Chapter 6 - The Cost of Finally Believing Herself
Blythe hired a family-law attorney.
The consultation lasted ninety minutes.
She cried only once.
Not when describing the assault.
When the attorney asked, “Do you have access to your own money?”
Blythe realized the answer was barely.
Before pregnancy, she worked as a physical therapist at an outpatient clinic in Aurora.
During the final trimester, severe pelvic pain reduced her schedule.
Damon had encouraged her to take leave early.
“We’ll be fine on my salary.”
Blythe had thought it was generous.
Now she saw what losing her paycheck had done.
Her attorney did not promise custody.
Did not promise the house.
Did not promise Damon would disappear from their lives.
She explained temporary protective orders, emergency parenting issues, financial disclosures, and why Blythe needed to preserve records instead of confronting Damon directly.
The legal process felt disappointingly ordinary.
That helped.
Ordinary procedures were better than chaos.
A temporary order limited Damon’s contact with Blythe while the assault allegations were addressed.
Parenting arrangements involving Arlo would require further court review.
Nobody suggested a three-day-old infant should simply be handed back into conflict.
Blythe moved permanently into Ellis’s guest room for the immediate future.
The first week was humiliating in ways she had not expected.
Her father bought nursing pads.
He washed bottles at two in the morning.
He drove her to her blood-pressure check.
She was twenty-seven years old and needed help stepping into the shower.
Yet every day away from Damon felt physically easier.
Then Kara came over.
She brought soup and an apology.
“I should’ve pushed harder when Damon kept canceling on me.”
Blythe shook her head.
“I kept telling everyone I was tired.”
“You were tired.”
“I was also scared.”
Saying it aloud changed something.
The following morning Blythe received a message through her attorney.
Damon wanted permission to send a letter.
Blythe refused.
He wanted photographs of Arlo.
Her attorney advised they could address appropriate child-related information through structured channels.
That afternoon Loretta texted Ellis.
Damon had contacted her.
He wanted her to withdraw everything she had told the hospital social worker.
Loretta refused.
Then Damon sent one final message.
If you do this, you’ll never see your grandson.
Blythe stared at the screenshot.
May you like
Damon still believed access to Arlo was something he could grant or take away.
And for the first time, Loretta stopped protecting her son from the consequences of that belief.
