I didn't sleep well last night as usual. I actually had several nightmares throughout the night. I couldn't stop thinking about what would happen once Mark was served his divorce papers. Trust me, he has no clue that this is coming.
Oh sure, he was sitting there when his psychiatrist 'told me to file'. And, I have no doubts his brother called him after Kristin talked to him and told him I was planning to file. But, after receiving Facebook messages like this on Tuesday, it makes me believe he doesn't think it will happen:
I was in the shop all of this morning by myself. All of the guys left a little after 9 AM to go out on jobs. I didn't realize I would be alone. I had contacted the City of Riviera Beach Police earlier in the week. I explained what was going on. The detective told me to call immediately even if he called the shop and they would be there.
My attorney had called me the night before. She had said that Mark would be served probably between 12 and 1. She also told me to call her office and talk to the para-legal, Darlene to get a more accurate time. I called Darlene around 11. She was not aware that I was told to call her. However, she said she would call the server and find out what time he would be seeing Mark.
By this time my nerves were shot. It was now noon and I was still alone in the shop. The phone was ringing off of the hook, my friend Bonnie (who is also one of our accountants) called to check up on me. Bonnie is the one that sent me to Robin (my attorney). She's known her for years. Bonnie also has been a friend to me and a shoulder throughout the years when I needed someone to talk to.
In the meantime the phone was ringing off the hook. Two customers came in as well. One phone call I asked, "Would you hold please?" It was this old German lady that is never happy about anything. She screamed at me, "NO, I WON'T HOLD. You need to talk to me NOW!" I just apologized and told her there were others waiting and laid the phone down. I could hear her screaming on the line.
During all of this, Darlene called back and said she has the process server on the line with her. I was a tad taken back. I didn't want to talk to him, I just wanted to know when Mark was being served. We were on a 3 way call. He had a very abrupt voice and attitude. I suppose to do that kind of work you'd have to be rather tough. He asked me all sorts of questions about my house, my dog, my yard and about Mark. Then he asked if I could call Mark and ask him to come to the shop. I was so startled I yelled, "NO!" I also explained he had no transportation or a license to get there anyway. So, he then asked me if I (or someone else) could go get him and drive him to the shop. I again told him *no*. I don't WANT him served anywhere near me.
By this time I was like a ball of jelly in full bawling mode. I tried to help the customers the best I could. I excused myself several times to go to my office to compose myself. It was now nearly 1 PM. Chris and Joe showed back up at the shop. I called Bonnie back. I asked her how well she knew the attorney. She assured me that she has known her for a very long time and are a great firm. She then asked me, "Why?" I explained what had just happened. I told her I couldn't call them because attorneys charge you for every minute of everything they do for you. You are even charged for phone calls. So, Bonnie said, "I'll call them. They can't charge me."
I ran over to Wells Fargo to deposit checks into the new account. When I got back the guys told me Bonnie had called me back. I returned her call. She explained to me the reason the man asked me so many questions is he wanted to make sure Mark got served. It seems you are charged for every single time they try to serve someone. He was just trying to make sure Mark got served the first time. I appreciated the explanation, but still felt these were questions Darlene could have asked me and not him. I further felt that the idea of me (or anyone else) actually going to get him and bringing him to the shop to be served was a pretty ludicrous idea. However, I did write an email to Darlene and apologized for being so emotional. She wrote back and said she understood.
Tick tock, tick tock, 2 O'Clock, 3, O'Clock. Finally a little after 4:30 my cell phone rang. I didn't know the number so I didn't answer. I listened to the voice mail and it was the process server. All he said on the voice mail was, "I just served Mark about 5 minutes ago." I held my breath to see what would happened next.
Nothing happened. No angry calls. Nothing.
At 4:52 I got an email from Mark after he had been served:
I also got a Facebook Message from him after he was served:
My attorney called as we were closing up to also tell me he had been served. I let her know that I had been informed. She then asked me if I had a therapist. I told her I had stopped going because I didn't like the lady I had been seeing. She then said, "Well, I have a good one. I'll email her name to you. I need you to start being on top of your game and stop with the roller coaster emotions. I am fighting for you. I need you to help me fight. I am trying to get this business for you. I don't need you to be awake in the middle of the night feeling sorry for him. I need you to be sleeping, resting, and being fresh to fight the next day for what we have ahead."
I talked to my sister Cheryl and Bonnie later. I told them both if Robin had been standing in front of me she probably would have been like one of those slap-stick comedies, slapping my face yelling, "SNAP OUT OF IT!" It was the first time I have laughed in quite awhile.
Mark did call my cell phone twice tonight. I didn't answer and he didn't leave a message. Now I feel I had overreacted on everything. Yet, had I not and things had gone the way I thought they might have I would have been upset that I wasn't prepared. I cannot forget that he did kill my parrot. Sick or not, that is a fact. It's a fact that stays in my mind every day.
I also got one final email from him at 8:32 PM:
When Mark went manic back in 2003, Matt (his attorney/friend) gave him the name of one of the best marriage counselors in Palm Beach County. He turned out to be the one that diagnosed Mark as being bi-polar. He was also the one that got him to see the RN that got him to take his meds. But, he was also the one that told me I needed to move back in with Mark. He said that he was sure Mark wouldn't make it if I wasn't there to help him and to be there to make sure he took his meds. I was shocked when he requested me to do that. I had moved out back then as well. I was shocked he wanted me to go back. After all, we need to keep in mind Mark's brother killed his wife and himself. However, I did what the doctor said and for a few years Mark was 'better' until he quit taking his meds again.
I decided not to respond tonight so I could think about what I wanted to say.
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