Chapter 10: What the Lawyer Said
Her name was Claire Ashworth.
Marcus had used her once before for a contract dispute at work — sharp, direct, no wasted words.
She met us at her office at nine in the morning, a Saturday, which told me something about how seriously Marcus had described the situation on the phone.
We laid everything on her desk.
The photographs.
The text message.
The letter.
Patricia's message from the night before.
Claire read through everything without speaking.
She asked three questions when she was done.
"How many people did she make the paternity claim to, to your knowledge?"
"At least four that we can confirm," Marcus said.
"Possibly more."
"Did she claim to have proof?"
"In the text message, yes.
In person, according to Patricia, she said she had spoken to a doctor."
"Is there any basis for the claim?"
"None," Marcus said.
"None whatsoever."
Claire set the papers down.
"The paternity claim is defamatory.
It's a false statement of fact communicated to third parties that damages your family's reputation and your daughter's standing.
The fact that she claimed to have medical backing makes it worse, not better, because it implies deliberate fabrication." She tapped the threatening message to Patricia.
"This is also a problem for her.
Threatening a witness — and Patricia is a witness — after that witness has provided evidence is not a small thing."
"What can we do?" I asked.
"You can send a cease and desist demanding she stop making the claim immediately and retract it to anyone she told.
If she continues after receiving that letter, you have grounds for a defamation action." Claire paused.
"More practically, the cease and desist letter alone often stops people.
When they see it in writing, from a lawyer, with the word defamation on it, they understand that this is no longer a family argument."
"She won't see it that way," Marcus said.
"She doesn't need to see it any particular way.
She needs to understand there are legal consequences." Claire looked at him steadily.
"Is your goal to stop her or to punish her?"
Marcus was quiet for a moment.
"Stop her," he said.
"First.
Stop her from saying anything else about Lily.
Stop her from threatening Patricia.
Stop her from doing whatever she's planning to do next." He paused.
"And then — I want her to face what she's done.
Not just to us.
To Lily."
"Then we start with the cease and desist," Claire said.
"And we document everything from this point forward.
Every contact she makes.
Every message.
Every conversation.
If she calls you, note the time and what was said.
If she shows up, same thing." She looked at me.
"Both of you."
We left her office an hour later with a plan and a folder of copies.
On the steps outside, Marcus stopped and looked up at the sky for a moment.
"She's going to call me when she gets the letter," he said.
"I know."
"She's going to tell me I've destroyed the family.
That I've chosen you over her.
That she sacrificed everything and this is how she's repaid."
"Probably."
He looked at me.
"I need you to know that when she says that, I'm not going to argue with her about it.
I'm going to let her say it and I'm going to hang up."
"You don't have to explain yourself to me."
"I know." He reached for my hand.
"I just needed to say it out loud."
We walked to the car.
Lily was with my sister for the morning.
She had asked, apparently, if Grandma Diane was going to be at Auntie's house.
My sister had said no.
Lily had said "okay" and gone back to her drawing.
Four years old.
Already managing around it.
May you like
That was the thing that had kept me awake.
That was the thing that was not going to continue.
