Chapter 16 - Victoria’s counterattack
My mother did not surrender gracefully.
She told relatives I had:
“taken the company from Charles.”
False.
She said:
“Arthur was forced out because Clara threatened the bank.”
Partly false.
She said:
“Clara is keeping Gigi from us because we won’t disown Arthur.”
False.
I did not require disowning.
I required no contact between Arthur and Gigi.
Then Victoria did something more serious.
She filed a petition seeking grandparent visitation.
Not custody.
Not guardianship.
Visitation.
Her lawyer argued Victoria had a substantial preexisting relationship with Gigi and Clara had abruptly cut contact after a family conflict.
I was furious.
My family lawyer, Rebecca Sloan, was not.
“Let her file.”
“She watched Arthur hit Gigi.”
“Which will matter.”
“She defended him.”
“Which will matter.”
“I kicked her.”
“Also matters.”
Great.
The court did not automatically grant grandparents access.
Parental rights mattered.
State law and standing were specific.
Victoria had to meet threshold requirements.
Her petition was weak.
But not frivolous enough to disappear immediately.
She produced photographs of herself caring for infant Gigi.
Christmas.
Zoo.
Swimming.
Love.
All real.
That was painful.
Victoria had not always been unsafe.
The party changed what her judgment revealed.
My lawyer said:
“Do not argue she never loved Gigi.”
“I won’t.”
“Argue current unsupervised access is not appropriate because she minimized the assault, attempted to shift blame, and has not yet demonstrated protective judgment.”
Specific.
Then Victoria’s own therapy notes? No privilege.
We did not get them.
No magical access.
Instead, her public statements and texts mattered.
One text to Charles, produced because he voluntarily shared during family mediation:
If Clara gets her way, Arthur loses the company over one slap and we lose our granddaughter over one bad afternoon.
One bad afternoon.
There.
Current judgment problem.
The petition was eventually dismissed without ordered visitation after preliminary proceedings.
The judge encouraged therapeutic family work if I chose.
May you like
I chose later.
Not because the court forced.
