Chapter 5 - How MuchTwo weeks later, Preston filed for divorce in Ohio before I could. Vivienne had expected it. "He wants home-field advantage," she explained. "And he wants to frame the story first."

His filing described me as unstable. He claimed I'd abruptly abandoned the marital home, concealed our daughter's birth, and interfered with his parental rights. He also requested temporary sole custody.

Genevieve nearly threw the papers across the kitchen. "He left you in labor!"

"I know."

"He gave you fifteen dollars!"

"I know."

"And now he says you abandoned him?"

"I know."

But the filing still terrified me. There is something strange about seeing lies written in formal legal language. They look cleaner. More dangerous. A sentence that would sound absurd during an argument begins to feel powerful beneath a court heading.

Vivienne saw my expression during our video call. "Do not confuse an allegation with a finding," she said. "He gets to claim things. We get to answer."

So we answered. We attached screenshots of Preston's messages from the night Sadie was born. One said: If you are doing this to embarrass me, I swear you will regret it. Another: Bring my daughter home and stop acting crazy. And at 4:08 a.m., less than half an hour after Sadie's birth: I have work in the morning. I cannot keep chasing you.

We submitted the bank records. We documented that I'd received medical care, that Sadie was healthy, that I was living in a stable home with Genevieve, and that through counsel I'd offered appropriate contact once a temporary parenting structure was established.

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Then something happened Preston hadn't expected. His own lawyer told him to stop texting me. I knew because his messages suddenly became formal. Claire — Naomi, I would like to discuss an amicable resolution. I regret that communication has deteriorated. My priority is Sadie's well-being.

The words sounded nothing like him. I could practically see his attorney behind every sentence. For the first time, Preston had someone in his life he couldn't intimidate into accepting his version of reality.