Her Lover Hit Me In Front Of My Family. She Left. Next Day — 113 Missed Calls…

And it’s best if you guys stay in your home with your school and your friends nearby. Is she going to live with that man? Jaden’s perception again caught me off guard. I think so, buddy. His face darkened. I don’t want to go there. He hurt you. You don’t have to go anywhere. You don’t feel safe, I assured him, pulling both boys into a hug. I promise. At 2:00 p.m.

exactly, the doorbell rang. My parents took the boys upstairs while Mike positioned himself casually in the living room within ears shot but not directly involved. Lauren stood on the doorstep alone, sunglasses hiding her eyes despite the cloudy day. She was wearing clothes I’d never seen before, expensive looking clothes that weren’t her usual style.

“Where are the boy?” she asked without preamble. Inside, “Where’s Travis?” she shifted uncomfortably. “In the car.” “I thought it would be better if he waited.” “At least you got that much right,” I said, making no move to let her in. “I spoke with a lawyer this morning.” That got her attention. She pushed her sunglasses up, revealing reened eyes.

“A lawyer already? Don’t you think you’re overreacting?” The audacity of her question left me momentarily speechless. overreacting. I finally managed. Your boyfriend assaulted me in our backyard in front of our children and you left with him. How exactly am I supposed to react, Lauren? She had the grace to look ashamed.

At least things got out of hand. Travis feels terrible about it. I don’t give a damn how Travis feels. What I care about is what you’re putting our sons through. That’s why I’m here, she said, her voice taking on an edge of desperation. to take them somewhere calm away from all this tension. Seattle? I asked pointedly. Her face went pale.

What? I found the tickets, Lauren. One way to Seattle for you, Travis, and my sons. Were you even going to tell me or just disappear? It’s not, she began, then stopped. It wasn’t definite yet. We were just exploring options. Options that involve kidnapping my children. It’s not kidnapping when it’s their mother,” she shot back. “Actually, it is.

It’s called parental abduction, and it’s a federal offense.” She seemed to deflate slightly, her defensive posture crumbling. “I wasn’t thinking clearly. Travis thought a fresh start would be good for everyone.” “The boys aren’t going anywhere with you,” I stated firmly. “Not today, not tomorrow, not to Seattle, or anywhere else.

Not while you’re with him, her expression hardened. You can’t keep my children from me, Alex. I’ll call the police. Go ahead. I’m sure they’d be very interested in the assault that took place here yesterday and your plans to flee the state with the children. My lawyer has already filed for an emergency custody order and a restraining order against Travis.

If you want to see the boys, it will have to be without him present. This is ridiculous, she hissed. You’re punishing me because you’re jealous. Jealous? I laughed bitterly. Lauren, you destroyed our family yesterday. You chose that man over your children. This isn’t about jealousy. It’s about keeping Jaden and Collins safe. They’re safe with me.

Are they? Because yesterday they watched your boyfriend attack their father and instead of protecting them or me, you left with him. What kind of mother does that? Tears spilled from her eyes. I made a mistake. Okay. I wasn’t thinking clearly. No, you weren’t. And until you start thinking clearly, the boys stay with me.

She brushed away her tears angrily. This isn’t over, Alex. You can’t just decide. Mom. We both turned to see Jaden standing in the hallway, watching us with solemn eyes. Lauren’s demeanor changed instantly. Jaden, baby. She pushed past me to reach him, kneeling down to his level. I’ve missed you so much. Are you ready to come with mommy for a few days? We’ll have fun.

I promise. Jaden looked at her, then at me, his young face troubled. Is that man coming too? Lauren faltered. Travis. Well, yes, but I don’t want to go, Jaden said firmly. He hurt Dad. I saw him. Sweetie, it was a misunderstanding between grown-ups. Travis is actually very nice when you get to know him. Jaden backed away from her.

No, I want to stay with dad. Lauren’s face crumpled. Jaden, please. You heard him, I said quietly. He doesn’t want to go. I want to see Colin, she demanded, rising to her feet. He’s upstairs. He doesn’t want to see you right now. It was a lie, but I couldn’t bear to put my younger son through this scene.

Colin was more sensitive than his brother, more eager to please. He might agree to go with Lauren just to make her happy regardless of his own fears. “You’re turning them against me,” she accused, tears streaming freely now. “No, Lauren. You did that all by yourself.” She pushed past me to the door, pausing with her hand on the knob.

“This isn’t over,” she repeated. “I’ll be back with the police.” With a court order. “Do what you have to do,” I replied suddenly exhausted by it all. “But understand this. I will never ever let those boys near Travis Henderson again. You want a war? You’ve got one. After she left, I sat with Jaden on the couch, my arm around his thin shoulders.

