I was filling a scrip for D17 in the city when, who should I see striding across the mall in front of me, but XH. And he's got a big carry-bag of the extremely expensive chocolates that our town is famous for.
I have spent the morning on the phone with CS lawyers who have told me I need evidence of XH's expensive lifestyle to append to my challenge to his claim that his annual income is only $45,000.
So, I follow him and snap some pics on my phone.
He heads into the very up-market department store in the mall and goes downstairs - by now I've twigged.
It's coming up to 6 June - OW's bday - and he's going to the liquor department.
I follow a discreet distance away and note that he goes straight to the French Chanpagne section. Before i can snap a pic, he's turned back towards the cashier and has seen me!
So, I take a big gulp of air and say "Hi, How are you?"
He doesn't bat an eyelid, busted, as he is, with a bottle of Bollinger in one hand and a box of $100 chocs in the other.
He speaks to me politely and continues with his purchase.
I get out my phone and start to take pics, documenting the spending.
It's all done so nicely that cashier says "How nice! I'll take one of the two of you together if you like?"
I say "What do you think XH?", but quickly tell her that it's not necessary.
I do ask her how much the Bollinger is. $100 a bottle.
If he'd bought it at a local bottle shop, it would have been half the price, but no, we're talking Mr-I'm-too-important-to-save-money.
Interestingly, $100 is exactly the amount that XH now has to pay for 2 kids' support each week - i.e. for ALL their food, clothing, expenses, schooling, etc, etc.
The cashier disappears and I ask XH if he would please give the kids some money for food, schooling, going out, etc.
He says he's been assessed and that $50 each is all he has to pay. I explain that the amount depends on what he states as his income. He says he will pay more once I've agreed to his settlement offer (he wants me to pay him almost half a million!).
Stupidly, I try to explain that CS has nothing to do with financial settlement in D. That the court deals with one and the CS agency with the other. He gets livid and says: "How much is your lawyer costing you?"
I ignore and he starts getting heated and repeats "What are you paying your lawyer?"
At this point I walked away. Shaking at my audacity in taking the pics. They look ripping, BTW.
Thirty mins later i get a call from him "Hi How are you? Can I come over and bring pizza to have with you and the kids for dinner?"
We have a court hearing tomorrow re financial matters.
