Chapter 5 - The Hearing
The first court hearing took place on a Monday morning.
Jeremy arrived in a navy suit, his hair perfectly styled, wearing the confident expression he used when he believed he could charm his way out of trouble.
Edith sat behind him in the gallery.
She avoided looking at me.
I wore a simple black dress and carried a folder of evidence.
Bank statements.
Utility notices.
Business registration records.
Gambling transactions.
Renovation receipts.
Property deeds.
The truth, organized by date.
Jeremy’s attorney argued that the house was “marital property” because Jeremy had lived there during the marriage and had contributed “labor and emotional support” to its renovation.
I almost smiled.
Labor?
Jeremy had complained whenever I hired contractors.
Emotional support?
He had stood silently while his mother called me lazy.
Mr. Lawrence rose calmly.
“Your Honor,” he said, “the property was purchased before the marriage using Ms. Hutson’s inheritance and income. The deed is solely in her name. The mortgage, insurance, taxes, renovation work, and utility payments were funded primarily by Ms. Hutson.”
Then he placed copies of the bank transfers before the judge.
“As for Mr. Jameson’s alleged contribution, the evidence shows he diverted marital funds into a shell company, failed to pay household bills, and used significant sums for undisclosed gambling activity.”
Jeremy’s face changed.
His attorney leaned toward him, whispering urgently.
The judge reviewed the documents.
Then she looked directly at Jeremy.
“Mr. Jameson, did you create Jameson Home Solutions LLC?”
“Yes,” he said.
“Did this company perform services for the household?”
He hesitated.
“It was intended to.”
“That was not my question.”
“No.”
“Did you use money transferred from the joint account for gambling?”
Jeremy looked at me.
I held his gaze.
Finally, he said, “Some of it.”
The judge’s expression hardened.
“Some?”
His voice dropped.
“Yes.”
The courtroom was silent.
Then Mr. Lawrence submitted one final document.
A notarized statement from Vanessa, Jeremy’s former coworker, confirming that he had bragged about hiding money and manipulating me.
Jeremy’s lawyer objected.
The judge allowed it into the preliminary record.
By the end of the hearing, the court ruled that I would regain exclusive possession of the house pending divorce proceedings.
Jeremy and Edith had fourteen days to leave.
As we walked out of the courtroom, Jeremy caught up to me in the hallway.
“Blaire,” he said.
I stopped.
His eyes were red.
“I messed up.”
“Yes.”
“I can fix it.”
“No.”
“I’ll get help for the gambling.”
“I hope you do.”
“I’ll pay you back.”
“You should.”
He reached for my hand, then stopped himself.
“Please don’t do this.”
I looked at him for a long moment.
“I am not doing this to you, Jeremy. I am finally doing something for myself.”
His shoulders dropped.
And for the first time, he looked less like the man who had controlled my life and more like the man he truly was.
Lost.
Not because I abandoned him.
May you like
Because he had spent years abandoning himself.
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