My Ex Gave Our Child a Rocking Horse — What I Discovered Inside Made Me Call My Lawyer!

My Ex-husband Gifted Our Kid a Rocking Horse – When I Saw What Was Inside, I Called My Lawyer

Genevieve’s gut tells her that something is wrong when her ex-husband gives their son a rocking horse. When it begins to make odd noises, her anxiety increases and she makes a heartbreaking discovery. Genevieve phones her attorney right away, determined to do everything it takes to keep her family safe.

I knew Anthony was up to no good when he showed up at my house with a huge rocking horse. Whenever it came to Ethan, my ex-husband never did anything without a cause.

I could feel my blood pressure increasing as he stood there, smiling like he’d just brought Ethan the moon.

“Hi, Genevieve. Thought Ethan might enjoy this,” Anthony stated in a tone that was incredibly upbeat. He was always good at disguising his true motivations under that false charm.

I think it looked more like a grimace, but I forced a grin. “That’s… thoughtful of you, Anthony.”

I had no idea how this item would completely change my life.

I moved aside to make place for him and observed as he brought the large toy into the living room.

“Ethan’s in his room,” I mentioned.

It was not necessary to tell Anthony twice. As he ran up the steps, he exclaimed, “Hey, buddy! See what your father has brought you!”

I rested my head on the doorframe and massaged my temples. Anthony had previously attempted to gain Ethan’s affection with costly presents. It was the same each time.

When he saw the toy, my son’s eyes would light up with delight. Then Anthony would break bad news, and when he departed, I would be left to pick up the emotional pieces.

“Mum! I love what my father got me. Excited, Ethan’s voice resounded down the stairs.

He stormed into the living room a few moments later, Anthony right behind him. With his hands clutching the horse’s reins, Ethan’s face was beaming with happiness. Although I was expecting the “bad news” portion of the visit, I forced a grin.

It’s incredible, Dad! Is it now possible for me to ride it?”

“Sport, of course,” Anthony remarked while teasing Ethan’s hair. “Just be careful, okay?”

“All right,” I said, “only for a little while. Dinnertime is almost here. Recall that Dad is bringing you out to pizza.”

“That reminds me…” Anthony turned to face me with a lovely smile. “I won’t be able to take Ethan out tonight.”

“What?” Ethan paused his rocking to fix his gaze on Anthony.

I sighed. Once more, here we go.

“I apologize, dear, but my father has to go to work,” Anthony knelt down next to Ethan. “I’ll make up for it next weekend, promise.”

Ethan sniffled and hung his head.

“And until then, you can play on your horse, okay?” Anthony went on. “If you play on it every day, then I’ll get you a real cowboy hat to wear while you’re riding Patches over here, okay?”

Anthony gave the horse a firm neck pat. With a head nod, Ethan mounted the horse.

“I’ll ride him every day so you can visit me, Dad,” replied Ethan.

Anthony simply ruffled Ethan’s hair and made his way to the door, breaking my heart a little in the process. I reached out and grabbed his elbow as he sped by me.

I whispered softly, “You can’t keep doing this, Tony.” “Expensive gifts are no substitute for spending time with your child.”

Tony wrenched his arm out of my hand.

“Genevave, don’t lecture me. Actually, I think you ought to make an effort to be kind to me. Or have you forgotten that the custody agreement is being contested by my lawyers?”

I rolled my eyes. “Of course not.”

With a smile that more closely resembled a scowl, he dashed out the door. I couldn’t help but wonder if we would ever be able to co-parent calmly as I watched him go.

“Hey, Ethan, we can still go out for pizza, if you want?” As I closed the door, I called to my son.

“Thanks, Mom,” Ethan answered.

My gut tightened into a knot as Ethan got from the horse. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it, but there seemed to be something strange about the entire situation, something beyond Anthony’s typical foolishness.

Ethan was glued to that rocking horse for the next few days. He rode it whenever he had free time, and his laughter filled the whole home. It was nearly sufficient to numb my mounting fear. Nearly.

And then there was a sound.

It began as merely a mild clicking sound, like a pair of plastic gears grinding against one another. I disregarded it, thinking it was merely the toy’s outdated mechanism. But the sound became more and more incessant, until it was unavoidable.

