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ABC Full [10-21-2025] General Hospital_ Willow Shocked as Michael Reveals Hidden
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00:11Michael sat in the courtroom, his heart pounding against his chest like a drum he couldn't silence.
00:16The sound of whispered voices filled the air as the judge's gavel hit the block.
00:21Court is now in session.
00:24Those words echoed in his ears, heavy and final.
00:27Willow sat at the defense table, her pale fingers clutching the edge of her seat.
00:32She looked fragile, yet there was strength in her eyes, a strength Michael feared he might destroy with what he was about to say.
00:39He swallowed hard, his throat dry, his conscience screaming.
00:43This wasn't supposed to happen.
00:46He'd promised her.
00:48He'd promised that he would protect her, no matter what.
00:51But the truth had clawed its way to the surface, and there was no turning back.
00:56Across the room, Nina's expression was unreadable.
01:00She sat stiffly beside her attorney, her eyes darting between Michael and Willow.
01:05Her lips trembled slightly, though whether from anger or fear, no one could tell.
01:10Sonny sat a few rows behind them, his face unreadable but his jaw tight.
01:15He had warned Michael about the consequences of playing with the law, about letting secrets fester until they exploded.
01:20Now, it was happening right before their eyes.
01:25Mr. Corinthos, please take the stand, the prosecutor said, her tone sharp and cutting through the silence like a blade.
01:32Michael rose slowly, adjusting his tie as if that small movement could anchor him to the ground.
01:37He felt every eye in the room on him, his mother's worried gaze, Dante's subtle shake of the head, and Willow's silent plea.
01:44She didn't say a word, but her eyes spoke volumes, don't do this.
01:49As he walked to the witness stand, flashes of the past months replayed in his mind.
01:54The lies.
01:56The half-truths.
01:57The choices made in desperation.
02:00The courtroom air felt colder as he raised his right hand and swore to tell the truth.
02:05The irony nearly made him laugh.
02:08For months, the truth had been his prison.
02:11The prosecutor began calmly, almost gently, but Michael knew better.
02:16Mr. Corinthos, how long have you known about the evidence in question regarding your wife's medical case?
02:22The word wife seemed to hang in the air longer than it should have.
02:25He cleared his throat.
02:28A few months, he answered quietly.
02:31Months?
02:32The prosecutor raised an eyebrow.
02:35And yet, you did not come forward until today?
02:39Michael's stomach twisted.
02:41I didn't think it would matter.
02:43I thought I was protecting my family.
02:46By lying to the court, she pressed, stepping closer.
02:50By protecting Willow, he said firmly.
02:52His voice cracked slightly on her name.
02:56The audience murmured, the tension thickening.
03:00Willow's eyes widened, tears brimming as she shook her head slightly.
03:04She couldn't believe he was doing this, turning himself into the villain to save her.
03:09Nina's attorney leaned in, whispering something, and Nina's lips curled into a faint, satisfied smirk.
03:14It wasn't that she wanted Willow to suffer, but part of her felt vindicated.
03:20All this time, she had been painted as the villain, the mother who could never do right by her daughter.
03:25Now, the truth showed that even Michael had dirty hands.
03:29The judge rapped the gavel.
03:32Order in the court!
03:34Michael straightened.
03:35Yes, I knew.
03:38I knew about the forged documents.
03:40I knew about the missing lab report.
03:43I knew because I helped cover it up.
03:46A collective gasp filled the room.
03:49Willow froze, unable to process the words.
03:53Michael, she whispered under her breath, her voice breaking.
03:57No.
03:57The prosecutor stepped closer, her tone sharpening.
04:02You're admitting, under oath, that you tampered with legal evidence?
04:06I didn't tamper, he insisted, his tone desperate.
04:10I just didn't turn it in.
04:13I wanted to protect her.
04:15Protect her from what, Mr. Carinthos?
04:18The truth?
04:20Michael's jaw tightened.
04:22From losing everything.
04:25From losing her family.
04:26From losing the life we built.
04:29Sonny closed his eyes, rubbing his temples.
