“Look at all this,” Mom said, spreading papers across the kitchen table. “Seventeen years of raising two kids alone. He never sent a dime.”
The next morning, we went to a lawyer’s office.
It turned out that since he’d never paid a dime in child support and just vanished, that didn’t erase his responsibilities.
The lawyer smiled when we explained our situation.
“We can definitely file a case,” she said. “This is exactly what the system is designed for.”
Two weeks later, I set up another meeting with my father. I texted him that I had the money ready in cash, and he texted back that he would definitely be there.
Instead of cash, I brought him something else entirely.
I slid an envelope across the table at Tony’s. “You’re officially served. That’s a court summons. You’ll need to show up in family court.”
His face fell. The confidence drained from his expression as he flipped through the papers. “What is this?”
“Seventeen years of unpaid child support,” I said calmly. “Plus interest.”
“By the way,” I added, “once the judge hears this case, your accounts won’t be looking too good.”
A few months later, the judge ruled in our favor.
He was ordered to pay every missed payment of child support. He now owes my mom more than $86,000.
My mom cried when we got the news. She didn’t cry out of revenge, but because she felt relieved. She finally got the justice she’d wanted.
As for me and Stacey? We want nothing to do with him. He had his chance, but he left. And now we’re not giving him a second one.
This work is inspired by real events and people, but it has been fictionalized for creative purposes. Names, characters, and details have been changed to protect privacy and enhance the narrative. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.
The author and publisher make no claims to the accuracy of events or the portrayal of characters and are not liable for any misinterpretation. This story is provided “as is,” and any opinions expressed are those of the characters and do not reflect the views of the author or publisher.
