12
Richard
This morning, I woke up early for my court hearing with Heather. It was the only thing I could think about since Danielle had scheduled it, except for the time I spent with Annie. Our day along the coast was a welcome distraction from the living hell that was my life.
As I took a long, hot shower, I thought about how enamored I was with Annie. She was incredibly opposite to my personality. I was modern and conservative, with a mansion full of stainless steel appliances and the latest technology gadgets. Annie, on the other hand, was quirky and enjoyed everything that was vintage.
She seemed to have fun shopping at the boutiques along the coast, too, having picked out a few vintage sundresses. The saleswomen probably thought I was her uptight boyfriend, standing there in Gucci shorts, but I loved how different we were. Just seeing her smile melted me from the inside out.
The timing was all wrong, though.
I’d been waiting for so long to gain more responsibility at work, and just when my father gave it to me, Heather walked back into my life. My days consisted of deciding what to do with the new farmland, juggling calls from my attorney, and answering text messages from Annie.
It was all so overwhelming.
If Heather had simply contacted me and apologized for not telling me about Addison sooner, we could have worked it out. I wouldn’t have hesitated to give her child support. I would have had no problem giving her primary custody either, just as long as I had visitation rights.
Not only was she trying to blackmail me, Heather didn’t want me seeing Addison at all.
Why couldn’t Annie have gone out with me last year when Jake and Julianna were starting to date; back when I first showed interest? My life was a mess, and it was starting to look like I wouldn’t have time for a romantic relationship.
I walked into the courthouse and sat down next to my attorney, but not before seeing Heather. My mouth fell open.
She was wearing a Chanel suit. Even though I wasn’t up to date on women’s fashion, I’d seen similar ones sell for thousands of dollars online. Her pearl necklace and matching earrings didn’t appear to be fake, either. Having grown up in a wealthy home with a mother who loved jewelry, I could spot the difference between a real and a fake pearl.
Hers were real.
Dangling from her wrist was a tennis bracelet, that was probably worth five figures, and an enormous engagement ring. It was pink too, which was Heather’s favorite color. I squinted my eyes and, based on the light reflecting off of it, could tell that it was at least ten carats.
Heather was doing quite well for herself.
She shot me a nasty look, and I met it with an icy cold stare. If she wanted money out of me, then she’d have to drag me by the neck because I was calling bullshit.
“Are you alright?” Danielle could tell that I was angry as I sat down next to her.
“Did you see what she’s wearing? She doesn’t need a lump sum payment, Danielle. All she’s getting out of me is back child support payments!”
Danielle glanced over at Heather, who shot her a dirty look, and then back at me. “If she says that she needs the money, I’ll be sure to bring up her wardrobe and jewelry. Consider it done.”
I tried to relax while waiting for the judge, telling myself that it was all about Addison. Heather could be as unrelenting as she wanted, but I would find one way or another to see my daughter. The judge walked out of his chambers and sat down. The whole courtroom became eerily quiet, and even though I refused to look at her anymore, I knew that Heather was staring at me. She was trying to get under my skin, but I refused to let that happen.
“Richard Truman, in reviewing your records, it appears as though you have a young daughter for which you’ve never provided child support. Why is that?”
Danielle stood up.
“Your honor,” Danielle said, “my client, Richard Truman, is just now being informed that he has a daughter. For reasons unknown to us, he wasn’t made aware that she was pregnant with his child.”
The judge looked over at Heather, who rolled her eyes as her attorney stood up.
“Is this true? Did your client neglect to tell Richard that he had a daughter?”
“Your Honor,” her attorney said, “my client is asking for back child support payments plus a lump sum payment to help with finances.”
“Is it true that your client failed to tell the father about his daughter, though? Answer my question.”
Her attorney stuttered a bit before responding. “Well, yes, your honor. But it’s still his child.”
The judge looked back at us. “Your honor, my client has missed out on the first few years of his daughter’s life. First, we need to establish that he is, without a doubt, the father.”
