Chapter Four: Don't Make A Scene
1064 Words
Kristen
So much for a nice, quiet, family birthday party.
All I could think was, thank the moon and stars that I hadn’t had a huge party and invited all the kids in Joy’s first grade class to come and witness this humiliating circus.
It was bad enough that Mr. Falcon had a front row seat to our family dysfunction. After today, I doubted that he would ever let his son come over to play with my daughter again.
My face burned with embarrassment, but I desperately tried to hold on to what little dignity I had left.
“I think this party is officially over,” I said firmly. “I’d like everyone to leave now.”
“Over?” My ex-mother-in-law lifted her head so she could see out from under that ridiculous floppy hat. “It never even started.”
“Are you telling me to leave?” Kevin touched his chest incredulously. “I bought this house! My name is on the" title deed, Kristen.”
“I gave you the down payment!” I reminded him.
“Everything you see here,” he swept his arm around my modest home. "I bought and paid for, with my hard work, my money. What did you ever do for this family?” His eyes were bulging in his sockets. He'd never looked more unattractive to me than he did at that moment.
I clamped my teeth down on my bottom lip to keep it from trembling. It was pointless to argue with him; it was fruitless to point out that I had given up my own career to support him and to raise our daughter. He didn’t value any of those things. He would never admit that he would not be the successful man he was today if I had not stood behind him for all those years.
“You are useless, Kristen.” He scoffed.
Joy came running, wrapping her little arms around my waist protectively. “Don’t talk to Mommy like that!”
So much for going for ice cream. I should have known that my protective little girl wouldn't leave me alone.
Kevin ignored his daughter and took another threatening step toward me. “You want a divorce, Kristen? I’ll give you a divorce. But I’m taking back everything I ever paid for. This house, the furniture, the clothes, the car.”
“I’ve been buying my own things and supporting myself and Joy for years,” I said between clenched teeth. “Think about it, Kevin. When was the last time you even gave me money for groceries? I have my own business, I don’t need you.”
“Do you think you’ll be able to support yourself and raise a kid with your silly drawings?” Kevin scoffed. “Wait until the judge gets a look at your bank accounts. You won’t just lose the house, you’ll lose the kid.”
He took another step closer, until I could smell his rancid breath as he continued to half-shout in my face. “I’ll get full custody of Joy.” He reached out and poked his finger into my chest.
I had so many things I wanted to say back to him, but I held my tongue because Joy was in the room. I would not hurtle insults at her father in her presence, no matter how true they were. I wouldn’t point out that he’d never had time for Joy, or that he was far too self-absorbed to care about the child he had fathered. He was only threatening me with a custody battle to scare me, and to push my buttons.
And it worked.
Although I tried hard to keep my expression cold and indifferent, the thought of losing Joy terrified me. She was my everything. I couldn’t live with myself if a judge sent her to live with Kevin. And God forbid, if Flora became her stepmother.
“Just leave, Kevin. My lawyer will be in touch.”
“Oh, I’m not leaving. You are leaving! Pack your things and get out of my house.”
I raised my chin. “I won’t. We agreed that Joy and I will stay in the house so she doesn’t have to change schools. You have your condo, you don’t need the house.”
My calm only seemed to infuriate Kevin more. “You are refusing to leave? That’s trespassing.” He whipped out his phone, “Let’s see what the police have to say about that.”
Flora stepped forward and wrapped her hands around his arm with her long, manicured nails like claws. “You shouldn’t even give her time to pack, darling. She’s so desperate, you know she’ll try to steal anything valuable left in the house.”
“I don’t need to steal what is rightfully mine.” I snarled.
“Mommy doesn’t steal!” Joy shouted. I used my arm to keep her tight against my side, just in case she decided to do something rash, like actually push a pregnant woman.
Kevin tapped his chin like he was thinking about it. “That’s true. You don’t get to leave with anything, Kristy. Take Joy, and get the hell out.” He waved the phone in the air, “Or I’ll have you arrested.”
I looked at his mother. Tracy had never been a fan of me as his wife, but I was shocked that she could stand there indifferently while her son tried to throw her own granddaughter out on the street. She gave me a disdainful look. “You heard the man. You should just go now. Don't make a scene.”
“Don’t make a scene?” I gasped. The whole day was a scene straight out of a badly scripted soap opera. I tightened my arms around Joy. “Let’s go, baby.”
“No.” Mr. Falcon’s deeply resonating voice caused me to freeze in place. I thought he had left already. Clearly, Joy had refused to leave with him when she heard the argument escalating, but I thought Mr. Falcon had made his escape with Alex. He stepped through the doorway, where he had been listening all along. “That’s not how it works. Mrs. Jackson may not be familiar with her rights and the law, but I am. Kristen, you aren’t going anywhere.”
- Writer
