Chapter 7 - Sloane Goes Back to School
The birthday shove did not lead to juvenile court.
No serious injury.
No ongoing threat.
Rachel and I documented it.
Celeste? Lenora is Sloane's mother, and Peter Mercer father. Need involve Peter.
Sloane’s biological father, Peter Mercer, flew in from Denver after hearing what happened.
I had met him maybe six times.
He was forty-six.
Commercial insurance executive.
Normal.
The Sterling family had largely treated him like an administrative footnote after Lenora married Caleb.
That was unfair.
Peter entered my office and said:
“I want to know what my daughter did, not what Lenora says she did.”
Good.
I showed him the party video from a fixed exterior security camera.
No audio except distant sound.
He watched Sloane throw gifts.
Push Annelise.
Then sat back.
“Damn it.”
No excuses.
“She’s not seeing Annelise.”
“Agreed.”
“She needs help.”
“Agreed.”
“Lenora says you turned the party into a public attack.”
“I challenged her.”
“Did you threaten Sloane?”
“No.”
“Video?”
“Yes.”
I showed the rest.
Gideon placing crown.
Lenora stepping close.
No clear audio.
Fine.
Peter said:
“Why did Sloane say Annelise doesn’t deserve presents?”
“I think it connects to the financial dispute.”
His expression changed.
“What financial dispute?”
There.
Lenora had not told Sloane’s own father.
I explained only what counsel permitted and what related to parenting.
He became furious.
“Lenora told a twelve-year-old about Caleb’s estate fight?”
“I don’t know exactly.”
“Yet.”
“Yes.”
Peter requested temporary additional parenting time.
Not to punish Lenora.
To give Sloane space.
They agreed voluntarily to three weeks in Denver after school approved remote make-up? But moving school three weeks is disruptive. Better Peter stayed in Greenwich in rental and took more local time.
He rented an apartment nearby for a month.
Sloane stayed with him several nights each week.
School counselor became involved.
She had one prior disciplinary incident that year.
Mocking another girl’s thrift-store coat and hiding it.
Not expulsion.
Lunch detention.
Restorative conference.
Pattern of status-based cruelty.
Again.
Not a monster.
A child learning hierarchy.
At school, Sloane told counselor:
“People only like Annelise because her dad pays for everything.”
Where had she learned that?
May you like
We were getting closer.
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