I heard the clicking more loudly than before one night when the wind blew through the house. The noise originated in Ethan’s room, where he had been fast sleeping for hours.

Grabbing a flashlight, I tiptoed along the corridor.

I noticed the rocking horse was swaying slightly due to the draft from the open window when I pushed open Ethan’s door. My spine tingled at the sound of clicking. With caution, I approached it, determined to silence that bothersome noise.

I knelt to look over the base. The clicking became more audible as I tilted the horse. Something irregular and rough brushed against my fingers. I withdrew and shone the lamp beneath the horse.

At that moment, I noticed a tiny, concealed space on the horse’s belly. What use did the toy serve when it didn’t require batteries?

Using my fingertips, I carefully tugged at the compartment door’s edge to force it open.

Something landed in my hand after falling out of the compartment. I was taken aback at first, but it soon turned into pure horror when I discovered the mystery thing was a tiny voice recorder.

I was staring at it blankly, trying to figure out how it could have gotten there, when suddenly dawned on me. Anthony.

He was attempting to obtain information against me in order to contest our parenting agreement. The rage that swept through me was unbearable. How dare he do this to our son?

Leaving the horse behind, I crept out of Ethan’s chamber while holding the voice recorder tightly.

I was pacing the living room with my mind racing and tears of fury starting to rise up. I attempted to remember what I’d spoken in close proximity to the horse. Could someone modify any of my words to make me appear inappropriate?

I was thinking incoherently, full of hurt, betrayal, and rage. It was unbelievable to me that Anthony would go to this extent.

Yes, our divorce had been nasty, but this whole thing involving Ethan? That was, even for him, a new low. I was so close to smashing the recorder against the wall that my fingers were shaking from staring at it.

But I had to approach this with caution. I required guidance and reassurance that I wouldn’t lose my son as a result of this.

I shook hands and tapped out my lawyer’s phone. The second ring reached her ears.

“Genevieve? What’s not right?” Susan’s steady, collected voice was a lifesaver.

My voice cracked, “Susan, you won’t believe what Anthony did.” In Ethan’s rocking horse, he concealed a voice recorder. He’s attempting to compile information against me.”

Susan moaned, and in the background, I could hear her rearranging papers. Genevieve, inhale deeply. This method of gathering evidence renders it inadmissible in court. It is not his to use against you.”

“Are you sure?” My question was hardly audible above a whisper.

“Yes,” Susan retorted with assurance. “Remain composed. If this is discovered, it will only come back to haunt him. How did you discover it?”

I gave an explanation of everything, including the weird noises and the late-night finding.

After I was done, Susan calmly listened and responded, “Okay. This is what you will do. Make the most of this to your benefit. Verify that the contents of the recorder are ineffective. Flip the script on him.”

I felt a fire ignited by her words.

Anthony was not going to get away with this from me. “Many thanks, Susan. From here, I’ll handle it.”

I picked up the recorder and talked straight into it, determined. Anthony, did you hear my lawyer? Anything you’re attempting to pass for real won’t work.”

The next few hours were spent setting the trap by me. I set up the recorder next to the TV and watched hours of kid-friendly programming and commercials.

All he would feel left with was frustration from the monotonous, repeating noise.

After I was happy, I made sure everything appeared undamaged and carefully reinserted the recorder into the rocking horse. It was almost physical to feel the thrill of outwitting Anthony.

Weekend time arrived, along with Anthony’s visit. With a fake smile, my stomach lurching with excitement, I greeted him. With discrete observation, I observed him interacting with Ethan, repeatedly glancing at the rocking horse.

“Ethan, why don’t you show Daddy how you ride your horse?” With a sugary sweet voice, I made a suggestion.

With delight, Ethan hopped upon the horse and obeyed. Anthony trailed his gaze, a cunning expression crossing his features.

With my heart racing, I watched as Anthony carefully took the gadget. I could hardly disguise my gratification as I imagined his dissatisfaction upon hearing the pointless tapes.

Days went by, and Anthony never mentioned the thing. His quiet said more than words could. It was as though he was aware of his failure but was unwilling to acknowledge it. I took his quiet to be a tacit admission of loss, a secret ceasefire.

I was so relieved and triumphant. I’d outwitted my ex-husband and shielded my son. This little but important win strengthened my determination to be watchful.