Filtered away from the kids’ view
Zelda left for Tennessee, leaving Othello & two cats behind.
I began legal proceedings to remove her from the decision chain where Othello is concerned. Zelda filed protest of the motion, then was silent, filing no counter-order or motion to dismiss.
The court required us to try mediation prior to court hearing. Zelda abstained without comment for five months, not acknowledging the requirement in any way.
I filed for temporary custody pending resolution. Zelda filed protest of that motion as well, filing no counter-order or motion to dismiss.
The court required each of us to contact the court on the 21st of each month to report on progress in mediation. Zelda abstained wihtout comment for five months, not acknowledging the requirement in any way.
I filed to have her objections stricken from the record last week, citing her refusal to take part in the proceedings in any way save to object at all points and then fall silent. The court was pleased to break the motif by striking all her pleadings to date. Since Zelda had not attended the meeting by telephone she was unaware that the pace had changed.
The penultimate step, a filing of the custody order with the court, has been taken. Zelda has been moving with great energy to file a protest –
– but the only protest she can file now is against the particulars of the support payments –
– and I filed those grossly in her favor. If she accepts the terms as they are, she will be paying a pittance; it might cover Othello’s grocery bill. If she contests them then she will end up paying far more; double or even triple what was filed. We filed as if she worked for minimum wage; she makes nearly four times that.
She has a week to choose to file a protest and continue her pattern, or to lie quietly while this finishes outside the courtroom. It is very much in her interest to shut up and let this go. It is very much in her character and habit to protest from reflex, and as punishment to me.
I would love to say I am so devious that I planned this, but it was just the way things fell. Honestly, I hope, for a variety of reasons, that she just lets it go. We’ll all be done — nothing will change Othello’s mind at this point, in any case. And, striking for a bit of nobility, here, it would be nice if Zelda could let this go and stop trying to fight about a marriage dead for years, nice if she could leave me and go have a life that she likes.
I can’t pretend to be too noble, though. Mostly I just want her to leave me alone.
Crossposted from Epinepherine & Sophistry