For months, I watched my ex-husband use his newfound wealth to paint a picture of a perfect life. When we arrived in court, I thought I’d seen every trick he was capable of, until our son took the stand.
The first sign that Jason was beginning to lose confidence appeared when our six-year-old son looked at the judge and asked, « Will I still get my $20 if I tell the truth? »
Nobody laughed, not at first.
But I held my breath.
Jason was beginning to lose confidence.
Jason’s face changed in an instant. One second before, he had been sitting comfortably in his armchair with the same smug expression he’d worn since that morning. The next, his lips tightened.
His lawyer turned to him.
« What $20? » the judge asked.
Toby glanced at his father.
Her lips tightened.
Jason smiled.
It wasn’t a normal smile. It was the kind of smile adults give children when they desperately want them to stop talking.
Toby turned to the judge again.
« The money Dad gives me. »
That’s when Jason went pale.
It wasn’t a normal smile.
***
When I divorced Jason the previous year, we were both 23 years old.
We got married too young, we had Toby too young, and we spent years pretending that love could fix the fact that my ex-husband didn’t want the boring aspects of adult life.
When we separated, he had neither a job nor a car, and he hadn’t really been interested in his role as a father, except when someone else was watching.
We got married too young.
By the time our custody case reached its final hearing, I was 24 years old.
After the divorce, Jason agreed to see Toby every other weekend. He cancelled so many that I stopped telling our son his father was coming until he actually arrived.
Then, three months before the hearing, Jason found what he seemed to believe was a shortcut in life.
He married Margaret.
He cancelled enough of them.
Margaret was 65 years old and had made her fortune in real estate.
I didn’t know much about their relationship, but I did know they had met at a charity event.
I also knew that Jason had moved in with her within a few weeks.
Almost immediately after the wedding, he began to behave as if he had been replaced by a wealthier version of himself.
I didn’t know much about their relationship.
Suddenly, my ex started wearing custom-made clothes.
A new SUV has appeared.
He posted photos of expensive restaurants.
Then he hired an outrageously expensive team of lawyers and sought sole custody of Toby.
That scared me.
A new SUV has appeared.
Jason suddenly wanted to play the role of a devoted family man, but he wasn’t interested in school runs, dentist appointments, fevers, laundry, homework, or bedtime arguments.
His sole aim was to use Margaret’s money to win.
In their file, his legal documents described his millionaire wife’s house with cruel precision.
He wasn’t interested in going back and forth to school.
- Six bedrooms.
- A swimming pool.
- A home cinema.
- A private chef.
- A huge garden.
In comparison, my two-bedroom apartment suddenly seemed pretty pathetic.
At least, that’s how Jason talked about it.
My two-bedroom apartment suddenly seemed shabby.
« The judge isn’t going to turn a blind eye to reality, Emma, » my ex-husband told me one afternoon outside Toby’s school.
« My reality seems perfectly fine to me as it is. »
« You are a tenant. »
« Millions of people are renters. »
« You work full-time. »
« Like millions of parents. »
« Millions of people are renters. »
He lowered his voice.
« Toby could have everything with us. »
I stared at him.
« He already has everything he needs. »
Jason smiled.
« Keep telling yourself that. »
I knew he just wanted to punish me for leaving him, and that Margaret wanted a cute stepson to complete the image of her wealthy family.
He lowered his voice.
***
What bothered me wasn’t the money. It was Toby.
My son started behaving strangely after spending his weekends at Jason’s house.
He didn’t look unhappy or scared, just defensive.
I asked him, « Did you have fun? »
He replied, « Yeah. »
What bothered me wasn’t the money.
« What did you do? »
« Stuff. »
Usually, Toby talked so much he could have commented on his own breathing, so these short answers were not normal.
***
I started noticing small details.
He was saying things that weren’t like him.
Like « At Dad’s house, there are more opportunities » or « Margaret’s neighborhood has higher education institutions. »
« What did you do? »
The first time my son said that, I stared at him.
« Superior? »
He nodded.
« What does ‘superior’ mean? »
Toby thought about it.
« A little better, in a way? »
I almost laughed.
Instead, I asked, « Who taught you that phrase? »
He shrugged.
» Dad. «
« What does ‘superior’ mean? »
Another time, Toby told me, « I have my own recreation area. »
« You mean your games room? »
« Yeah. That. »
His formulations were becoming increasingly bizarre.
I spoke to my lawyer, Rachel. She took note.
« Don’t guide his answers, » she told me. « Just keep doing what you normally do. »
That’s what I did.
The wording was getting increasingly bizarre.
***
But two nights before the hearing, Toby was brushing his teeth when he suddenly asked me, « Mom, am I allowed to love both houses? »
I felt my heart tighten.
» Of course. «
« Even if one is bigger? »
» Yes. «
« Even if one of them has a chef? »
I smiled.
« Especially if the chef makes cookies. »
He chuckled.
I felt my heart tighten.
Then his face darkened.
« Dad says judges like successful houses. »
I crouched down next to him.
« Houses aren’t successful, my boy. »
He thought about it.
« That’s what I thought. »
Then he went back to brushing his teeth.
I barely slept a wink that night.
His face darkened.
***
On the morning of the final hearing, Jason walked confidently into the courthouse, dressed in a tailored suit.
Margaret walked beside him, dressed in a matching cream-colored jacket and dress.
My ex spotted me in the hallway.
« The judge will take a look at our bank statements and entrust them to my care today, » he whispered to me with a smug, triumphant smile. « You simply can’t compete with our lifestyle. »
Jason walked confidently into the courthouse.
I didn’t waste my time arguing.
I entered the courtroom and sat down next to Toby.
My son sat nervously on that heavy wooden chair, his little hands gripping his knees.
He looked tiny in that huge room.
Judge Sloan leaned forward from his seat and smiled warmly at him to put him at ease.
I didn’t waste my time arguing.
« So, Toby, » the judge said gently, « can you tell me what it’s like when you spend the weekend at your dad and Margaret’s big house? »
Toby hesitated.
He looked at his shoes, shifted uncomfortably in his seat, then glanced nervously at Jason, across the aisle.
His father gave him an encouraging, but somewhat forced, nod.
Toby hesitated.
I think he expected Toby to brag about the huge swimming pool, the private chef, or the overpriced video games Margaret had bought him to seduce him.
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