Chapter 10 - My first bad decision
Three days after the slap, I told Bellweather security to disable Daniel’s gate credential.
It felt obvious.
He had hit me.
I owned the property.
Why should he drive through my gate?
Rebecca called forty-two minutes later.
“Restore it.”
“What?”
“Unless there’s an emergency safety reason and we’re obtaining an order immediately, do not self-help lock your spouse out of the marital residence.”
“It’s my property.”
“It is also the marital home where he has been residing.”
“He hit me.”
“Yes.”
“Then?”
“Then we seek a protective order and temporary exclusive possession through lawful process.”
I hated this.
“So I have to let him in?”
“For the next few hours while we file appropriately, unless police tell you otherwise or a safety condition changes.”
I restored the credential.
Daniel’s lawyer had already noticed.
Of course.
In later filings:
Emily attempted an unlawful lockout immediately after a financial dispute.
True, briefly.
Context did not erase it.
I corrected the action.
Then sought an emergency protective order.
The court granted temporary exclusive possession to me based on the documented assault and circumstances.
Daniel was given scheduled access with a third party to collect clothes and personal effects.
No dramatic eviction.
No suitcases thrown onto lawn.
Procedure.
That mistake taught me something early.
Owning the house did not mean I could use property law as personal punishment.
Even when angry.
That distinction mattered later when Daniel tried to claim I used wealth to dominate him.
Sometimes I nearly did.
May you like
Rebecca stopped me.
Good lawyer.
