My Ex-Wife Had Me Jailed for Child Support Until a DNA Test Proved I’m Not the Father…

narrative she wants a divorce that's the first thing Emily says to me when I walked through the door no warning no conversation just those four words I was stunned I mean yeah we'd had our issues lately arguing a lot more than usual sure but I thought it was just one of those rough patches all couples go through I had no idea she was already done with us we'd been together for almost seven years married for five we had a four-year-old daughter Lucy who I adored to me we were just dealing with regular stress stuff we

could work through but apparently she'd already made up her mind Emily was ice cold about it too she had it all mapped out she wanted the house the car and to make it even worse she was asking for child support that was a punch straight to the core I mean I was already paying for nearly everything I'd work my whole life to keep us comfortable so why was she acting like I didn't contribute enough my lawyer told me not to take it personally said it was normal for Ex-Wives to go after as much as they

could in a divorce but it didn't feel normal it felt like betrayal I tried talking sense into her reminding her that I was already paying for Lucy's expenses handling the mortgage the car payments even most of the groceries but she didn't care she wanted it all legally set in stone so I'd have to pay her every month like a bill she didn't want just the essential she wanted control she wanted to drain everything I had worked for as if I was some stranger who didn't matter anymore and the worst part she wanted to limit my

time with Lucy we'd agreed that I'd see her every weekend but now Emily wanted me down to every other weekend just two weekends a month I couldn't believe it Lucy was my world and the thought of not seeing her every weekend made me feel like I was losing everything that mattered I had to fight just to keep my regular time with her and let me tell you it wasn't easy the first time she dropped Lucy off after we'd agreed on the schedule I could feel the tension from the second she walked up to the door

Emily barely looked at me didn't say a single word except to hand me Lucy's bag she looked at me with that expression I'd come to recognize cold resentful she handed Lucy over like she was passing off groceries not our child she even had the nerve to tell me not to let Lucy stay up late as if she still had control over what I did with my own daughter then she just turned around and walked off without a goodbye to either of us when I got Lucy settled inside I felt a wave of exhaustion hit me

I was working weekends just to make ends meet and having Lucy every weekend meant I had to cut down on work hours but there was no way I'd give up that time with her not for anything Emily might have been ready to erase our marriage and move on but Lucy was the one thing I refused to let go of the whole thing had me reeling but I kept telling myself that I'd handle it it was rough sure but I'd make it work I had to once the dust settled on the divorce the reality of my

new Life Hit me hard every weekend I had Lucy which I'd fought tooth and nail to make happen but trying to juggle being there for her and keeping my job was turning out to be next to Impossible I worked every weekday and then was supposed to be able to drop everything to pick her up Friday night keep her all weekend and be back in the office Monday morning it wore me down but she's my kid I wasn't going to back out of our time together Emily knew what this was doing to me I mean she

had to I was still paying the bills handling the house expenses even though I'd moved into a tiny apartment to keep up with the child support but that wasn't enough for her every month like clockwork she wanted that payment my lawyer said that's just how it is but I'd been doing everything right and still somehow ended up losing if I missed even one payment Emily would be at my throat about it one Monday I went to work after a full weekend with Lucy I walked in feeling half alive hoping to just make it through the

day that's when my boss pulled me aside he said the weekends off were starting to become a problem and that my performance was slipping I tried explaining things gave him the whole rundown about the divorce custody everything but he just shook his head and told me look we all have our stuff but the work has to get done I kept pushing through trying to balance it all but a couple of months later I finally got the news I'd been dreading my boss called me into his office and told me they were letting me go 15

years of hard work just like that they didn't even give me a chance to fix it I was stunned but I couldn't waste time feeling sorry for myself I had bills to pay a house to somehow keep up with and that monthly check for Emily and Lucy with no job and savings draining fast I scrambled to find work I looked online in the papers nothing was coming through the options were laughable flipping burgers for minimum wage wasn't going to keep up with the mortgage let alone child support but the worst part was knowing that if

I didn't pay Emily would be on me and I'd lose any chance of holding on to the life I'd built for Lucy and me 4 months went by without anything solid my savings were nearly gone and I missed a couple of payments I didn't tell Emily I'd lost my job because I didn't want to hear it from her didn't want her to throw it back in my face but sure enough the minute that money stopped coming in she was on the phone screaming at me asking why the payment was late I tried explaining that I

was looking for work that things were tough but she wasn't having any of it she didn't care about my situation just that the money wasn't in her account I knew she'd report it and honestly it didn't even surprise me I was already at my lowest and then just a few days later there was a loud knock on my door I answered it already knowing what was coming and the officer didn't even have to explain they arrested me for falling behind on child support it was 6:00 in the morning when the loud banging on my door

woke me up I didn't even have to guess who it was I knew I opened the door to find two police officers standing there serious Expressions on their faces asking if I was who I was I nodded and before I knew it they were explaining my rights telling me I was being arrested for unpaid child support it was surreal I mean yeah I knew I was behind but it still felt like I was in a nightmare I thought maybe theyd just give me a warning tell me to show up in court or something but no