04:33He'd been here before, too many times, watching someone he loved destroy themselves trying to do the right thing the wrong way.
04:40Carly's breath hitched from across the aisle, her eyes darting from Michael to Willow.
04:45She wanted to stand up, scream at him to stop, to shut up before he buried them all deeper, but she couldn't move.
04:51The prosecutor turned toward Willow.
04:53Mrs. Carinthos, did you know your husband concealed evidence in your case?
04:59Willow shook her head, her voice barely a whisper.
05:02No.
05:03I didn't know.
05:06I swear I didn't know.
05:08Her words trembled, genuine pain etched into every syllable.
05:12He was trying to help me.
05:14That may be, the prosecutor replied coldly, but the law doesn't excuse lies, even when told in love.
05:21The defense attorney stood up quickly.
05:24Objection.
05:26Counsel is editorializing.
05:29Sustained, the judge said, though his tone betrayed his own unease.
05:32Michael's thoughts raced.
05:35He had done what he thought was right, what any husband would do.
05:39But sitting there now, seeing the devastation in Willow's face, he wasn't sure anymore.
05:45He'd built his world on loyalty, on protecting his family at all costs, but the cost had just come due.
05:51Willow's tears finally broke free.
05:53Why didn't you tell me, she whispered across the room when the judge called a brief recess.
05:58Her voice cracked with hurt, her whole body trembling.
06:02You should have told me, Michael.
06:05I couldn't, he said, voice thick.
06:08You were sick.
06:10You were fighting for your life.
06:13I couldn't put more on you.
06:15She shook her head.
06:17You should have trusted me.
06:19We could have faced it together.
06:21Michael reached for her hand, but she pulled back.
06:25I thought I was protecting you, he said again, his words hollow now.
06:30Everything I did, everything, was for you.
06:33Nina stood, her arms crossed, watching the exchange like a ghost from another life.
06:39There was a flicker of sadness in her eyes, but also something else, understanding.
06:44Maybe because she knew what it was like to lose everything you love in the name of protecting it.
06:48The courtroom filled again as recess ended.
06:52The tension was unbearable.
06:55When Michael retook the stand, his voice steadied, as if he'd finally accepted his fate.
07:00Yes, he said when the prosecutor resumed questioning.
07:04I made a mistake.
07:06I lied.
07:08I kept things hidden.
07:10But I did it for my family.
07:11I didn't do it for power or money.
07:15I did it because I couldn't stand to lose her.
07:19Willow's shoulders shook silently.
07:21Her attorney leaned close, whispering that she needed to compose herself, but how could she?
07:27The man she loved had just admitted to breaking the law for her.
07:31Love and guilt twisted inside her like a knife.
07:34The judge's face was unreadable.
07:36Mr. Carinthos, do you understand the gravity of your confession?
07:41Yes, your honor.
07:43You realize this could lead to criminal charges?
07:47I do.
07:48And yet you still stand by your statement?
07:52I do, he said again, his voice clear, unwavering.
07:56A hush fell over the courtroom.
07:58Even the prosecutor hesitated, sensing the weight of his conviction.
08:03Carly leaned towards Sonny.
08:05He's doing it for her, she whispered.
08:08Sonny nodded grimly.
08:10Yeah.
08:12But it might cost him everything.
08:14The judge sighed, the sound heavy and tired.
08:18This court will recess until tomorrow morning.
08:21Mr. Carinthos, you will remain available for further questioning.
08:25As the gavel fell, Willow stood slowly, her knees weak.
08:30She turned to Michael.
08:31You shouldn't have done this, she whispered, tears streaking down her cheeks.
08:36He reached out, brushing his thumb over her trembling hand.
08:40I couldn't live with the lie anymore.
08:43Not if it meant losing you.
08:45But now you might go to prison, she cried softly.
08:49I don't care, he said.
08:52As long as you know the truth.
08:54As long as you're free.
08:57Willow covered her face, shaking her head as she broke down.
09:01Nina turned away, tears in her eyes she refused to let anyone see.
09:04The prosecutor gathered her files quietly, avoiding the eyes of everyone in the room.
