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 12: A Courtroom Wedding

Two days later, Hadley called to tell me she had received Liv’s preliminary report and it was exactly what we had hoped for. Liv was recommending that the children remain in my primary custody with no changes to the current arrangement.

3 days after getting Liv’s report, Hadley called to tell me that Dale’s attorney had filed another motion. This time Dominic claimed Liv was biased because she’d spent more time at my house than at Dale’s mother’s place. The judge denied Dale’s motion within 24 hours.

That evening Robert and I sat at the kitchen table after the kids went to bed. Finally, he said he’d been thinking about our wedding plans. We’d been planning a nice ceremony for next summer after the baby arrived, but Robert said he thought we should get married now instead, before the baby came, so there would be no question about our family structure during the custody proceedings.

I agreed immediately because it made perfect sense. We didn’t need a big wedding to prove we were committed; we needed legal documentation that we were a stable, married family unit.

2 days later we went to the courthouse downtown with Addison and Travis as our witnesses. The ceremony took 15 minutes in a small room with fluorescent lighting. Addison held my bouquet which was just a bunch of grocery store flowers Robert had grabbed that morning. Travis stood next to Robert looking proud in his button-up shirt.

When the clerk pronounced us married, both kids cheered and hugged us. Afterward, we went to their favorite Italian restaurant where they ordered too much pasta. It wasn’t the wedding I’d once imagined but it was perfect for the family we’d actually built.

Chapter 13: The Trial

The next hearing was scheduled for the following week. Dominic called Dale’s mother as his first witness. She launched into a speech about how Dale had always wanted a big loving family and how he was devoted to his children.

Then she started saying things that made me grip the edge of my chair. She talked about how a boy needs his father and how Travis especially needed Dale’s guidance to grow up right. She said she worried that I was probably trying to trap Robert with this baby the same way I’d trapped Dale years ago.

The judge actually interrupted her testimony and asked if she had any specific concerns about the children’s current welfare or living conditions. Dale’s mother paused and admitted she hadn’t actually seen Addison and Travis in over a year. The judge asked why not if she was so concerned about their well-being.

Dale’s mother stammered something about me making it difficult for family to visit. Hadley stood up for cross-examination. She asked Dale’s mother when she’d last requested to see her grandchildren. Dale’s mother said she didn’t remember exactly.

Hadley asked if she’d ever called to arrange a visit or asked about their schedules. Dale’s mother said she’d assumed I would reach out if I wanted her involved. Hadley pointed out that she lived in the same city less than 30 minutes away and could have visited anytime.

Melissa was called next. She explained that Dale had refused to get better work even when their baby needed formula and diapers. She said he’d told her that providing financially wasn’t as important as being present emotionally, but then he wasn’t really present either because he was always tired from his part-time shifts or hanging out with friends.

She pulled out bank records showing Dale spending money on video games and eating out at restaurants while claiming he couldn’t afford child support for Addison and Travis. She pointed to specific dates where he’d bought a new gaming console 3 days after telling her they couldn’t afford to refill their daughter’s prescription medicine.

After a short break, Hadley called Caleb to the stand. He was Dale’s co-worker from the hardware store. Hadley asked him to be more specific about Dale’s work. Caleb described conversations where Dale had talked about picking up cash jobs through friends so the income wouldn’t be reported. He said Dale had even joked about it, calling it his way of beating the system.

That afternoon Hadley received the financial audit results. Dale had earned significantly more than he’d reported over the past 18 months. The total came to nearly $15,000 in unreported income from various cash jobs and under-the-table work.

When court resumed, Hadley presented the audit report to the judge. The judge ordered an immediate recalculation of Dale’s child support based on his actual earnings and demanded back payment of the difference within 90 days.

Finally, Dale took the stand. Dominic asked Dale about his desire to be more involved with his children now. Dale said he’d changed and grown and wanted to be a better father. He talked about how seeing me move on had made him realize what he’d lost.

Hadley stood up for cross-examination. She asked Dale why he hadn’t used his full visitation time over the past year if he wanted to be more involved. Dale said he’d been working extra hours. Hadley showed him the visitation logs proving he’d skipped or shortened visits even on his days off.

She asked why he’d hidden income if he was trying to support his children. Dale said he needed that money to get his own place. Hadley asked why he had no stable housing after 3 years of living with his mother. Dale became defensive and said housing was expensive and he was doing his best.

The judge leaned forward and looked directly at Dale. She asked what his plan was for housing the children if he won custody. Dale straightened up and said he was working on getting an apartment. The judge asked for specifics about which apartments he’d applied to. Dale’s face got red and he admitted he hadn’t actually applied anywhere yet.

Then Hadley called me to the stand. She pulled out our family budget and walked through it line by line. She asked if I thought being responsible with money made me materialistic. I said no, it made me a good parent who could actually provide for my children’s needs.

Dominic stood up for cross-examination. He asked if I’d married Robert for his money. I said I’d married Robert because he was kind, responsible, and loved my children. Dominic said I seemed very focused on money and material things.

I looked right at him and said, “Being responsible with money meant I could provide stable housing instead of bouncing between apartments. It meant my kids had warm clothes in winter and full bellies at dinner. It meant they didn’t worry about the electricity getting shut off or being evicted.”

I said wanting to afford your children’s needs wasn’t materialistic, it was basic parenting.