My 14-year-old Son Beat His Stepmother Unconscious At Her Own Wedding. My Entire Family Disowned Him Until He Showed Us What Was On His Phone. Now She Is Trying To Frame Me For A Felony To Keep Us Quiet?

Progress and Prior Records

3 weeks passed before my son’s juvenile court date arrived. The judge reviewed his therapy attendance records and the reports from his counselor. My son had shown up to every single session. The judge approved his diversion program with conditions: 100 hours of community service at the animal shelter, weekly therapy for a year, monthly check-ins with a probation officer, no contact with Lauren or her family.

My son nodded at each requirement. The judge reminded him this was his chance to avoid a permanent record. We started the community service that weekend watching my son clean kennels and walk dogs. You’d never know what he’d been through. The animals loved him immediately.

Casey called the next morning with good news.

“I filed a motion to get Lauren’s previous therapy records.”

Lauren’s family fought it hard claiming privacy rights, but Casey had found a precedent about pattern behavior and abuse cases. The judge sided with us.

“The records from her previous therapist in Michigan are being sent over,”

Casey’s voice had an edge of excitement.

“There might be other victims.”

We’d know within two weeks what those records contained.

The Reprimand

That same day I got called into my commander’s office. The formal reprimand was waiting on his desk: “conduct unbecoming” for the negative attention brought to the unit. It was the lightest punishment possible, but it still felt like a punch. My commander looked uncomfortable as I signed it.

“I fought for you. This was the best I could do.”

The reprimand would stay in my file forever. Any board that reviewed my record would see it. My military career had effectively ended, even if I could stay in. I walked out of his office knowing I’d never make rank again.

The next few days blurred together with lawyer meetings, therapy appointments, and school conferences. Every step forward felt like two steps back, but we kept going because what else could we do? The boys needed normal as much as we could give them, even if normal now meant counselors and courtrooms and nightmares that wouldn’t stop.

Conrad started therapy 3 weeks later as part of his custody agreement with CPS. I got the report copy from my lawyer showing what he told his therapist. He sat in that office admitting he’d noticed Lauren getting too close to the boys months before the wedding. He’d seen her touching my son’s shoulder too long and sitting too close during movie nights. The therapist wrote down every word and sent it straight to CPS as required by his treatment plan.

Lauren’s parents showed up at my lawyer’s office the next week with their own attorney and a check. They wanted to settle Tommy’s civil claim quietly without any court filing that would make headlines. The settlement papers guaranteed Tommy would have therapy paid through age 21 with no limits on sessions. Their lawyer made us sign papers saying we couldn’t talk about the money to anyone ever.

Lauren’s lawyer stumbling through explanations about the phone evidence while she sits there touching her face seems like such a calculated performance. Makes me wonder if they rehearsed this whole nervous act beforehand to gain sympathy from the judge.