Chapter 15 - THE DIVORCE
My divorce from Julian took nineteen months.
We had a prenup.
Neither of us remembered how valuable that would become.
My Vale trust interests were separate property.
Sterling corporate interests remained largely his separate holdings.
Marital assets included:
Our investment account.
Cars.
Some retirement savings.
Furniture.
My salary savings.
His compensation earned during marriage.
Sterling House was never ours personally.
That myth died early.
We divided what the law said we owned.
I did not take half his family company because he betrayed me.
He did not gain access to my inheritance because we had a child.
Custody was harder.
By then Julian had:
Pleaded guilty.
Completed parenting therapy.
Stopped contact with Chloe.
Limited contact with Eleanor under criminal orders.
Admitted his conduct to Lily in age-appropriate language.
He still had failed catastrophically.
The child advocate recommended:
Primary residence with me.
Gradually expanding parenting time with Julian.
No unsupervised contact with Eleanor or Chloe.
No discussion of trusts or litigation around Lily.
Shared medical information.
Major decisions initially with me, subject to mediation and court review.
I wanted sole everything.
Dr. Chen asked:
“For Lily or for you?”
“Both.”
“Separate them.”
I hated that question.
Eventually, I accepted the plan.
Julian’s first unsupervised daytime visit lasted three hours.
I checked my phone every nine minutes.
No emergency.
Lily returned carrying a drawing.
“Daddy made spaghetti.”
“Was it good?”
“No.”
I laughed.
Then cried after she went to bed.
The man I was divorcing was becoming a safer father.
May you like
That did not make him a safe husband for me.
Both truths could remain.
