My Ex Left Me For Refusing To Have A Third Child While We Were Broke. Now That I’m Rich And Happy, He’s Suing For Full Custody To “Save” Our Kids. Is He Delusional Or Just Greedy?

Chapter 5: Telling the Kids

The next afternoon, Addison and Travis burst through the front door arguing about something that happened at lunch. I waited until they dumped their backpacks and grabbed snacks before I called them into the living room. Robert sat next to me on the couch while both kids flopped into the armchair across from us.

I told them their dad had filed some papers with the court about where they lived. Travis asked if that meant they had to move in with Dad and Grandma. His face crumpled with worry and I wanted to reach through the phone line and strangle Dale for putting that fear in my kid.

I explained that Dad was asking the court to change their living arrangement but we were fighting it. Addison asked why Dad would do that when they were happy here. I didn’t know how to explain Dale’s jealousy and wounded pride to a 10-year-old, so I just said, “Sometimes adults make decisions based on their feelings instead of what’s best for kids.”

Both of them immediately said they didn’t want to leave. Travis said he’d have to change schools and leave his friends. Addison mentioned that Dad still slept on Grandma’s couch and didn’t even have his own bedroom, so where would they sleep?

I reassured them we’d fight this hard, that our lawyer was really good, and that the judge would see they were happy and doing well here. I reminded them about their rooms upstairs that they’d helped decorate, and about how excited they were for their baby brother or sister.

Robert added that we weren’t going to let anyone disrupt their lives or take away the stability we’d all built together. Travis climbed onto the couch between us and Addison followed, and we sat there for a while with both kids pressed against us.

Chapter 6: Building the Case

Hadley called two days later to say she’d filed our response. She’d included an affidavit from Robert about his involvement with the kids and our household stability. She’d gotten a letter from my boss confirming my position, my salary, and the maternity leave plan the company had approved.

She attached copies of Addison and Travis’s report cards showing straight A’s and B’s, their attendance records showing they’d missed maybe three days total last year, and documentation of their extracurricular activities. She said she’d also requested an expedited hearing since Dale’s claims had no factual basis and keeping the kids in limbo wasn’t fair to them.

She’d pointed out in her filing that Dale had made no effort to improve his housing situation or increase his income despite having 3 years to do so. The next morning Hadley called again. Dale’s attorney, Dominic Townsend, had phoned her trying to negotiate.

He’d suggested Dale just wanted equal consideration and more time with the kids, like this was about fairness instead of Dale’s ego. Hadley said she’d shut him down fast. She’d pointed out that Dale consistently failed to use his full visitation time, that he’d canceled visits claiming he had to work but then posted on social media about going fishing.

She’d mentioned the back child support he owed and asked Dominic how Dale planned to support the kids more when he couldn’t support them now. Dominic had gotten quiet and said he’d talk to his client.

The court scheduled a preliminary hearing for two weeks out. They also appointed someone named Liv Price as Guardian Ad Litem to investigate both households and interview the kids. Hadley explained that Liv would visit our home, visit Dale’s residence, talk to the kids separately, and write a report for the judge about what she observed.

Chapter 7: The Guardian Ad Litem

I spent the next several days cleaning our already clean house like a maniac. I scrubbed baseboards that didn’t need scrubbing, organized closets that were already organized, and made sure the kids’ rooms looked lived in but tidy.

Robert caught me re-washing windows at 10 at night and gently took the spray bottle from my hands. He said the house was perfect and Liv would see that, and I needed to rest because stress wasn’t good for the baby. I knew he was right but I couldn’t stop the nervous energy that made me want to control something, anything about this situation.

Saturday morning arrived and the doorbell rang at exactly 9. Liv Price stood on our porch holding a leather folder and wearing a kind smile that immediately put me at ease. She was maybe 50, with gray streaked hair pulled back in a clip and practical shoes that said she did a lot of walking.

She shook hands with Robert and me then asked for a tour of the house. We walked her through every room while she took notes and asked questions about our daily routines. She spent extra time in the kids’ bedrooms looking at their bookshelves and the photos on their walls and the homework assignments stuck to their bulletin boards.

She asked who helped with homework and how we handled discipline and what the kids did after school. Robert answered questions about his work schedule and how he’d adjusted it to be home when the kids got off the bus. She looked at the nursery Robert had set up, at the crib he’d assembled, and the changing table already stocked with diapers and wipes.

She asked about my pregnancy, my due date, and my maternity leave plan. I showed her the documentation from my employer about paid leave and the backup childcare Robert had arranged. Liv nodded and made notes and asked if the kids knew about the custody filing.

I told her we’d explained it honestly and they’d been clear about wanting to stay here. She said she’d need to talk to them separately to hear that directly. Liv called Addison and Travis into the living room while Robert and I waited in the kitchen.

I could hear the murmur of voices but couldn’t make out words. I paced between the counter and the table while Robert sat reading something on his phone, trying to look calm for my benefit. 20 minutes passed, then 30. Finally, Liv emerged with both kids who immediately ran upstairs to their rooms.

Liv sat down at the kitchen table with us and said the children had been very clear about their feelings and living preferences. She said they’d both expressed love for their father but also expressed that they were happy here, that they liked their schools and friends, and that they were excited about their baby sibling.

She said Addison had mentioned without prompting that their dad didn’t have his own place and still lived with Grandma. Travis had talked about how Robert helped him with his science project and came to his soccer games.

Liv said she’d be visiting Dale’s residence next week for comparison and would have her full report ready before the preliminary hearing. She thanked us for our time and cooperation, shook our hands again, and left.

I stood at the window watching her car pull away, Robert’s arm around my waist, and let myself hope that maybe the truth would actually matter here. That evening Anastasia showed up at my door holding two grocery bags full of takeout containers. She pushed past me into the kitchen and started unpacking chicken parmesan, garlic bread, salad, and this amazing pasta dish she knew I loved.