“Did I do something wrong?” he asked, his voice small. “No, buddy. You were honest about how you feel, and that’s always the right thing to do.” “Is mom going to be mad at me now?” I hugged him closer. Mom’s confused right now and she’s making some bad choices, but she loves you and Colin very much. That will never change.

Then why did she go away with that mean man? It was the question I’d been asking myself all night. Sometimes grown-ups make mistakes, I said carefully. Big mistakes, but that doesn’t mean they don’t love their kids. Jaden considered this, his face serious beyond his years. Dad, we’re not going away, right? Me and Colin never, I promised.

We’re staying right here together. The next morning, my parents reluctantly returned to their home in Houston, needing to get back to work. Mike stayed, taking a few days off to help me navigate the new reality of single parenthood while dealing with the legal aspects of separation. The boys were clingy and emotional, bursting into tears at small frustrations, having nightmares that brought them crawling into my bed in the middle of the night.

I did my best to maintain some semblance of normaly, taking them to school, helping with homework, making their favorite meals. On Tuesday afternoon, I was helping Colin with his math homework when the doorbell rang. I opened it to find two police officers standing on my porch with Lauren hovering behind them.

Mr. Reed, one of the officers asked, “I’m officer Jackson. This is Officer Wilson. We’ve received a report about a custody dispute. My heart sank, but I maintained my composure. Yes, officer. My wife and I are separated as of Sunday. She’s attempting to take our children without my consent. That’s not true, Lauren interjected.

He’s keeping them from me illegally. Officer Jackson held up a hand to quiet her. Sir, do you have any court orders regarding custody? My lawyer filed for an emergency hearing yesterday, I explained. It’s scheduled for tomorrow morning. In the meantime, I have reason to believe my wife intends to remove the children from the state without my knowledge or permission.

That’s ridiculous, Lauren scoffed. I have evidence, I said calmly, retrieving the plane tickets from my pocket. One-way tickets to Seattle for my wife, her companion, and my sons scheduled for this Thursday. The officers examined the tickets, then exchanged glances. “Ma’am, is this accurate?” Officer Wilson asked Lauren.

We were just exploring options, she insisted. I wasn’t going to take them without discussing it with Alex first. Then why didn’t you tell me about the tickets? I challenged. The officers spoke quietly to each other. Then Officer Jackson addressed us both. Until there’s a court order specifying custody arrangements.

Both parents have equal rights to the children. However, he added, seeing Lauren’s triumphant expression, removing children from the state without both parents’ consent can be considered parental abduction. So, what are you saying? Lauren demanded. I’m saying that until you have your court hearing tomorrow, it would be best if the children remained in their primary residence with Mr. Reed.

You’re welcome to visit them here, but we would advise against removing them from the premises. Lauren’s face flushed with anger. This is outrageous. They’re my children, too. No one’s disputing that, ma’am,” Officer Wilson said gently. “But in cases like this, stability is important for the children’s well-being.

” “Can I at least see them?” Lauren asked, her voice breaking. I hesitated, then nodded. “They’re inside. Colin’s doing homework, but please don’t upset them more than they already are.” The visit was awkward and painful. Lauren sat at the kitchen table with the boys, trying to act normal while they regarded her with wary expressions.

Colin eventually warmed up slightly, showing her his math worksheet. But Jaden remained distant, answering her questions with one-word replies. The police officers waited on the porch, a visible reminder of how broken our family had become. When it was time for her to leave, Lauren hugged the boys tightly, tears streaming down her face.

“I love you both so much,” she whispered. remember that, okay? No matter what happens. As she walked to the door, she paused beside me. I’ll see you in court tomorrow, she said quietly. Lauren, I said, keeping my voice low so the boys couldn’t hear. It doesn’t have to be this way. If you just agree to keep Travis away from them, he’s part of my life now, she interrupted.

The boys will have to accept that eventually. Even after what he did, her eyes hardened. He made a mistake. People deserve second chances. Some mistakes can’t be forgiven. She looked at me for a long moment. I guess we’ll find out tomorrow which ones. Through it all, my phone remained silent. No calls from Lauren, no texts.

It was as if she’d completely abandoned us until Wednesday. I was at work, having returned to the office for the first time since the incident. My assistant knocked on my door around noon. Alex, there’s a M. Patel on line one for you. says it’s urgent. Diana Mitchell, my lawyer, I picked up immediately. Lawrence filed for divorce, she said without preamble.

And she’s requesting full custody of both children. I felt the blood drain from my face. On what grounds? She’s claiming you have anger management issues. Says you attacked Travis unprovoked and that she fears for the children’s safety. That’s insane. I growled. There were witnesses. I know and we’ll fight this, but I wanted to prepare you. It’s going to get ugly.