Chapter 14 - The Legal Shield
I left Megan in the room with the chain locked,
promising to return within an hour.
I went to a public library down the street,
using their computers to find a family law attorney.
I found a firm that specialized in domestic protection.
I called them,
explaining that I needed an emergency consultation.
Two hours later,
I was sitting in a quiet office across from a lawyer named Sarah Vance.
She looked over the medical reports and the photos I had printed.
Her expression was grim.
"This is a clear case of assault and harassment,"
Sarah said,
tapping the papers.
"The fact that she is your mother complicates the emotional aspect,
but legally,
the law doesn't care about the relationship."
"Can we get a restraining order?"
I asked.
"Yes,"
she replied.
"An emergency order can be filed today."
"It will forbid her from coming within five hundred feet of you,
your wife,
and your workplace."
"What if she violates it?"
"Then she goes to jail,"
Sarah said bluntly.
I felt a profound sense of relief.
Finally,
a real wall between us and Linda.
"File it,"
May you like
I said.
"Do it now."
