Chapter 7 - Ramona’s Version
Ramona’s attorney sent a written statement.
She denied intending to disfigure Nell.
Good.
No loaded language.
She admitted cutting the braid.
Claimed:
She made a reckless, impulsive decision after months of resentment.
Not premeditated assault.
The scissors were at the craft table for ribbon.
That was partly true.
We had children's ribbon crafts.
But whose scissors?
Ramona brought them.
Professional hair shears.
Why bring hair shears to ribbon crafts?
She said they were in her purse from Dulcie’s styling kit.
Possible.
Then:
She had jokingly discussed Nell getting a haircut.
Dulcie misunderstood.
Then actual moment.
Nell was standing near Ramona.
Ramona touched braid.
Said:
“Maybe it’s time.”
Nell pulled away.
Ramona cut.
That was deliberate.
No accident.
Why?
Ramona wrote:
“I had become obsessed with the idea that my daughter was constantly being compared to Nell.”
There.
Then:
“I believed shortening Nell’s hair would remove one obvious basis for comparison.”
I stared.
That sentence was monstrous because it was so calm.
Then modeling.
She admitted unauthorized submission.
Why?
“I believed Ainsley had previously expressed openness to child modeling.”
I had said maybe someday.
She treated it as permission.
Then agency picks Nell.
Ramona said she felt:
Humiliated.
Not because Dulcie was rejected entirely.
Because she had spent months teaching Dulcie posing, auditions, confidence, and then a family snapshot of Nell got more interest.
That exposed something ugly in her.
Then:
“I was angry at the industry, my family, myself, and unfairly at Nell.”
Better.
Then:
“I did not cut Nell’s hair to physically injure her.”
Of course.
Intent was cosmetic control.
Still battery.
Then:
“I believed hair grows back.”
That phrase enraged me.
Because people use reversibility to minimize violation.
Bruises heal too.
Words fade.
Does not make consent optional.
Then she said:
“I am sorry.”
Not enough yet.
But beginning.
Then child services evaluated Ramona’s parenting of Dulcie.
No removal.
No physical abuse finding.
Concerns:
Excessive focus on appearance/performance.
Adultification around competition.
Using child as emotional confidante about family comparisons.
Pressuring Dulcie to continue auditions after she expressed fatigue.
Recommendation:
Parenting therapy.
Suspend commercial modeling temporarily.
Co-parenting consultation with Evan.
No unsupervised contact with Nell.
Dulcie remained safe with her mother subject to monitoring and shared custody.
Good.
No dramatic custody theft.
Then Evan filed to modify aspects of decision-making:
Any modeling/entertainment work required both parents' written consent.
No beauty/pageant activities without Dulcie’s expressed willingness.
Court granted temporary order by agreement.
Ramona consented.
May you like
That mattered.
She was not fighting every boundary.
