Chapter 8 - THE CHOICE THAT MADE THINGS WORSE
I wanted the adoption resumed immediately.
That became my obsession.
Every day the pause continued felt like Imogen winning.
Dr. Chen asked me:
“Winning what?”
“Sawyer.”
She shook her head.
“Is Sawyer a prize?”
“No.”
“Then stop using the adoption timeline as a scoreboard.”
I hated that.
It was correct.
Sawyer had started asking:
“How many days until paper dad?”
Adrian answered:
“We don’t know.”
Then Sawyer:
“Because Imogen?”
Sometimes.
But not only.
Now also because:
Identity fraud investigation.
Home-study review.
Adult conflict.
My email.
My retaliation.
The safest choice was to let the process slow.
I did not want safe.
I wanted fast.
So I called Hannah.
“Can we request an emergency hearing?”
“For what?”
“To bypass the pause.”
“Do you have evidence Sawyer’s current legal status harms him?”
“He’s terrified Adrian might leave.”
“That is emotional harm from the conflict. A rushed adoption does not automatically fix it.”
“It proves Adrian chooses him.”
“Adrian can prove that through behavior today.”
I closed my eyes.
Then she said:
“If you force an adversarial hearing before the evaluator finishes, Imogen’s counsel may seek to intervene as a family witness and flood the record with collateral conflict.”
“Can she stop it?”
“Not by preference. But she can create delay through disputed evidence.”
Again.
I stopped.
One bad choice prevented.
Then I made another.
I confronted the foundation board in writing.
Not accusing theft.
But demanding Imogen’s immediate removal.
Alice Monroe replied:
“We are investigating. Suspension requires board action.”
“She impersonated Adrian.”
“That is a serious allegation under police investigation.”
“The device is hers.”
“Her counsel disputes exclusive use.”
Process.
I hated it.
Then Adrian said:
“Rosalind, we can’t demand every institution punish her before findings.”
“She slapped my son.”
“That case is moving.”
“She staged his room.”
“That is moving too.”
“She is still sitting in foundation meetings.”
“Then ask for temporary safeguards.”
Not permanent removal.
Better.
We requested:
No Imogen involvement in Sawyer-related grant/advisory questions.
No family-line determination until investigation complete.
Independent communication only.
The board granted.
Good.
Specific.
Then an unexpected result.
Imogen’s own son Felix continued receiving his approved educational support.
No punishment.
Correct.
Daniel told us:
“Thank you.”
“For what?”
“For not asking them to freeze Felix.”
“I wouldn’t.”
He looked tired.
“Some relatives suggested it.”
No.
A child is not leverage.
We had learned enough.
Then Daniel gave police an old voicemail.
Imogen, months earlier:
“If Adrian makes Sawyer legal, Felix becomes just one grandchild among others.”
Daniel had answered:
“He already is.”
She replied:
“You don’t understand this family.”
There.
Again.
Not loss of money.
Loss of uniqueness.
Then one of Beatrice’s old letters surfaced through ordinary foundation records.
To both adult children:
No grandchild is the family line. The foundation exists to support children, not rank them.
Imogen had received it.
No hidden revelation.
Just proof Beatrice anticipated the problem.
Then:
If either of you uses a child’s status to compete for control, the independent board should reduce family influence rather than reward it.
I read it twice.
Adrian laughed without humor.
“Mom knew us.”
“Mostly Imogen?”
He looked at me.
“Don’t make this too easy.”
Fair.
Adrian had ignored governance.
Imogen had concentrated it.
Different failures.
Both created conditions.
Then the foundation scheduled a formal branch-review hearing.
Three weeks before Adrian’s fortieth birthday.
Not to activate Sawyer automatically.
To determine:
Whether Imogen’s conduct affected her fitness.
Whether Adrian’s dormant line should remain reserved while adoption was paused.
Whether governance reform was needed.
The hearing would not decide Sawyer’s adoption.
May you like
But it could decide whether there was anything left for Imogen to gain by sabotaging it.
And that was the first time I saw a path where we might remove the incentive instead of racing it.
