Chapter 7 - Sloane Pierce’s Perfect Replacement Family
Sloane Pierce had a folder called Transition Narrative.
Discovery found it on her company laptop.
The document was thirty-eight pages long.
It outlined the public announcement of Gavin’s divorce, our custody “realignment,” and his future marriage to Sloane.
The boys appeared on page twelve.
Position Nolan and Parker as thriving under a stable, aspirational two-parent structure. Avoid discussion of maternal dependency.
Maternal dependency.
That meant me.
There were proposed holiday photos.
Charity appearances.
A profile pitch titled:
The CEO Who Rebuilt Family and Mobility Across Maryland.
Sloane had even drafted captions for their first public outing after the divorce.
New beginnings require courage.
I read that line three times.
Then closed the laptop.
Beatrice said, “Breathe.”
“I am.”
“Like someone planning a felony.”
“I’m editing myself.”
“Continue.”
The emails between Gavin and Sloane were worse.
They discussed timing the custody filing before the Titan Transit acquisition.
They discussed how primary custody would strengthen Gavin’s image as a stable family CEO.
They discussed whether my lack of recent employment could be framed as “limited executive function.”
They discussed the boys like props.
Not sons.
Not children.
Props.
When Gavin saw the folder in court, he finally looked ashamed.
Not enough.
But some.
Sloane did not.
She looked angry that her strategy had been read by people too ordinary to appreciate it.
Judge Beckett barred Sloane from any role involving the children and referred the discovery material for further review in the corporate matter.
Sloane resigned from Rourke Regional Mobility three hours later.
Her resignation statement cited “personal attacks during a difficult transition.”
Lou Davis replied from the depot account before anyone could stop him:
Ma’am, you wrote a marketing plan for stealing children. Sit down.
It went viral by dinner.
Lou was told to stop posting.
May you like
He did not.
---