09:10Outside the courtroom, chaos erupted.
09:14Reporters swarmed, microphones flashing.
09:17Michael Carinthos admits to hiding evidence, how will this affect Willow's trial, one shouted.
09:23Will Nina Reeves press charges, another asked.
09:26Sonny placed a hand on Michael's shoulder.
09:29You just made your life a lot harder, kid.
09:33Michael nodded.
09:35Maybe.
09:36But I couldn't keep lying.
09:39Carly came up beside him, her voice thick with emotion.
09:42You think that makes it better?
09:45You think the truth fixes everything?
09:48No, Michael said softly.
09:50But lies never do.
09:53Willow emerged moments later, escorted by her attorney.
09:56When their eyes met, the room seemed to fade away.
10:00She walked up to him slowly.
10:03I don't know if I can forgive you, she said honestly, but I'll never stop loving you.
10:08He smiled faintly.
10:10That's enough for me.
10:12They stood there for a moment, two broken hearts still bound by love,
10:16while the world around them spun in judgment.
10:18Later that night, Michael sat alone in his office, staring at the framed photo of their family.
10:23The laughter, the smiles, it all felt like a lifetime ago.
10:28He closed his eyes, whispering to himself, I did the right thing.
10:33But in the quiet, even he wasn't sure anymore.
10:36Across town, Willow sat on the edge of their bed, clutching one of Wiley's toys, tears falling silently.
10:43She understood why he'd done it.
10:45She always did.
10:47But this time, love had come with a price neither of them were ready to pay.
10:52Nina poured herself a glass of wine, staring out the window.
10:56She'd won the legal battle, perhaps, but it didn't feel like victory.
11:01Watching her daughter in pain had stripped away any satisfaction.
11:05Love and truth, she murmured to herself, they always destroy each other.
11:09Back at the Corinthos' mansion, Carly sat with Sonny, both silent.
11:15The night was heavy, filled with the echoes of choices made in the name of love.
11:19You think they'll survive this?
11:22Carly finally asked.
11:24Sonny exhaled slowly.
11:27If anyone can, it's them.
11:29But it's gonna take more than love this time.
11:32Michael looked out the window into the darkness,
11:34thinking about Willow, about their family, about the chaos he had unleashed.
11:39He didn't regret telling the truth, but he hated that the truth hurt so much.
11:44Tomorrow, the trial would continue.
11:47Tomorrow, the world would judge him again.
11:50But for now, in the silence of his guilt, Michael found something like peace.
11:55Because for the first time in a long time, he had stopped running from the truth.
12:00Even if it meant losing everything else.
12:02The air in the courtroom was thick enough to be sliced with a gavel.
12:07Every breath felt like a conscious effort,
12:09a negotiation with the heavy stillness that had descended upon the proceedings.
12:13The wood-paneled walls seemed to lean in,
12:15absorbing the whispers and the rustle of nervous movement,
12:18only to amplify the pounding of anxious hearts.
12:21At the center of this suffocating arena was Willow Tate,
12:24her posture a study in fragile dignity.
12:27She sat beside her attorney,
12:29her hands clasped so tightly in her lap that her knuckles were a bloodless white.
12:33The simple, modest dress she wore seemed to amplify her vulnerability,
12:37making her appear smaller against the imposing bulk of the defense table.
12:41Her future, the very right to raise her son, Wiley,
12:44hung in the balance,
12:45a delicate mobile threatened by the slightest gust of damning testimony.
12:49Across the aisle,
12:50the opposing counsel wore an expression of grim satisfaction,
12:54a predator that had expertly laid its traps
12:55and was now merely waiting for the final spring.
12:59The case against Willow was, on paper, a compelling one.
13:03It was built on a foundation of perceived instability,
13:05of a past marred by illness and secrets,
13:08carefully framed as a pattern of unfitness.
13:11They had painted a picture of a woman whose very nature was a risk to a child,
13:14and with each witness,
13:15the brushstrokes had grown darker, more definitive.
