Chapter 3 - The Soccer Field Showdown
Saturday morning was Eli’s first soccer game of the season. I arrived early, setting up my folding chair near the midfield line, armed with a thermos of coffee and my phone set to record audio in my pocket.
Nathan arrived ten minutes later, holding Lauren’s hand. She was wearing a custom-printed t-shirt that read Mama Bear in shimmering gold cursive. It was so spectacularly tasteless I almost laughed out loud.
They walked right past me, ignoring my presence, and went straight to the team bench. I watched as Lauren knelt down, handing Eli a water bottle and dramatically kissing his cheek in front of the other parents. Eli, confused and slightly uncomfortable, looked over at me. I gave him a warm, reassuring smile and a thumbs-up.
A few minutes later, one of the team moms, a woman named Jessica, walked over to me. She looked intensely uncomfortable. "Hey, Elena... I don't want to start drama, but I thought you should know. That woman Nathan is with just introduced herself to the coach as Eli's new stepmom. She gave the coach her cell phone number and told him to remove you from the emergency contact list because you're 'transitioning out' of custody."
My blood turned to ice, but I kept my smile radiant. "Thank you for telling me, Jessica. Don't worry, I'm handling it."
At halftime, Nathan marched over to my chair. He looked incredibly smug, holding a manila folder. He dropped it onto my lap.
"What's this?" I asked.
"It's an informal custody agreement," Nathan said, crossing his arms. "I had a mediator draw it up. I’m asking for seventy percent custody. You’ll get him every other weekend."
I stared at him, genuinely stunned by his audacity. "Seventy percent? Nathan, you don't even know the name of his pulmonologist. You don't know his teacher's name."
"Lauren handles all of that now," he said dismissively. "She’s great at it. And let's be honest, Elena, you’ve been unstable lately. The doctor's office even noted it in his file. You're emotional, you're combative with the pharmacy, and you're creating a toxic environment. If you sign this now, we can avoid a messy court battle. If you fight me, I will drag you through the mud, and with my income, I will bankrupt you in legal fees."
I opened the folder. The document was a joke, drafted by a strip-mall paralegal, but the intent was clear. Nathan was trying to erase me. He and Lauren wanted to play house, and I was the inconvenient loose end.
I looked up at him, my eyes wide and perfectly glassy. "I just... I need to read this over, Nathan. It's a lot."
"Take your time," he smirked, victorious. "But don't take too long. Lauren and I are looking at houses in the right school district, and we need this finalized."
May you like
I watched him walk back to Lauren, who gave me a triumphant, pitying look from across the grass. I closed the folder, picked up my phone, and texted Diane.
File the emergency injunction. Serve them both. It’s time.
