Chapter 8 - THE VIDEO CHAD DID NOT KNOW EXISTED
Chad’s house had a doorbell camera.
He knew that.
He also had an interior security system installed by Anna when she became ill.
He thought he had deleted the recordings after her death.
Cloud backups remained because the account belonged to Anna.
A court warrant recovered limited relevant periods.
The videos did not show every bruise.
They showed enough.
One clip:
Leo crying near the kitchen.
Chad:
“Stop acting like your father.”
Leo:
“I want Daddy.”
Chad:
“Daddy’s dead. Jackson’s not coming.”
Another:
Leo holding emergency phone.
Chad kneeling.
“You press that, Jackson takes you away and puts you with army people.”
Leo:
“Daddy said.”
Chad:
“Your dad made bad choices.”
Then Chad took the phone.
No physical strike.
Psychological pressure.
Another clip showed Chad talking to Victor Hale.
No Leo visible.
Victor:
“The fifth birthday changes the trust review.”
Chad:
“I know.”
Victor:
“You need permanent guardianship order before then if you want reimbursement authority to survive scrutiny.”
Chad:
“What if Jackson comes back early?”
Victor:
“Then we emphasize instability.”
There.
Not full scheme.
But explicit strategic motive.
Victor later claimed legal advice, not conspiracy.
Lawyers can advise clients about timing lawfully.
The question was whether he knowingly supported false evidence.
His messages became relevant.
Another video:
Chad:
“North Coast wants receipts.”
Victor:
“Give them receipts.”
Chad:
“They’re not all clean.”
Victor looked at him.
“What does that mean?”
Chad:
“Home costs.”
Victor:
“Do not tell me anything you don’t want privileged.”
The recording cut.
Privilege questions complicated use.
Court would decide.
The audit found reimbursement problems.
Chad charged:
$2,800 monthly housing allocation.
Reasonable? The house mortgage was $2,100.
Could include utilities.
$1,900 childcare.
Leo attended subsidized preschool.
Actual out-of-pocket around $700.
$1,200 therapeutic activities.
Mostly gym membership, pool club, sports equipment.
Some for Leo.
Some Chad.
$850 transportation.
Including Chad’s truck payment.
$1,500 caregiver stipend.
Permitted.
Total overbilling estimate so far:
Approximately $41,000 across eleven months.
Significant.
Not millions.
Why seek $27,500 per month?
Because the fifth-birthday subtrust included a larger family-care reserve.
We still did not know exact access terms.
Helen would not disclose until court permitted.
That hearing approached.
Then the prosecutor filed charges from the bat incident and documented prior discipline.
Chad faced:
Child endangerment.
Assault with a dangerous instrument? He hit table, not Leo. Could be menacing / reckless endangerment.
Unlawful corporal punishment depending state.
Evidence tampering for emergency-phone routing.
Financial fraud still under investigation.
No attempted murder.
No kidnapping.
Precision.
My punch was reviewed.
No charge.
Video and glass scene supported defense of Leo and myself.
That did not make every future act righteous.
I remembered what Dr. Ellis wrote.
Overcontrol under threat.
I had to keep my hands from becoming my identity too.
Then Leo asked me:
“Uncle Jackson?”
“Yeah?”
“Was Daddy scared of Chad?”
I froze.
“Why do you ask?”
“Chad says Daddy lost.”
“What did he lose?”
Leo shrugged.
“Company game.”
Company.
Daniel’s cybersecurity stake.
May you like
Another piece.
Maybe the trust fight involved more than reimbursement.
