Before the boardroom meeting, Lauren called me into a smaller room and asked what outcome I actually wanted.

The question sounded absurd.

I wanted my money returned, the accounts secured, and Brandon unable to control Hazel’s necessities.

But as I tried to answer, I discovered that I also wanted him to recognize what he had done.

“You may never get that recognition,” Lauren said.

“A case is not a machine that produces remorse.

Decide what protects your child whether he apologizes or not.”

We reviewed the limits of what the meeting could accomplish.