Chapter 20 - THE MANSION ACCESS
Temporary residential orders came three weeks after filing.
Daniel requested exclusive use.
So did I.
The judge reviewed:
Trust ownership.
Marriage duration.
Residence history.
Safety allegation.
Security footage of slap.
Alternative housing.
Daniel owned a downtown condominium through his company.
He claimed it was leased.
Lease to his employee.
Suspicious timing but not necessarily fake.
The court granted me temporary exclusive occupancy subject to later property determinations.
Daniel collected personal belongings under scheduled access.
No dramatic lockout.
A neutral property supervisor attended.
Evelyn came too.
Not inside.
She waited in car.
Daniel stood in the foyer.
Same chandelier.
Same marble.
No relatives.
His eyes moved to the spot where he hit me.
I wondered if he remembered.
Then:
“You’re really going to live here alone?”
“Yes.”
“It’s ridiculous.”
“Probably.”
“You hate this house.”
He was right.
The mansion had been Evelyn’s taste more than mine.
“Then why fight for it?” he asked.
“Because I won’t be thrown out of property I paid for.”
That answer was true.
May you like
Not complete.
I had not yet decided whether keeping the house was victory or another trap.
