Chapter 8 - THE DECISION THAT COULDN’T BE UNDONE
Cassidy filed for a protection order.
She also filed for legal separation.
Her attorney warned her that neither decision would settle custody, property, criminal liability, or the house immediately.
They were beginnings.
Not endings.
Trent responded through his lawyer.
He denied intentionally hurting Cassidy.
He claimed the incident had been a struggle over her phone during an emotional episode.
He requested contact with Lydia.
Cassidy’s attorney recommended that she not negotiate privately.
Cassidy agreed.
Then she made the decision that hurt Frank almost as much as everything else.
She quit working at Mercer Timber & Build.
Technically, she had only helped with bookkeeping on weekends, but her name remained tied to several company accounts and insurance policies.
As long as Trent’s employment and family finances touched Frank’s company, Cassidy wanted out.
Frank offered to remove Trent permanently instead.
“I already did.”
“That doesn’t change the years before this.”
“Cass—”
“I need to know I can survive without either of you deciding what’s best for me.”
Frank let the sentence land.
The following week, he formally terminated Trent’s role after discovering unauthorized use of company credit for personal expenses.
The financial misconduct was smaller than Frank feared.
That almost made it worse.
Trent had not needed the money desperately.
He had simply become accustomed to nobody questioning him.
Then investigators obtained something far more important than invoices.
Telephone records established that Trent’s call to Brock began at 7:51 p.m.
Nine minutes before Brock’s cruiser started moving toward Cassidy’s house.
And nearly an hour before anyone outside that house knew something was wrong.
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The question was no longer whether Trent had summoned Brock.
The question was why Trent had needed a deputy there before the violence happened.
