My Ex Left Me with His Son 10 Years Ago—Now He’s Back with a Lawyer

My Ex Left Me with His Son from a Previous Marriage 10 Years Ago — Yesterday, He Showed Up in My Yard with a Lawyer

Daniel, Sara’s ex-fiance, shows up at her door with a lawyer ten years after he vanished without a trace, requesting custody of the boy he left behind. As Sara struggles to preserve the life she created with Adam, secrets come to light, and the real cause of Daniel’s abrupt return puts everything in jeopardy

The doorbell rang yesterday when I was enjoying my final cup of coffee and Adam was upstairs getting ready for school. I thought it may have been the mailman carrying a parcel I had forgott

en about, or one of the neighbors.

My heart, however, lurched when I opened the door.

Daniel.

It had been years since I had given Daniel any thought. Perhaps in the quiet moments before bed when the past likes to pounce on you, or perhaps in flashbacks when Adam would inquire about his father. However, I didn’t think I would see him again like this.

Even though he was ten years older, he remained the same. There was another man next to him. Stiff, with every hair in its proper place, in a costly suit. Everything about him screamed lawyer, and he was holding a folder.

“Why are you here?” I croaked. My voice broke, but I was not going to give up.

Daniel made no effort to be polite. He didn’t. “I’m here to take back my son.”

I momentarily lost my ability to breathe as my heart stopped beating. He believed he could simply waltz back into our lives and take Adam away from me after ten years of radio silence? No, this is not possible.

“You’re not taking him,” I murmured in a whisper that shook. “You have no right.”

Daniel’s attorney cleared his throat before advancing with the arrogant, heartless expression that only attorneys have mastered. With a voice that was gratingly neutral, he handed me the folder. “Ma’am, you’ve been served.”

I grasped the papers with trembling hands. I could make out the phrases custody, contest, and court, but the legalese was blurry.

My knees became weak. The life Adam and I had created for ourselves after Daniel vanished, the life I had spent a decade creating, was about to fall apart.

A decade ago

Adam, Daniel’s three-year-old kid from his previous marriage, had come into my life like a tornado.

I believed I could help Daniel, a charming but broken man. I believed that love was sufficient, and for a time it was.

The highlight of it all was Adam. My life was brightened by the young boy’s contagious giggle and large brown eyes. As Daniel and I established a life together, it felt so natural to become Adam’s stepmother. Even if it wasn’t flawless, I felt like I belonged there.

Then I woke up one morning to find my bed vacant. As the hours went by, Daniel was nowhere to be seen, so I assumed he had gone for a run or to get coffee. My texts went unanswered, and my calls went directly to voicemail.

I forced myself to ignore my panic, telling myself it was a misunderstanding. The note was then discovered.

“I’m sorry, but I have to go.”

It only mentioned that. Just those icy, meaningless words—no warning, no explanation. I recall sitting there with my heart breaking piece by piece as I looked incredulously at the article.

Adam was too young to comprehend the full extent of what had transpired. He didn’t cry when I told him that his father was no longer with him. His voice was so little as he simply gazed at me with those huge eyes. “Daddy told me he had to go. However, he added that he would return eventually.

Weeks passed, followed by months. Adam ceased inquiring about Daddy’s return home time. I also stopped acting as though I knew the solution.

I was thrown into a nightmare once Daniel left. Protective Services for Children became engaged. No matter how much I loved Adam, I had no legal claim to him because I was a stepmother.

They didn’t give a damn that I was his only mother and had reared and soothed him. They claimed that I wasn’t his biological mother.

It was intolerable to think that Adam may be taken from me and put into the system. I fought as if it were my first time.

Innumerable court dates and restless nights ensued. Every document was examined closely, and my suitability as a parent was questioned.

And I prevailed in the end. Adam became legally mine in all respects when I adopted him. No one could ever take him away from me again, I swore.

So why was Daniel at my door threatening to ruin everything after a decade?