13:19Willow's gaze, however,
13:20kept drifting past the lawyers,
13:22past the judge's stoic bench,
13:23to a figure sitting a few rows back.
13:26Michael Corinthos sat ramrod straight,
13:29his jaw set in a line of granite.
13:31His eyes, usually so full of fiery conviction,
13:34were shadowed with a turmoil he could barely contain.
13:37He was a man divided,
13:39torn asunder by loyalties that pulled him in opposite directions
13:42with the force of tectonic plates.
13:44On one side was his mother, Carly,
13:46whose fierce, protective love for Wiley
13:48was an undeniable force of nature.
13:50Her campaign to secure custody of her grandson
13:54was born from a place of genuine,
13:55if brutally executed, concern.
13:58On the other side was Willow,
14:00the woman he loved,
14:01the woman he had built a life with,
14:02the woman whose heart was breaking in real time before his eyes.
14:06And binding it all together was the terrible,
14:08unspoken truth,
14:09a secret he had helped bury,
14:11a lie of omission that had festered,
14:13poisoning the very roots of their family.
14:14The day's testimony had been particularly brutal.
14:19A so-called expert witness,
14:21meticulously prepped by the opposition,
14:23had just finished a clinical dissection of Willow's character,
14:26using her battle with leukemia
14:27and the emotional fallout as evidence of inherent weakness.
14:31The words frailty, unreliability,
14:33and high-risk environment echoed in the silent room,
14:36hanging in the air like poisonous gas.
14:39Willow had flinched at each one,
14:40a fresh wound inflicted with sterile,
14:42professional precision.
14:44Michael watched as she subtly bowed her head,
14:46a single tear tracing a path down her pale cheek
14:49before she quickly wiped it away.
14:51That tear was the final straw.
14:54It was a drop of acid on his soul.
14:57His phone, set to silent,
14:58had been vibrating incessantly in his pocket.
15:02He knew without looking it was his mother.
15:05Carly's strategy was clear,
15:06maintain the course,
15:08let the legal machine do its work,
15:09and secure victory.
15:11The truth, in her view,
15:13was a luxury they could not afford,
15:14a balm that would annihilate everything in its blast radius.
15:18But as Michael looked at Willow,
15:20at the profound devastation etched on her face,
15:22the cost of that victory became untenable.
15:25He saw not just the potential loss of her son,
15:27but the erosion of her spirit.
15:30He was complicit in that erosion.
15:33The lie was not just something they were hiding,
15:35it was actively being used as a weapon against her,
15:37and his silence made him the one holding the hilt.
15:40A quiet, almost imperceptible shift occurred within him.
15:44The internal battle that had raged for weeks,
15:47for months, suddenly stilled.
15:49The path forward,
15:50though fraught with unimaginable consequences,
15:53became the only path he could take.
15:55It was no longer a choice between his mother and the woman he loved,
15:59it was a choice between a life built on a rotten foundation
16:01and the terrifying, necessary act of tearing it all down to build something real.
16:06It was a choice between winning the battle
16:08and losing the war for his own integrity.
16:11The judge called for a brief recess.
16:14The gavel cracked, a sound that made everyone jump.
16:17As people began to stir,
16:19stretching stiff limbs and engaging in hushed, urgent conversations,
16:23Michael remained seated for a long moment,
16:25his eyes fixed on Willow.
16:27She turned slightly,
16:28and their eyes met across the crowded room.
16:30In her gaze, he saw a desperate, unasked question.
16:35He gave a slight, almost imperceptible nod,
16:37a gesture so small it could have been a trick of the light.
16:41But Willow saw it.
16:43A flicker of confusion,
16:44then a dawning, terrifying comprehension crossed her features.
16:48As the bailiff announced the court was back in session
16:51and the judge retook the bench,
16:52Michael slowly, deliberately, rose to his feet.
16:56The movement was so unexpected,
16:57so out of order that a fresh wave of silence crashed over the room.
17:02All eyes turned to him.
17:04Your honor, Michael said,
17:06his voice low but clear,
17:07cutting through the stillness.
