Chapter 5 - The Subpoena
True to my word, by Tuesday morning at 9:00 a.m., I was sitting across the mahogany desk of family law attorney David Vance, sliding the screenshot of Mrs. Bennett's text messages, my call logs, and a written statement of the events across the polished wood.
David adjusted his glasses, scanning the documents with a grim, practiced expression. When he looked back up, his eyes were sharp.
"This isn't just a minor disagreement over holiday scheduling, Rachel," David said, folding his hands on the desk. "If what your neighbor witnessed can be corroborated—and given her long residency across the street, she makes a very credible witness—this crosses the line into emotional neglect and targeted alienation within the custodial household."
"I don't want to completely cut Peter out of her life," I admitted, swirling my fingers against the fabric of my coat. "He’s her father. But I cannot let Brooke continue to emotionally abuse and isolate her every time she goes over there."
"Then we won't cut him out. We'll restructure the terms," David replied decisively. "We will file for an emergency modification of the parenting plan, requesting sole physical custody during the school year, supervised visitation for Peter until he demonstrates he can maintain a safe and neutral home environment, and a mandatory retraining order prohibiting Brooke from initiating disciplinary actions or 'games' directed solely at Hallie."
"Will it hold up?" I asked, the lingering anxiety of bureaucratic legal battles knotting my stomach.
"With your documentation, the neighbor's corroborating text log, and the fact that Peter fled the scene while his wife harassed a child? Absolutely," David said, pulling out a drafting pad. "Let's get the paperwork drawn up today."
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By Thursday afternoon, the papers had been officially filed and served.
Peter called my lawyer's office within twenty minutes of receiving them, threatening everything from counter-suits to contempt of court. But David was a veteran of messy family law; he simply forwarded Peter’s hysterical voicemails to the judge’s clerk as an exhibition of instability.