Today

Fury and fear clouded my eyes as I gazed at the court documents. Adam’s dad. custody. Court. Each word struck me like a kick to the stomach as it whirled around in my head.

“Mom?” Adam said in a tiny, uncertain voice. It wasn’t until he spoke that I realized he was standing there.

I turned to face him, and the look of bewilderment and terror on his face broke my heart. He’d heard all of it.

I lied and forced a smile that I didn’t feel. “It’s nothing,” I said. “It’s going to be fine.”

It wasn’t okay, though. By no means.

The following day, I hired a lawyer. It was not going to be easy for me to let Daniel take Adam. And we discovered the unpleasant truth as the case developed. Reestablishing contact with his son was not the reason for Daniel’s return. It was also not about remorse, guilt, or love.

Daniel apparently learned that Adam’s mother’s side grandfather had lately bequeathed a sizable estate.

He came here for that reason and abruptly requested custody. Daniel desired to obtain Adam’s funds.

As I went over the documents one more, the realization broke my heart. Because of what it would do to Adam, not just because Daniel was avaricious. How could he comprehend? Knowing that his father was battling for his money account rather than for him must have wounded him.

The court hearing day came sooner than I had anticipated. Judith, my astute lawyer, prepared me for the inquiries, the charges, and the potential need for Adam to testify.

However, nothing could have prepared me for the fact that I would be sitting across from Daniel and knowing that he was attempting to destroy my world once more.

The first to speak was Daniel’s lawyer. He maintained that Daniel was legally entitled to custody of Adam because he was his biological father.

Daniel was portrayed by him as a man who had erred but was now prepared to take charge and be the parent Adam deserved.

Error? He left us… for ten years.

When it was Judith’s turn, she presented the harsh reality. It had been ten years since Daniel had entered Adam’s life. He hadn’t contacted once, hadn’t written a note, and hadn’t wanted to come.

Judith then revealed the shocking news: the inheritance.

Judith stated, “The timing of Mr. Harris’s return is not a coincidence,” in a calm and collected tone. “Mr. Harris learned of Adam’s sizeable inheritance from his birth mother’s family just before he filed for custody. This isn’t a dad attempting to get back in touch with his son. This man is driven by avarice.

Daniel’s expression tightened at that. He didn’t glance at Adam or me. As his lawyer furiously whispered in his ear, he continued to look at the table.

A stern-looking woman in her fifties, the judge took it all in. Her gaze shifted between Daniel and me before settling on Adam as she carefully considered the evidence.

The judge said, “Adam,” in a gentle yet strong tone. “Now that you’re thirteen, you can influence this. I would like to speak with you.

Adam moved uneasily in his chair. He shouldn’t have to endure this; I felt terrible for him. He shouldn’t have to decide between the only mother he had ever known and the dad who had abandoned him.

Adam, however, shocked us all when he stood.

“Sara has been my mother for the past ten years. Adam started off with a wobbly voice that got stronger with each syllable, “She’s the one who raised me, who’s been there through everything.”

“The man seated over there is someone I don’t know. Despite being my biological father, he hasn’t been my father in any significant sense. He is not someone I want to live with. The only person who has ever taken care of me is the one I want to stay with. My mother is Sara.

There was silence in the courtroom.

The judge’s gaze softened as she nodded thoughtfully. “I’m grateful, Adam. Your choice is obvious.

The gavel then descended. Adam would remain with me.

Daniel, a defeated shadow of the man I once loved, stood after the decision. He left the courtroom without turning around, vanishing from our lives once more.

Adam looked to me outside and grinned a little. “I’m glad it’s over, Mom.”

I muttered, “So am I,” and drew him into a close embrace. I am so proud of him.

Adam gave me a stern look as we descended the courthouse stairs. “What do we do with the inheritance now?”

I gave a quiet smile. “You own that money, Adam. Never will I take a dime of it. Whatever route you decide on, it’s for your future.

His eyes were warm and certain as he gazed up at me. “My future is with you, Mom.”