Part 6

I showed him the comparison chart: Beacon charged nearly double what another agency quoted for similar services. I pointed to his and Kendra’s approvals and the $11,000 deposit in our joint account.

“You told me that money was a travel reimbursement. Why is it labeled as a Beacon advance?”

He didn’t answer right away. For the first time, he seemed to choose his words carefully.

“Kendra had some urgent expenses to cover. I did her a favor through my account, and we squared it later. It’s an administrative matter.”

“I’m not asking for a confession. I’m telling you the company will have to review it, with your explanations and every supporting document.”

I couldn’t say yet that it was fraud. I needed someone to examine the services, invoices, and payments without mixing up my marriage with the investigation.

My father rose only when Garrett hinted that he could pressure the doctors into handing over Owen that same day.

“No one is handing you a newborn because you demand it,” he said. “Brooke is the patient, and the hospital will follow its protocols. The rest will be handled through the proper procedures.”

Garrett called me ungrateful and threatened to prove I couldn’t raise two babies. The hospital representative asked him to leave. Before walking out, he looked only at Owen once more.

My legs were shaking after he left. I asked my father not to promise any magical solutions: the decisions still ahead were mine.

That night I was afraid Garrett would come back with a more expensive lawyer and a story that could make me look unstable. I told Dana. She asked me to write out a timeline while my memories were fresh and to keep the originals instead of arguing over the phone. The habit of giving in wouldn’t disappear after one confrontation, but for the first time, my next step didn’t depend on guessing my husband’s mood.

The following week I filed for divorce and asked for temporary orders on child support and visitation. Dana attached the agreement, the messages, and my statement. I didn’t ask for punishment for infidelity; I asked for protection for my children.

I gave the freight company’s compliance department the comparison chart I had legitimately kept, the authorization, and the joint account statement. I explained in writing how I had obtained each document and asked that my father stay out of any employment decision. He agreed.