Chapter 10 - Dean Struggles With Bitter Anger
Dean sat in his truck outside the diner for over an hour, watching the rain beat against the windshield in rhythmic fury. The realization that Aaron was dead meant there was no confrontation, no satisfaction, and no way to demand an explanation for the wreckage.
He pulled out his phone and dialed his lawyer’s direct office number, waiting impatiently through the automated directory prompts. When a live voice finally answered, Dean didn’t waste any time with pleasantries or formal introductions.
“I need to file for an emergency divorce and establish immediate disestablishment of paternity,” Dean commanded into the speakerphone. The lawyer on the other end paused, shuffling papers before responding with professional caution.
“Mr. Mercer, given that the child was born during an intact marriage, the legal presumption of paternity is very strong in this state,” the lawyer warned. “DNA testing changes things, but it requires a formal court petition and financial assessments.”
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“I don’t care what it takes, I want my name off that birth certificate yesterday,” Dean snarled, gripping the steering wheel. “And I want a restraining order to ensure I have zero financial liability for another man’s infant.”
The lawyer agreed to draw up the initial paperwork by morning, cementing the formal destruction of their fifteen-year marriage.
