Paige noticed the suspension within hours. She called Everett eleven times that afternoon. He didn't answer a single call.
Instead, he and Naomi met with a family law attorney. They formally reopened the divorce settlement.
The attorney, a careful woman named Patricia Ruiz, laid out the process plainly.
Patricia had handled dozens of cases like this over the years. None of them, she told Everett once, ever felt routine. "Every family thinks their version is the strangest one I've seen," she said. "Most of them are right," she added, almost smiling. Everett didn't know whether to laugh or wince at that. He settled for both.
"Given the fraud findings, the original settlement can be voided entirely," she said. "But custody and support still need their own separate filing." Everett didn't hesitate. "Whatever Naomi needs," he said. "I'll sign it today." Naomi looked at him for a long moment before answering. "Let's do it together," she said. "Not just you signing what I ask for." They filed joint custody papers three weeks later, drafted by both of them equally.
