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“You know I’m over thirty, right? You can’t keep calling me that.”
“I can call you that until the day I die. You’re my baby sister. It’s my job to tease you and pull your pigtails.” We both laugh. The memories of him when I was a kid roll behind my eyes. He’s always been there for me. Now it’s time for me to stand on my own.
“Darrell, I’m serious.” He knows I’m not talking about him calling me by his nickname for me. I’m talking about protecting him and his family.
“I am too. I’ve got you. It’s my job to take care of you.”
“No, it isn’t. I’m an adult and can do it myself. Plus, you have a family to take care of now. I love you, D, but let me try this on my own. Please.”
“I know you are strong enough to do this, but let me help you some.” He pauses, and I know he has more to say. “Are you meeting with your attorneys this afternoon?”
“Yeah. They are filing an injunction with the courts to stop him from selling the house.”
Colton has control of all of the money in our joint accounts, the house, the car, and even the clothes I didn’t pack before he locked the kids and me out. My attorneys have filed emergency orders to help me get everything we need. I’ve since changed my payroll deposit to a new bank. And I have the black Amex Darrell initially gave me when I turned eighteen. Colton never knew about it. He refused to let me use any of my family’s money after he and Darrell argued. I always kept the card current and activated. It's what saved me and got me home two weeks ago.
Darrell got me a new car. The new BMW X7 is exactly what I wanted before, but Colton had made me get a used, smaller sedan instead of a midsize SUV that worked better with the kids. I couldn’t carry Micah’s hockey gear and groceries at the same time. Darrell has also helped me get my inheritance and monthly board member checks that I wasn’t getting before. He’d kept all the money in a secure account for me. I’m back to sitting on the board too. My brother retained my seat. It’s like Darrell knew this day would come. He said he didn’t think Colton would cheat on me, but he was sure my soon-to-be ex-husband would mess up bad enough that I would see what he was doing to me. Colton had controlled everything in our marriage, including me and the kids.
He dictated what we wore. Who we spoke to. Everything.
“Hey, Uncle D.” The kids come bounding into my room, something that Colton hated. The kids weren’t allowed in our room at all. Here the kids come and go as they please as long as they knock if the door is closed. Even with everything going on, the kids are flourishing being away from Colton. It’s as if they don’t miss him. They get to be children now, not little adults, as he demanded of them.
“What up, my munchie moos, how are you?”
“Good. Krystal is taking us to school in a bit,” Micah answers while my sweet Michelle cuddles into me. She’s the only one of the two of them showing any signs of being upset. She blames herself because she’s heard Colton say in the past that if we didn’t have kids, we wouldn’t have to work so much. I didn’t tell the kids he’s engaged to another woman.
“You listen to Krystal,” my brother tells them, and they both say they will.
“Okay, babies, I have to finish getting ready, and you have to go to school. Give me hugs and kisses,” I tell them. “D, hold on, I want to talk to you some more.”
“I’m here.”
I kiss my babies goodbye and walk them to my doorway. “Krystal, I have an appointment after work and then I’ll be home. I can pick up dinner so you can have the evening off.”
“I don’t have any plans, so I can hang with you guys too.” She smiles, and I know no matter how hard I try, she isn’t leaving us. After she heard about Colton’s behavior last night, she’s been more on guard.
“Okay.” My lips clamp together, and I nod. I watch them move toward the front door and head out. Krystal locks the door behind her even though I’m leaving in a bit.
I pick up my phone and take it off speaker and put it to my ear. I need my brother to understand I’m not a little girl anymore and I can do this. I’m going to do this for my kids and for myself.
“Now listen here. I’ll pay Krystal’s wages from now on. You should have told me she was security.” I pause and rub my temple and forehead. “I understand you were protecting me and the kids, but don’t do things behind my back. I deserve to know.” The words are angry, but my tone isn’t because I can’t fault him for wanting to protect us. Ever since we lost our parents, he’s been overprotective of me. They died in a freak car accident that no one can explain.
“Lydia, I’ll do anything to protect you and the kids. That’s my job.” He pauses, and I wait for the other shoe to drop. “Besides, the way Colton is acting with his legal team, I don’t trust him not to come after you.” His voice is gruff and filled with emotion.
“What do you mean?” I try to control my breathing so he doesn’t know I’m scared.
“He is contesting the prenup.”
My family can trace its heritage in Chattanooga to before the Civil War. They helped in the industrialization of the area, and because of that, my brother runs a huge corporation he inherited from our parents. I sit on the board and am a voting member again. Before Colton and I got married, my brother and the company attorneys made us sign a prenuptial agreement. They had said I was worth too much not to, and it also protected my vote on the board. Colton was so angry at the time, but he calmed down. It wasn’t until an office was opened in Nashville and Colton wasn’t made the head of it—or even hired to work in it—that the rift between them started. Colton had refused to let me speak to my brother. However, I did behind his back, but I couldn’t go see him. Now with Colton openly cheating on me, he gets nothing, leaves with what he brought into the marriage, and we equally divide everything we made together. The sale of the house has to be halved too.
I’m not too concerned about selling the house. I haven’t met him yet, but Sydney’s new boyfriend, Tucker, works for a construction company. I want to talk to him about building me a place. After staying out here in Murfreesboro for the last couple of weeks, I’ve come to really like the area. I’m even thinking of putting the kids in a local public school instead of the private school they currently attend.
“He can’t contest it. What does he gain by doing that?”
“You’re right, he can’t, but it’s just more of a fight for you. Your attorneys have asked to meet with one of the company lawyers. They’ll consult and attend court if necessary.”
“Oh my God, Darrell, this is getting ridiculous. Should I just pay him and be done with it?” Colton’s attorney came to mine with an offer. I’m meeting with my attorneys after work to discuss the situation. He wants two million dollars, all sales from the house, pay no child support, and he’ll walk away.
He’ll walk away from our children, as if they never existed in his eyes. Walk away from me and the years we had together. The latter I could deal with, but the former is ridiculous as they are his kids too.