17:09It did not carry the confident boom of a Corinthos man issuing a command,
17:13but rather the raw,
17:14unvarnished tone of a man stepping into an abyss.
17:17The judge peered over his glasses,
17:19his expression one of mild annoyance at the interruption.
17:22Mr. Corinthos, you are not on the witness list.
17:26You will have to take your seat.
17:29I understand,
17:30your honor,
17:31Michael replied,
17:32his gaze unwavering.
17:33But I cannot.
17:36There is,
17:36there is something that needs to be said.
17:39A matter of fact that is central to these proceedings.
17:42It concerns the welfare of my son,
17:45and it concerns the character of the woman you are being asked to judge.
17:49He gestured toward Willow,
17:50whose face was now a mask of pure, unadulterated shock.
17:54The opposing lawyer was immediately on his feet.
17:58Objection,
17:59your honor.
18:00This is a blatant attempt to disrupt these proceedings with irrelevant theatrics.
18:06Michael didn't wait for the judge to rule.
18:08It is relevant,
18:10he insisted,
18:10his voice gaining a shred of strength,
18:12fueled by desperation.
18:14It goes to the very heart of the allegations against Willow.
18:18It concerns the secret of her parentage.
18:22The word parentage landed in the room like a physical blow.
18:25A collective,
18:26sharp intake of breath swept through the spectators.
18:30Willow stared at Michael,
18:31her mind reeling.
18:33What was he doing?
18:35What could he possibly mean?
18:36Her parentage?
18:39She was the daughter of
18:41Harmony.
18:43Wasn't she?
18:45The judge studied Michael for a long, tense moment.
18:49He saw the anguish in the young man's face,
18:51the absolute conviction.
18:53This was not a stunt.
18:55This was a man at his breaking point.
18:58Your honor,
18:59I must strenuously object,
19:01the lawyer repeated,
19:02his face flushing with anger.
19:03On what grounds,
19:05counsel,
19:06the judge asked,
19:07his tone weary.
19:08On the grounds of,
19:10of procedure.
19:11Of relevance.
19:13We have no idea what Mr.
19:15Corinthos is about to allege.
19:17The judge's eyes shifted back to Michael.
19:20Mr.
19:21Corinthos,
19:22I am going to allow you to speak.
19:24But be advised,
19:25you are not under oath.
19:27However,
19:28anything you say will be noted for the record,
19:30and may have consequences you cannot foresee.
19:33Proceed.
19:35Michael nodded,
19:36his throat tight.
19:38He turned his body slightly,
19:39so he was facing Willow directly.
19:42It was to her he needed to speak,
19:44even if his words were for the entire court.
19:47She was the one who needed to hear this.
19:50She was the one he had failed.
19:52Willow,
19:53he began,
19:54his voice cracking on her name.
19:56He swallowed hard,
19:58forcing the words out.
19:59All my life,
20:01I've been taught that family is everything.
20:03That you protect your own,
20:05no matter the cost.
20:07I believed that.
20:09I lived by that code.
20:11And because of that code,
20:12I have done something.
20:14I have been part of something,
20:16that I can no longer live with.
20:18He took a shaky breath,
20:20the sound echoing in the microphone.
20:22When we found out about Nina Reeves,
20:24when we discovered that she was your biological mother.
20:27A gasp,
20:29loud and sharp,
20:30came from the gallery.
20:32Nina Reeves,
20:32who had been sitting unobtrusively near the back,
20:35frozen in her seat,
20:36felt the world drop out from beneath her.
20:39Her hand flew to her mouth,
20:40her eyes wide with a mixture of horror
20:42and a terrifying,
20:43forbidden hope.
20:45Michael pressed on,
20:46the dam now broken.
20:48We found out.
20:50Carly and I.
20:52We found out months ago.
20:54Long before you got sick.
20:57Long before any of this.
20:59The confession hung in the air,
21:01monstrous and incomprehensible.
21:04Willow stared at him,
21:05her brain refusing to process the words.
21:08Months ago?
21:10Nina?
21:11Her mother?
21:12It was impossible.
21:14It was a nightmare.
