Chapter 7 - Ethan Claimed He Never Authorized The Custody Plan
After the children were upstairs with our housekeeper, Ethan finally put Lauren down.
It was the first time since I entered the room.
She immediately tried to move toward him.
He stepped away.
That detail did not earn him forgiveness.
But I noticed it.
“Did you know?” I asked.
“About the petition? No.”
“Did you tell her I was unstable?”
Ethan looked at the floor.
“Madeline—”
“Did you?”
“I vented.”
I laughed without humor.
“About whether I could parent our children?”
“I never said you couldn’t parent them.”
Lauren interrupted.
“You said she barely functions without Richard.”
Ethan turned on her.
“That’s not what I meant.”
“You said she was overwhelmed.”
“She is eight months pregnant!”
I stared at him.
Now he understood context.
How convenient.
Lauren started crying.
“You told me you wanted out.”
“I said I was miserable.”
“You said you wanted the kids with you.”
“I meant after a divorce, shared custody.”
“You said she would make everything impossible.”
“And your solution was to build a case against her without telling me?”
Lauren looked at him as if he were betraying her.
That was almost surreal.
She had slept with my husband.
Prepared to use my pregnancy against me.
And still managed to experience herself as the abandoned party.
Ethan looked at me.
“I did not authorize this.”
I believed him.
Eventually.
But belief did not restore the marriage.
Because the petition could only exist because he gave Lauren enough private material to write it.
He had handed another woman the keys.
May you like
She chose which door to unlock.
Both mattered.