handcuffs right there in my own doorway on the ride to the station all I could think about was Lucy how was I supposed to explain this to her how could I explain that her dad had been taken to jail because he couldn't keep up with payments for her none of it felt right I'd done everything I could to hold my life together after the divorce but this was the final blow they booked me took my clothes my shoes my wallet everything that made me feel like myself and handed me an orange jumpsuit then they led

me to a holding cell I sat down trying to take it all in surrounded by people who'd actually committed crimes all I could think was I don't belong here I'm here because I lost my job not because I'm a criminal but no one cared because it was the weekend they told me I wouldn't even see a judge until Monday that meant I was stuck there for two full days I tried to keep to myself just sat on that cold metal bench staring at the floor trying not to lose it my mind kept circling back to

Emily knowing she was probably feeling Victorious thinking she'd won this Twisted battle and Lucy I had no idea a what she'd been told or if she even knew where I was that hurt more than anything else by Monday I was exhausted mentally and physically I barely slept the whole weekend worried about what would happen next they finally brought me in to see the judge and he gave me a 5-month sentence in the County Detention Center 5 months for falling behind on payments I couldn't make because I'd lost my job trying to be there for my

daughter there was no sympathy no acknowledgement that I'd been putting in the effort just the sentence in a case-closed attitude once I got to the Detention Center things felt even worse they threw me in with a bunch of guys who didn't care why I was there I kept my head down didn't talk much and stuck to a routine eat sleep work out repeat I wasn't looking to make friends but I ended up meeting a few other guys who were there for the same reason not being able to keep up with child support it was strangely

comforting to know I wasn't the only one but but still it didn't make my situation any easier every day I thought about Lucy I hated that I couldn't be there for her and even though I didn't know it yet I feared that Emily might be feeding her some story that I'd abandoned her I tried to focus on getting through each day counting down the months and keeping my head down so I wouldn't get into any trouble my parents sent me letters and visited when they could trying to keep my spirits up I appreciated it but

it only made me miss Lucy more by the end of each night I was beyond exhausted but I had this feeling deep down that I wasn't done yet there had to be a way out of this mess that would set things right I didn't know how but somehow I was going to get my life back on track for me and for Lucy one day a few weeks into my sentence I got a letter at first I thought it was another one from my parents but as soon as I saw the name Brandon on the envelope

my heart started pounding Brandon was an old friend a mutual friend of mine and Emily's actually I hadn't heard from him in years not since a barbecue we had 2 years ago I remembered him acting a little off that day like he was hiding something but I hadn't given it much thought now here was a letter from him out of nowhere while I'm sitting in jail and I had no clue what to expect I opened it up and his words hit me like a brick he'd heard about my situation about the divorce the child support

and that I was sitting in jail because of it he said he'd kept quiet for a long time because he didn't want to get involved but he couldn't stay silent anymore and then he dropped the bomb Emily had been cheating on me for years she'd been seeing someone else since before Lucy was even born the guy she's with now the one she'd left me for wasn't just some random new boyfriend he'd been there the whole time I was stunned the words on the page started to blur but I forced myself to keep reading Brandon went

on to say that he thought I should get a paternity test that there was a good chance Lucy might not even be mine I could barely process it I mean I loved Lucy more than anything she was my daughter my little girl but now there was this doubt creeping in something I'd never even considered I sat there gripping that letter so hard it nearly ripped it was like my whole world had been flipped upside down again after I read it I couldn't think straight my mind was racing replaying every argument every weird excuse Emily had

given every late night she came home from the grocery store things that hadn't made sense before were suddenly clicking into place but not in a way I ever wanted them to I couldn't shake the images of her sneaking around pretending everything was normal while lying to my face every day I knew what I had to do I was going to get that test the minute I was out I was going to find out the truth no matter how painful it might be I wasn't about to keep paying child support and go through hell if Lucy

wasn't even mine I felt betrayed on a whole new level like the ground had been yanked out from under me but at the same time a new kind of determination was kicking in if she'd been lying about Lucy if she'd been using me all this time I was going to make her pay for it the rest of my time in jail was different after that letter I wasn't just some defeated guy trying to survive the day-to-day anymore I had a mission I kept my head down made sure to stay out of trouble and just waited

for my release date to come around when my parents came to visit I didn't mention the letter didn't say a word about what I'd learned they had enough to worry about with me being there but in my mind all I could see was that test it became the single Focus for me like the only thing that mattered now was finding out the truth I wasn't sure how I'd react if the test came back negative Lucy was still Lucy she was still the little girl I'd raised who looked up at me with those big trusting eyes

every weekend but the possibility that she wasn't mine was something I couldn't ignore not after everything Emily had done so I told myself that when I got out I'd get a lawyer set up the paternity test and finally get the answers I deserved that letter from Brandon changed everything I knew that from the moment I read it when I finally got out I didn't waste any time my mind was was locked on one thing getting that paternity test I found a lawyer who seemed sharp and willing to take on my case I explained everything to

