Chapter 4 - The Legal Counteroffensive
By Wednesday, the divorce papers officially landed on Grant’s desk at his temporary apartment—he had been forced to move out of our family home after Marjorie initiated foreclosure proceedings on the property to recover loans she had secretly given him over the years.
My attorney, a sharp, brilliant family law specialist named Sarah Vance, had filed an airtight petition.
We weren't just asking for standard spousal support and child support. Because of the nine-year conspiracy, the psychological abuse inflicted upon Tessa, and the hidden paternity, Sarah had added emergency civil claims for intentional infliction of emotional distress and fraudulent concealment of marital assets.
When Grant’s high-priced defense lawyer, Marcus Sterling, called Sarah to negotiate a settlement, he was practically hyperventilating.
“Sarah, be reasonable,” Sterling argued over the phone in Sarah’s office while I sat across the desk listening. “Grant is willing to give up the primary vehicle, cover fifty percent of the boys' college funds, and sign over his remaining equity in the vacation condo in Palm Springs. Can we please drop the tort claims?”
Sarah looked at me, raising an eyebrow. I shook my head firmly.
“Marcus, let’s be very clear about where we stand,” Sarah said into the speakerphone, her tone ice-cold. “Your client spent nine years forcing a minor child—his own biological daughter—to live in servitude while he funded a lifestyle of corporate lies. We are not settling for a standard split.”
“What do you want?” Sterling groaned on the other end.
“We want sole legal and physical custody of all three children, with zero unsupervised visitation for Grant until he completes a court-mandated psychological evaluation and parenting course,” Sarah listed smoothly. “We want seventy-five percent of all liquid marital assets to cover retroactive child care and emotional damages for Tessa. And we want the La Jolla house signed over to Dana as a primary residence for the children.”
“That’s financial ruin!” Sterling yelled. “He’ll be bankrupt within a month!”
“Then he should have thought about that before he lied for a decade,” Sarah replied, and clicked End Call.
I let out a long breath, leaning back in my chair. A tremendous weight felt like it was finally sliding off my shoulders.
“How are you holding up, Dana?” Sarah asked kindly, pouring me a cup of water from the glass pitcher on her desk.
“I’m tired,” I admitted honestly. “Working double shifts at the clinic while getting the kids adjusted to their new school has been exhausting. But… I’ve never felt more alive. Or more free.”
May you like
“Well, get ready for a little more excitement,” Sarah smiled, sliding a secondary folder across the table. “Because your mother-in-law is currently trying to sue Grant for financial fraud, and the judge handling your divorce is looking very favorably on our petition to accelerate the settlement.”
Karma, it seemed, was working overtime.
