Chapter 10: The Last Thing Greg Said
The hearing was set for a Thursday morning in late October.
Greg arrived with a lawyer in a better suit than Patricia's, which was the only advantage he walked in with.
Sally sat beside Patricia at the table.
She wore a dark blue blouse and her hair back and she looked like herself — the version of herself I hadn't seen clearly in two years.
Straight-backed.
Quiet.
Ready.
Greg looked at her once when he came in.
She didn't look back.
The judge was a woman in her sixties with reading glasses and no patience for theater.
She moved through the proceedings at a pace that left Greg's lawyer very little room to perform.
The February statement was entered.
The texts were entered.
My husband's screenshot of *Let it go* was entered.
Patricia had also obtained, through the financial discovery process, records showing that Greg had transferred a significant portion of their joint savings into a personal account in the weeks following Sally's departure.
Quietly.
Without notice.
Greg's lawyer called it a precautionary measure.
The judge called it dissipation of marital assets and made a note.
Greg was given the opportunity to speak.
He said Sally had been emotionally unstable for years.
He said the February incident had been mutual.
He said the financial transfers were for legitimate expenses he could document.
He said he had always put his family first and that this entire proceeding was the result of outside interference from Sally's parents, who had never accepted him.
The judge listened.
She wrote something down.
Then she looked at Greg over her glasses and said: "Mr.
Hartwell.
I've read the statement from your wife.
I've read the text messages.
I've reviewed the financial records." She set her pen down.
"I'm going to ask you one question, and I'd like a direct answer.
On the night of February fourteenth of this year, did you physically restrain your wife?"
Greg's lawyer put a hand on his arm.
Greg said: "It was a disagreement that got out of hand."
The judge looked at him for a moment.
Then she turned back to her papers.
The protective order was made permanent.
The joint account was frozen pending full financial review.
Temporary primary custody of Emmy was granted to Sally, with supervised visitation for Greg until a full custody evaluation could be completed.
Greg stood when it was over.
His lawyer was already packing his bag.
"This is not finished," Greg said.
He was looking at Sally.
"You know that."
Sally stood up.
She picked up her bag.
She looked at him directly for the first time all morning.
"Yes it is," she said.
"You just don't know it yet."
She walked out ahead of Patricia.
I was waiting in the hallway.
She walked straight to me and I put my arms around her and she held on for a long time, right there in the corridor outside the courtroom, people moving past us on both sides.
She didn't cry.
She just held on.
When she finally stepped back, her eyes were dry and her chin was steady.
"Can we go get Emmy?" she said.
"She's with your father," I said.
"He took her for ice cream."
Sally almost smiled.
May you like
"Of course he did."
We walked out of the building together into the cold October air.
