Page 59 of Mr. Principal

I closed my eyes and shuddered. “I told you I didn’t have anything to do with Becca’s decision.”

“Doesn’t matter now. I’ll tell you what,” he said with an evil chuckle. “I’m willing to drop the whole primary custody thing.”

“What’s the catch?” I whispered. There was always a catch with Tom.

“You stop seeing Carter.”

“You can’t tell me who I can or cannot date.”

“An eye for an eye. You took away my Becca and I’m going to make sure you and your dear Carter can’t be together. So those are my terms. If you don’t want me to set my lawyer on you then you do that one simple thing.” He added, “And don’t try to sneak around with him behind my back. I would find out. So what do you think of my terms?”

I turned away from him. I wanted to throw something, kick something, rip my hair out. I couldn’t believe he would stoop so low. He wanted primary custody, no more 50/50. And he wanted all my visits with Meredith to be supervised. He was trying to take her away from me.

Once I was behind the wheel, all I could think of was running over Tom. I drove past him but passed just close enough for him to worry about losing his life. He jumped away and I would have smiled if I weren’t so pissed off and ready to sob.

The tears came hard and fast then and I had to pull over because I was crying too hard to see. I was shaking, and I sat there for minutes sobbing until my throat and chest hurt. I told myself to knock it off. Now wasn’t the time for tears. It was time for action. I picked up the phone and called my lawyer. I couldn’t afford to even pay the consultation fee, I realized once I spoke to her receptionist.

What the hell am I supposed to do to see my daughter now?

I picked up the phone and called Carter.

“Can you come over?”

“I’ll be right there,” he said not even hesitating.

* * *

My mind wason the information in front of me as I heard Carter knock on the door ten minutes later. I’d occupied myself by looking for solutions to my issue by Googling every family lawyer I could find. I was calling offices, and most were closed.

Even though I knew what my rights were, and I knew that Tom couldn’t withhold Meredith, I was still looking on every site I could find to figure out what to do next.

I was trying to figure out if I should call the cops to enforce the order when I heard a knock at my door.

I got up and went towards the door. I pulled the door open and immediately broke down again. Carter didn’t say a word. He just held me as I sobbed on him.

“Whatever it is we’re going to work it out.”

I hoped he was right.

He ushered me back into my house and after a minute I was able to speak. Slowly, I started telling him everything. I told him about the conversation I’d had with Becca. I told him that Becca left Tom and now Tom was using Meredith to get back at me. And finally, I told him about Tom’s ultimatum.

“He can’t dictate who you see or what you do. As long as you’re taking care of Meredith, he has no right to make demands.”

“I know. I just don’t know what to do.”

“Do you have a lawyer? You know my stepmom would help you in a heartbeat.”

“I would appreciate that. Thank you. Does she charge a lot?”

“I’m sure she’ll work something out with you.”

“Thanks, Carter.”

“Of course. Do you want me to stay the night? So you don’t have to be alone?”

I shook my head. “No. I should be fine.”

As soon as he left, I passed by a mirror in my hall. I looked defeated and pitiful. I didn’t want to be that person any longer. I wasn’t that person any longer, so I made a game plan. I was going over to Tom’s house first thing in the morning and I wasn’t leaving without my daughter.