Chapter 7 - The Settlement Table
In mid-January, we met at the county courthouse for the final settlement hearing.
Corbin sat at the defense table alone. He couldn't afford a private attorney; he was represented by a overworked public defender. His suit was wrinkled, his hair unkempt, and his eyes completely hollow.
Across the room, I sat between my father and Arthur Pendelton. I wore a tailored dark blue suit, my hair done neatly, holding my head high for the first time in five years.
Judge Harrison reviewed the documents stacked before her.
"Mr. Mercer," Judge Harrison said sternly. "You are facing pending federal charges for wire fraud, you owe $85,000 in liquidated debt to Colonel Langston, and you have zero income. Do you contest the terms of the divorce settlement presented by Mrs. Mercer's counsel?"
Corbin’s public defender leaned over, whispering in his ear: "Sign it, Corbin. If you go to trial, they will take every penny of your future wages for the next thirty years."
Corbin picked up the pen with trembling fingers.
"I... I sign," he rasped, his voice barely a whisper.
Under the terms of the settlement:
I received 100% ownership of our home and all personal property.
Corbin forfeited all parental rights to Wren until he paid off his debts and completed court-ordered therapy.
Corbin was mandated to pay $1,200 a month in child support, which would be garnished directly from any future wages he ever earned.
Elaine Mercer was issued a permanent five-hundred-foot restraining order from me, Wren, and my father.
As Corbin signed the final page, he looked across the table at my father.
"Why?" Corbin choked out, tears finally spilling down his sunken cheeks. "Why did you build such a trap for me? I was your son-in-law!"
May you like
My father leaned forward, looking into the eyes of the man who had abandoned his daughter in a blizzard.
"You were never my son-in-law, Corbin," Dad said quietly. "You were just a test. And you failed every single question."
