Her grandma had left her the $750,000 four-bedroom house in Northeast Portland when she died, plus $150,000 in savings for the baby and for Chloe to finish her graphic design degree. Mark had spent every cent of the savings in 6 months: $127,000 on crypto that was now worth $1,200, $15,000 on hotel stays and fancy dinners with Jessica, $8,000 on a new motorcycle he kept in the garage and never let Chloe ride. “I begged him for $40 for the copay for my OBGYN appointment,” Chloe said, her voice shaking. “I told her I was having cramps, that I was scared something was wrong with the baby. He laughed. He pushed me out the front door, locked it, turned off the porch light. It was pouring rain. I had $12 in my purse. I walked 2 miles to the grocery store, bought a granola bar and a bottle of water, slept in my Civic for three days. I didn’t have anyone to call. I didn’t want to worry you, I thought I could fix it.”
Eleanor pulled her close, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. “You don’t ever have to fix anything alone, baby. I’m always here. Always.”
Arthur showed up 90 minutes later, his suit wrinkled, his tie loosened, his briefcase bulging with paperwork. He hugged Chloe first, then Eleanor, then pulled a thick stack of printed forms out of his briefcase, slapping them down on the table. “TRO is already signed by a judge,” he said, tapping the top form. “Mark can’t come within 500 feet of you, the baby, the hospital, or the house. If he so much as drives down your street, he gets arrested. Emergency custody order gives you sole legal and physical custody of Liam — that’s the name you picked, right? — no visitation for Mark until we have a full hearing in two weeks. Divorce papers are ready to file. We’re asking for full spousal support for five years, full child support until he’s 18, and full restitution for the $150,000 he stole from your inheritance. I also talked to Sarah at the DA’s office. She’s issuing a warrant for his arrest for felony theft and criminal endangerment of a minor. He’s looking at up to five years in prison if he’s convicted.”
Chloe stared at the papers, her eyes wide. “You did all that in 90 minutes?” “I’ve been waiting for this piece of shit to mess up since you told me you were dating him,” Arthur said, his voice soft. “I had half the paperwork prepped just in case. I told you he was bad news, kiddo. I’m sorry I didn’t push harder.” “It’s not your fault,” Chloe said, wiping her eyes. “I didn’t want to listen.”
Arthur left to go serve Mark the papers 10 minutes later, Eleanor following him down to the lobby. Mark was sitting on a plastic chair by the automatic doors, hunched over his phone, trying to call his lawyer. He looked up when they walked over, his face twisting into a snarl. “You can’t do this,” he said, standing up. “That’s my wife, that’s my kid, that house is half mine!” “Actually, it’s not,” Arthur said, slapping the stack of papers down on the table in front of him. “The house was inherited by Chloe solely during your marriage, per her grandmother’s will. You have zero legal claim to it. You’ve been served with a temporary restraining order, emergency custody order, and divorce papers. You have 72 hours to move all your stuff out of the house. If you leave so much as a scratch on the walls, we’ll sue you for damages. Also, the DA’s office has a warrant out for your arrest. You should probably call a criminal defense lawyer. You’re gonna need one.”
