“And what about your daughter? How has this affected her?”
Tears filled my eyes. “She had nightmares after my father came to our apartment. She asked if she did something wrong to make them hate her. She’s five years old, Your Honor. She should be thinking about kindergarten and cartoons, not why her grandparents are so angry with us.”
The judge made some notes, then looked at my parents. “Mr. and Mrs. Chen, I’m going to be very clear with you. What you’ve done—the financial exploitation, the boundary violations, the harassment—these are serious matters. Your daughter has every right to protect herself and her child from people who have proven they cannot respect basic boundaries.”
“Your Honor, please—” my father started.
“I’m not finished. You may believe you have good intentions. You may believe you’re entitled to a relationship with your granddaughter. But rights come with responsibilities. You have failed to meet those responsibilities. You’ve taken financial advantage of your daughter during a time when she could barely afford to feed her own child. You’ve violated clearly stated boundaries. You’ve caused emotional distress to a five-year-old child. These are not the actions of loving grandparents.”
My mother was sobbing now. Danny had his arm around her, his face pale.
“I’m granting the restraining order,” the judge continued. “Mr. and Mrs. Chen, you are prohibited from contacting Sarah Thompson, Marcus Thompson, or Lily Thompson by any means. You are prohibited from coming within 500 feet of their residence, their workplaces, or Lily’s school. You are prohibited from contacting them through third parties. This order is in effect for one year, at which point Mrs. Thompson can petition to renew it if necessary.”
She looked at my parents sternly. “If you violate this order, you will be arrested. I don’t care how good your intentions are. I don’t care how much you miss your granddaughter. You will respect these boundaries or you will face criminal consequences. Do you understand?”
“Yes, Your Honor,” my father said, his voice hollow.
“Mrs. Chen?”
My mother just nodded, unable to speak through her tears.
“Regarding the vehicle,” the judge continued. “The 2021 Honda Accord registered to Sarah Thompson must be returned within 72 hours or it will be reported stolen and you will face theft charges. Do you understand?”