21:17She shook her head slowly,
21:18a silent, desperate denial.
21:21Carly, my mother,
21:22she was angry.
21:24She felt betrayed by Nina,
21:25and she was determined that Nina would not get what she wanted.
21:29And what Nina wanted,
21:30more than anything,
21:31was you.
21:33Her daughter.
21:35Michael's voice was thick with self-loathing.
21:38So, we made a decision.
21:40A terrible, unforgivable decision.
21:43We decided not to tell you.
21:46We decided to keep the truth from you.
21:49We lied to you, Willow.
21:51Every day,
21:52for months,
21:53I looked you in the eye and I lied to you.
21:56I watched you struggle with your identity,
21:58I watched you mourn a mother you never really knew,
22:00and I said nothing.
22:01I held you while you cried from the pain of your illness,
22:04and I knew that your biological mother was out there,
22:07desperate to know you,
22:08and I kept her from you.
22:09I kept you from her.
22:11The room was in chaos.
22:14Reporters were frantically typing on their phones.
22:18Spectators were whispering,
22:19their voices a rising hum of shock and speculation.
22:23The opposing counsel was shouting objections
22:25that were completely drowned out
22:26by the tidal wave of Michael's confession.
22:29But for Willow,
22:30the world had shrunk to the space between her and Michael.
22:33The noise faded into a dull roar,
22:35a distant ocean against the deafening pounding of her own heart.
22:39She felt as if she were falling,
22:41tumbling through a void where nothing made sense.
22:44The man she loved,
22:45the man she trusted with her life,
22:47her son's life,
22:48had been the architect of a dissection so profound
22:50it defied understanding.
22:52Her illness,
22:53her vulnerability,
22:54their shared life,
22:55it had all been built on a bed of quicksand.
22:58Nina is,
22:59my mother?
23:00The words were a whisper,
23:02torn from the deepest part of her,
23:03raw and broken.
23:05Yes,
23:06Michael said,
23:07the word a mere exhalation of pain.
23:09She is.
23:11And I knew.
23:13And I didn't tell you.
23:15I let this case happen.
23:17I let them paint you as unstable,
23:19as someone with a fractured history,
23:21while I was holding the one piece of information
23:22that could have given you context,
23:24that could have connected you to a part of yourself
23:26you never knew was missing.
23:28I was so focused on protecting my mother's vendetta,
23:31on winning,
23:31but I was willing to let you be destroyed.
23:34I told myself it was to protect you,
23:36to spare you the pain of knowing Nina was your mother,
23:39but that was a lie,
23:40too.
23:41I was protecting my own guilt.
23:44I was protecting the lie.
23:46He turned back to the judge,
23:48his body trembling with the force of his emotion.
23:51Your honor,
23:52you are being asked to rule on Willow's fitness as a mother.
23:55How can you possibly do that
23:57when the entire premise of this case is tainted?
23:59The instability they cite,
24:02the secrets,
24:02I am the source of the biggest secret of all.
24:05I am the one who created an environment of deception.
24:09If anyone is unfit,
24:11it is me.
24:12I have failed her in the most fundamental way a partner can.
24:16I have failed my son by teaching him,
24:18through my actions,
24:19that lies are an acceptable foundation for a family.
24:22The fault is not with Willow.
24:25The fault is with me.
24:27The aftermath of his speech was a vacuum of sound,
24:30followed by an explosive cacophony.
24:33Nina Reeves was on her feet,
24:34tears streaming down her face.
24:37A maelstrom of grief and rage
24:38and a shocking, overwhelming joy
24:40at finally having the truth unleashed,
24:42even in this horrific, public crucible.
24:45She took a step forward,
24:46her eyes locked on Willow,
24:47her daughter,
24:48who looked as if she had been physically shattered.
24:51Willow herself was motionless.
24:54The tears were gone,
24:55replaced by a terrifying emptiness.
24:58She looked at Michael,
24:59but she was no longer seeing the man she married.
25:02She was seeing a stranger.
25:05A strategist.
25:07A liar.
