Grant looked down at the paper. It wasn’t his résumé. It was a printout of a court order—child support, payment schedule, and the note from last month showing he had paid late again.
The color drained from his face.
My father didn’t raise his voice. “Mr. Ellis, your application lists ‘excellent reliability and integrity’ as core traits,” he said. “Yet your record shows repeated missed obligations to your child.”
Grant’s eyes flashed. “That’s personal.”
“It’s relevant,” I said calmly. “This role handles vendor contracts and compliance. If you treat court orders like optional suggestions, you don’t belong in a position of trust.”Pregnancy health tips
Grant leaned forward, voice lowering into the tone he used when he wanted control. “Claire, come on. We can work this out. I can be flexible. You know I’m a good leader.”
I studied him carefully.
The man who had called my pregnant body “depressing.”
The man who left me to give birth alone.
The man who tried to shrink his income on paper while upgrading his lifestyle.
“No,” I said simply. “You’re not.”
The HR director clicked her pen. “Mr. Ellis,” she said professionally, “based on discrepancies in your application and concerns regarding ethics, we will not be moving forward.”
Grant’s face hardened. “You’re doing this because she’s bitter.”
My father’s voice remained flat. “We’re doing this because you’re unqualified for this company’s standards.”Pregnancy clothing
Grant shoved his chair back, eyes burning as he looked at me. “You think you won.”
I didn’t flinch. “This isn’t a game,” I said. “It’s my son’s life.”
He left without shaking anyone’s hand.
A week later my attorney received notice that Grant’s new wife had contacted him about “restructuring” child support again—apparently she hadn’t realized what court-ordered support looks like when it’s enforced properly. The court didn’t care about her surprise.