him my prison time Emily's demands and of course the letter from Brandon he listened carefully nodding the whole time and told me we'd get the paternity test done as soon as possible we set a court date to address not only child support but the whole mess Emily had put me through the day of the test I showed up and Emily was already there with Lucy she looked Furious her arms crossed tight as if she could somehow make me feel guilty I didn't care I was done being the one who felt bad I kept my focus

on Lucy though the second she saw me she broke into this huge smile and ran over wrapping her little arms around me that hit me hard I won't lie I'd spent years thinking she was my daughter raising her loving her and now I was about to find out if that was even true but for that moment I hugged her back kissed her forehead and told her I loved her when I finally let go I handed her back to Emily who looked like she couldn't get out of there fast enough 2 weeks that's how long I

had to wait for the results and those were the longest most Sleepless two weeks of my life every day I'd look in the mirror and see these dark circles under my eyes that weren't going anywhere my mind would just run in circles what would I do if she wasn't mine could I handle that I'd practically raised her and the thought of losing her tore me up inside but at the same time if she wasn't mine I couldn't keep letting Emily get away with everything she'd done finally the envelope arrived I remember standing there in my

living room staring at it almost too afraid to open it I sat down tore it open and forced myself to look at the paper 0.0% I wasn't her father just like that the last four years of my life with Lucy felt like they'd been ripped away I don't even remember dropping the paper but it was on the floor and I just sat there staring at it feeling like someone had reached in and turned my insides to ice I'd love that little girl like she was my own only to find out she wasn't after I pulled

myself together I called my lawyer told him the results and said I wanted to move forward with everything we talked about I wanted to Sue Emily for fraud for emotional damage for all the child support I've been paying my lawyer was on board and said he'd get the paperwork started and I'll admit there was a part of me that felt a little Vindicated knowing I was finally fighting back but even after that call I couldn't shake the feeling of loss I'd been prepared to get my life back but losing Lucy wasn't something I'd counted on

Emily had robbed me of years I could never get back and Lucy would probably never understand what had happened but this time I wasn't going to let Emily win she deceived me dragged me through hell and for what I knew one thing for sure I was going to get some kind of Justice no matter what it took the day of the court hearing finally came and I was ready I'd been through so much already prison the lies losing my job and worst of all finding out that Lucy wasn't biologically mine I sat there in the

back of the cab feeling this mix of nerves and determination all I could think about was what I was going to say how I'd finally get to expose Emily for what she'd done to me to Lucy and honestly to both of us I just wanted the truth out there for once where everyone could see it when I walked into the courtroom my lawyer met me at the door gave me a quick rundown of our plan and told me to keep calm he'd handle most of the talking Emily was already seated looking more put together than

I'd ever seen her but her eyes gave her away she knew what was coming even if she tried to hide it the trial started and Emily went first she claimed she hadn't known who Lucy's father was at the time that she'd believed I was the dad and didn't want to break up our family she tried to play it like she'd done all this for Lucy like she was some kind of hero for keeping this secret to protect us it was unbelievable watching her twist everything around to make herself look innocent then my lawyer stood up

and it was our turn he laid it all out the letter from Brandon the paternity test the years of child support payments I'd made while she took advantage of me he even revealed that Emily's boyfriend Cole was Lucy's biological father and that she'd been getting child support from both of us at that moment I watched her face drop as she realized there was no talking her way out of this the judge listened as my lawyer laid out the receipts the payments the fact that she'd committed fraud it wasn't just that she'd lied to me she'd

lied to two men played us both and milked every dollar she could from it when the judge finally spoke he made it clear he saw it all for what it was he looked directly at Emily and said she'd committed fraud and that it was a serious crime then came the moment I'd been waiting for the judge ruled that Emily would not only have to pay back the child support I'd paid but that she would be going to prison for fraud 3 years hearing that I almost couldn't believe it Emily who'd put me through hell was

finally going to face consequences I thought I'd feel nothing but satisfaction and I did at first but as I watched her being led away the reality hit me Lucy who' known me as her dad her whole life was about to lose her mom too I'd won in court sure but that didn't make the mess she'd created any easier for Lucy the judge granted me primary custody of Lucy since Emily was going to jail and Cole wasn't exactly stepping up to take responsibility and in fact Cole was slapped with a lower child support payment to help

cover Lucy's needs something I'd be in charge of now so here I was standing in that courtroom with a legal Victory but feeling like I just fought a war and was left holding the pieces of what used to be a family the judge's final decision gave me custody of Lucy And as far as the law was concerned I was still her father she might not have been my blood but she was my daughter in every way that mattered Emily's deception had nearly destroyed us both but in the end I knew I'd gotten what I really

wanted Lucy was still mine leaving that courtroom I felt this odd mixture of relief and exhaustion I'd gotten my life back or at least a part of it and I knew I'd do whatever it took to make sure Lucy had a good future