25:08Every tender moment,
25:10every whispered promise,
25:11every shared dream for their future,
25:13it was all retroactively stained,
25:15thrown into question.
25:16Had any of it been real?
25:18Or had she simply been a pawn
25:20in a Corinthos family game,
25:22a piece to be moved
25:22and manipulated for their own ends?
25:25The judge was pounding his gavel,
25:27his calls for order barely audible
25:28over the din this court is in recess.
25:31I said,
25:32this court is in recess.
25:34We will reconvene in one hour.
25:37But the legal proceedings
25:38were now a secondary concern.
25:41The real drama was unfolding
25:42in the well of the courtroom.
25:45As people began to file out,
25:46some staring with unabashed curiosity,
25:49others with pity,
25:50Michael moved toward Willow.
25:52Willow, please,
25:53he begged,
25:54his voice ragged.
25:56I had to.
25:57I couldn't let them do this to you.
26:00I couldn't be that person anymore.
26:03She flinched away from his outstretched hand
26:05as if his touch were fire.
26:07Don't,
26:08she whispered,
26:09the word carrying the weight of a scream.
26:11Don't you touch me.
26:13Please,
26:14let me explain,
26:15he pleaded,
26:16his own tears finally falling.
26:18I was wrong.
26:20I know I was wrong.
26:22But everything I did,
26:23even the lying,
26:24came from a place of loving you.
26:27Of being terrified of losing you.
26:30Loving me?
26:31A bitter,
26:32broken laugh escaped her lips.
26:34It was a sound he had never heard from her before,
26:37and it chilled him to the bone.
26:39You call this love?
26:41You let me believe I was alone.
26:44You let me go through my cancer treatment
26:45thinking my only blood relative
26:47was a dead woman who never wanted me,
26:49while you knew my mother was alive,
26:51desperate to be in my life.
26:53You watched me break,
26:54Michael.
26:55You held the pieces,
26:57and you never once thought to give me
26:58the one thing that could have made me whole.
27:01That's not love.
27:03That's possession.
27:05That's control.
27:07She stood up,
27:08her legs unsteady,
27:09bracing herself on the table.
27:11You didn't do this for me,
27:12she said,
27:13her voice gaining a shred of steel.
27:15You did it for yourself.
27:18To ease your own conscience.
27:21You chose this moment,
27:22this public,
27:23humiliating spectacle,
27:24to clear your own guilty soul.
27:26You didn't give me the truth in private,
27:29with love and compassion.
27:31You detonated it in a courtroom to win a case.
27:34You used the truth as your final piece of ammunition.
27:38You're no different from them.
27:40She gestured vaguely toward the opposing counsel.
27:44You just used a different weapon.
27:46Her words were more devastating
27:48than any ruling the judge could have made.
27:51They struck at the core of his justification,
27:53exposing the ugly,
27:54selfish truth beneath his grand,
27:56tragic gesture.
27:57He had wanted to be the hero,
27:59confessing his sins to save the damsel.
28:02But in her eyes,
28:03he was just another villain in the story.
28:06Before he could form a response,
28:08Nina was there,
28:09hovering a few feet away,
28:10her expression a heartbreaking mix
28:12of longing and apprehension.
28:14Willow?
28:15Nina's voice was soft,
28:17tentative,
28:17filled with twenty-odd years
28:19of missed birthdays and lullabies.
28:21Willow turned her gaze from Michael to Nina.
28:24The woman she had despised,
28:26clashed with,
28:27judged so harshly.
28:29The woman who,
28:30she now knew,
28:31was her mother.
28:33The cognitive dissonance was so violent
28:35it was nauseating.
28:37All the hatred she had directed at Nina,
28:39all the blame she had placed on her
28:40for disrupting their lives,
28:42now rebounded back onto her,
28:43and onto Michael,
28:44with crippling force.
28:46Nina had been flawed,
28:48yes.
28:49Reckless,
28:50yes.
28:50But she had been searching
28:52for her child.
28:54Michael and Carly had been hiding her.
28:57I?
28:58I can't,
28:59Willow stammered,
29:00backing away from both of them.
29:02I can't process this.
