janet couldn’t believe she’d found such a sweet and caring man. But Roger was yet to reveal his true colors.

Hiding the Truth

Janet didn’t know that Roger had a dark secret and he was an expert at keeping it hidden. He was heavily dependent on the very same substance that had killed Jasmine’s biological father, a substance that Janet herself had had problems with in the past. Just when she thought she was getting clean, Janet found herself back in the same situation.

Plus, unlike her first husband, Roger had a temper. If he couldn’t get his fix, he would take out his rage on anyone in his path and that person was usually Janet.

Isolation

Roger also became very controlling. He didn’t want Janet working as a waitress anymore because he thought another customer might turn her head. She quit and tried to find cleaning jobs, but the pay was low and the work sporadic. Janet wanted to go to night school to become a nurse, but Roger didn’t like her to go out in the evenings.

Slowly and systematically, he cut Janet off from her friends and family, controlling the household income and monitoring every expense. Janet couldn’t even buy a popsicle for Jasmine without Roger knowing.

Trying Her Best

Used to living in difficult situations, Janet tried her best to shield Jasmine from the worst of Roger’s behaviors. And Roger was a master of deception—his outward persona was just as charming as he had been the night he and Janet met, so no one suspected anything untoward was going on.

Janet tried to focus on the positive things—her daughter was healthy, they had a roof over their heads and Roger could be kind and caring, sometimes. Now, sitting in court, she realized she should have left long ago. But now it was too late. Or was it?

Shrewd Judge

The judge presiding over the case was an observant man. He saw the way the little girl looked fearfully at her stepfather as she announced her preference to live with him. He could see that Janet was dealing with personal problems, but he saw through Roger’s earnest pleas for Jasmine’s wellbeing in a second.

He also knew the reputation of Roger’s lawyer and it wasn’t a good one. The judge knew he needed to get to the bottom of this before an innocent girl paid the price. So, he invited Jasmine back to the stand.

Three Words

“Jasmine, can you tell us why you want to live with your stepfather?” he asked her, willing the little girl to tell the truth. Jasmine took a deep breath before uttering three words that changed everything. In a tiny voice, she said, “He killed Rover,” before bursting into tears.

The courtroom erupted in loud whispers and Janet looked terrified. Jasmine wept and sobbed and the judge handed her a tissue. “Thank you, Jasmine,” he said quietly. “Perhaps now we can finally get to the bottom of all this. Please go on,” he continued.

Jasmine Speaks Up

With much hesitation and hiccuping between her words, Jasmine began to tell her story. “When Mommy and Daddy were fighting, Rover tried to protect Mommy, he was barking and snapping at Daddy, and then…and then…there was a loud bang and Rover was dead. He said if I didn’t live with him, then that’s what he’d do to Mommy…,” Jasmine told the judge.

She trailed off, covering her face with her hands. “And I don’t want Mommy to die,” she went on. “I’ll do anything, I’ll go and live with him, just please save my Mommy,” she cried.

Revelation

The courtroom sat in stunned silence following Jasmine’s horrifying revelation. The judge looked grimly satisfied. “Now Janet, I’d like to call you back to the stand to see if you can corroborate your daughter’s account,” he said.

Once again, Janet swore to tell the truth, and this time, it came pouring out of her in a torrent. Inspired by her daughter’s bravery, she explained how badly Roger treated her, his substance use, that fateful night, how her daughter’s beloved dog jumped in to protect her, and Roger shot him, wrapped him up in the rug, and drove away before the police arrived.

Caught Out

Roger was watching on in horror. Every lie he’d told, every threat he’d made was being laid bare for all to see. He gaped at his lawyer who looked dumbfounded—there was no getting out of this one.

The child whom he’d primed so carefully had betrayed him and told everyone what he’d done. A voice in his head started gabbling desperately—he’d had to get rid of the dog, had to stop it from making so much noise. He only treated his wife that way because he cared so deeply about her and she was a danger to herself, he had to keep her in line. He was in the right—wasn’t he?

The Sentence

After a brief recess to take into account all the new information, the court resumed, ready to hear the verdict. The judge surveyed Roger severely. “Mr. Miller, you have treated this vulnerable woman and child abominably, subjecting them to the very worst of coercive, manipulative, and violent behaviors,” he said.

“Not only this, but you have also wrongfully brought a lawsuit against your wife, claiming custody over a child in which you have no interest and whom you are utterly unfit to care for. You have also killed an innocent animal. I am sentencing you to eight years in prison. Janet I am awarding you full custody of your daughter, pending your participation in a supported detox program,” he continued.

Mother and Daughter

Janet breathed a sigh of relief. It was going to be a long road, but she and Jasmine were going to stay together and Roger was going to be locked away for a long time.

The court case had been one of the very darkest times in Janet’s life and she was determined to build a better life for her and her daughter, now that she really had been given a second chance. As the courtroom emptied, Janet and Jasmine clung onto each other, mother and daughter finally united once more.

Rebuilding a Regular Life

Janet attended her detox program religiously, adamant that this time she really would get clean. She contacted old friends and family members whom Roger had forced her to cut contact with and asked for their support. They were only too happy to help out.

They left New Jersey and moved to a leafy suburb in Rochester to be close to Janet’s sister. Jasmine was thrilled to make new friends, play outside, and finally see her mom safe and happy. Best of all, Jasmine’s aunt bought her a new puppy.

Roger’s Revenge

Meanwhile, Roger was getting accustomed to life behind bars. He was in a state penitentiary near Trenton and had quickly made a name for himself as one of the most violent and dangerous prisoners around.

He was still furious that Janet and Jasmine had put him away and he was desperate to get revenge. He called on his old biker buddies to ask them to call on Janet and intimidate her. “Tell her she’ll never be safe, that as soon as I’m out, I’m going to get her”, he said.

Safe at Last

Later that week, Roger’s biker buddies rode up to Rochester to pay Janet a visit. She heard their heavy knocking and opened the door apprehensively. When she saw who it was, her blood ran cold. But then, something unexpected happened.

“Listen, Janet, we know what Roger is like, we wanted to warn you the night you met him and we feel so guilty about what happened to you. If you’ll let us, we’d like to protect you from that monster. He will never get anywhere near you with us around,” they said. Janet looked at the group of tough, tattooed men on her doorstep who were gazing up at her, looking caring and concerned. She breathed a sigh of relief. She was safe at last.

Looking to the Future

Janet Miller had had a tough life and circumstances meant she hadn’t always made the best decisions. One of those decisions led her to a man who tried to snatch her greatest joy away from her. But, in the end, Roger’s manipulation and deceit couldn’t triumph over the love between Janet and her daughter.

We're sure Janet and Jasmine’s bond is stronger than ever as they enjoy their new life together surrounded by family and friends. We only hope Roger uses his time to think about his actions and become a better person. And if he doesn’t, we’re glad he’ll never be able to hurt Janet and her family again.

Edited by Vignesh Raja