29:05I can't,
29:05be here.
29:07She turned and fled the courtroom,
29:08pushing through the heavy doors
29:10into the relative anonymity
29:11of the hallway,
29:12leaving behind the ruins
29:13of her marriage,
29:13the shocking revelation
29:14of her identity,
29:15and the two people
29:16who now represented
29:17the twin pillars
29:18of the most profound betrayal
29:19of her life.
29:21The fallout was immediate
29:22and radioactive.
29:24Out in the hallway,
29:25Carly Carinthos was waiting,
29:27her face a thundercloud of fury.
29:29She had heard everything
29:30from the gallery.
29:32What have you done?
29:33She hissed at Michael,
29:34grabbing his arm
29:35as he emerged,
29:36shell-shocked,
29:37from the courtroom.
29:39You've destroyed us.
29:41You've destroyed our family.
29:43For what?
29:45For her?
29:47For Nina?
29:47I did what you should have
29:49had the courage to do
29:50months ago, Mom.
29:52Michael shot back,
29:53pulling his arm away.
29:55I told the truth.
29:57This vendetta of yours
29:59has gone too far.
30:01Look what it cost.
30:03Look what we cost, Willow.
30:05We were protecting Wiley.
30:08Carly cried,
30:09her eyes blazing.
30:10No,
30:11Michael said,
30:12his voice suddenly quiet
30:13and utterly exhausted.
30:14We were protecting ourselves.
30:18We were playing God
30:19with people's lives.
30:21And I'm done.
30:22I won't be a part of it anymore.
30:25Meanwhile,
30:26Nina stood alone
30:27in the emptying courtroom,
30:28a solitary figure
30:29amidst the scattered benches.
30:32The truth was out.
30:34Her daughter knew.
30:36But the moment of victory,
30:37the moment she had dreamed of
30:38for so long,
30:39was ashes in her mouth.
30:42It had come at the cost
30:43of her daughter's utter devastation.
30:45She had her truth,
30:46but she had lost any chance
30:48of a gentle,
30:48loving reconciliation.
30:51The path to Willow
30:52would now be through
30:52a minefield of anger and pain.
30:55Back in the judges' chambers,
30:56the legal teams
30:57were in a frantic conference.
30:59The case against Willow
31:00was in tatters.
31:02Michael's confession
31:03had not only discredited
31:04the entire narrative
31:05of secrecy and instability,
31:07but had also reframed Willow
31:08as a victim
31:09of a monstrous deception.
31:11The unfit environment
31:12was not of her making,
31:13it was engineered
31:14by the very people
31:15who were now seeking custody.
31:18The judge knew
31:18the proceedings
31:19had been irrevocably poisoned.
31:21When court reconvened
31:22an hour later,
31:23the atmosphere
31:24was entirely different.
31:26The bombast was gone,
31:28replaced by a weary,
31:29somber tension.
31:31Willow had returned,
31:32escorted by a court officer,
31:33her face a pale,
31:35closed mask.
31:36She did not look at Michael,
31:38who had retaken his seat
31:39in the gallery,
31:40looking hollowed out.
31:42She did not look at Nina.
31:44She stared straight ahead
31:45at the judge.
31:47The opposing counsel,
31:48his case in ruins,
31:49could only muster a weak,
31:51procedural argument.
31:53Willow's attorney,
31:54seizing the moment,
31:55argued passionately
31:56that the petition for custody
31:57was not just flawed,
31:58but was built on
31:59a fundamental bad faith,
32:00a bad faith now exposed
32:02by the petitioner's own son.
32:04The judge did not need
32:05long to deliberate.
32:07His ruling was swift
32:08and decisive.
32:10Given the extraordinary
32:11circumstances revealed
32:12in these proceedings,
32:13the judge entoned,
32:15his voice grave,
32:16specifically the admission
32:17by Mr. Michael Carinthos
32:18of a deliberate
32:19and prolonged deception
32:20perpetrated against
32:20the respondent.
32:21This court finds that
32:22the petition for a change
32:23of custody is without merit.
32:25The court finds that
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