Don't Mess With Texas

This story is a BTB story. There is no sex in it, so if that's what you're looking for then you'd better look elsewhere. My last story had comments that said my MC husbands are too civil. For those people I hope this is more to your liking. As with most of my stories, I try to get you into their heads, so dialogue (both external and internal) is done to help the reader relate. As always, I appreciate all comments, both positive and negative, so keep them coming.

"I am setting the spousal support in the amount of $2000 per month along with continuing to pay the home mortgage, child support in the amount of $1000, and health insurance until minor child has become a legal adult. Further, if the child attends college you are ordered to pay those expenses also." The judge said.

That judgement would cost me over $6500 per month. My wife had been screwing a number of the lawyers in her firm, yet now, I was the one getting fucked.

My name is Kurt D'Angelo, and my ex-wife is Lilly, short for Lillian. My daughter, my pride and joy, is Regina. To say she is a Daddy's Girl would probably be an understatement. Whenever she was available, I would take her to different sites with me. She had told the judge that she wanted to have me as her custodial parent, but he wouldn't hear it. The whole proceedings were bullshit! The monthly support was outrageous! Lilly was working, earning money, I shouldn't have to support her as well as paying the mortgage, and everything else. I was definitely getting the shaft and the judge was in on it.

I, however, wasn't going to take it lying down. In fact, I had already made plans to make her regret she ever crossed me. I can be a vindictive S.O.B. when I feel like I've been wronged. I grew up on the south side of Chicago, Lansing, Illinois to be exact. We know how to put the hurt on someone.

I am what some people would call an entrepreneur. I just say I'm a businessman that sees opportunities and goes after them. When I was young, I must admit, not all of those money making "opportunities" were totally legit. Now I'm into real estate (owning a number of rentals), vending machines, and one other business that would come in quite handy in fulfilling just one of my paybacks to my "loving wife", ex-wife that is.

I own a coin change business, similar to Coinstar, with machines all over the Chicagoland area as well as Northern Indiana. This would allow me to make my spousal support payment, all $2000.00, in all change. Let her bring those to the bank. They would insist that they be all put in rolls. Maybe she can get some of her fuck buddy lawyers to help count them and put them in the sleeves.

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Lilly had stayed at home with Regina until she started school. Then Lilly worked a few part-time jobs for the next few years. Then she got the idea to become a paralegal. She took courses for about 2 years and then flooded the market with resume's, trying to get a job. After about 6 weeks she was hired by one of the bigger law firms in the area. Lilly is smart, but I believe, now, that it was her looks, even at 32, that got her the job.

She was one of many paralegals in the firm, but it didn't take her long to advance. She had gotten noticed by some up and coming lawyer and he made her his assistant. I wonder, now, if she wasn't trading favors even back then.

I, being the stupid husband, was fully supportive of her career choice. She would come home exhausted, but with a smile on her face. Again, thinking back, I wonder why she was exhausted, and what those smiles were for.

We had been living in a nice house in Oak Forest, Illinois, a typical working-class suburb of Chicago. As she started to become more involved with the young lawyers and even the Senior Partners, her attitude changed. It became 'We need to move to a better neighborhood. You make good money and I work in a prestigious law firm. We need to show the world that we've made it.'

I liked the house we were living in. We had fixed it up and made it our own. I didn't want, nor need, to live in one of the high-priced suburbs.

Well, after 2 years of her nagging me, I acquiesced, but I told her I wasn't selling our house, it was our home. We could rent it out, add it to the other rentals I owned.

So, we purchased a house on the north side of Chicago in Wilmette. We had to get a Jumbo loan to afford the $900,000 'Mansion' (as I called it). It was not on Lake Michigan, but it was pretty close. She decorated it with all new furnishings to her liking. I never felt comfortable there. In fact, thinking about it now, I think that was the beginning of the end for us. We wanted different things out of life. I wanted to be low key, you know, the millionaire next door type that no one knows about. She wanted to flaunt the wealth and live that lifestyle.

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Now, getting back to the judge's decision in our divorce decree. I would follow his demands to the letter, but she wasn't going to like it.

Over the next month I started making my plans.

My daughter would get her child support, but Lilly would see none of it. It would be in an account for Regina only, so she could get what she needed and wanted. She would also have health insurance, the best I could find. Lilly, however, was getting a catastrophic policy only. It would be a very high deductible policy. She would find that she would be paying for all of her health care, unless she became deathly ill, then the policy would kick in.

When 30 days had passed it was time to make the first spousal support payment to Lilly. I had an armored truck pull up to the 'Mansion' and the driver knocked on the door. When she came to the door she was not alone, one of her fuck buddies was there with her. The driver informed her that he was delivering her first month's payment. She was confused, not understanding why an armored truck was sitting in the driveway.

By this time a couple of the nosey neighbors had come out of their 'McMansions'. Perhaps they thought she had won the Publisher's Clearinghouse Sweepstakes. What they saw was two guys taking bag after bag of change into the front room, emptying them on the Italian Marble floor. The sound was amazing, even from across the street where I stood by my car, taping the whole thing on my phone.

As the truck left, she saw me and started screaming at me. I just waved and yelled back, "Hope you enjoy your slut money!!!" I then climbed into my truck and drove away.

I wasn't surprised that on Tuesday I had a man approach me and ask if I was Kurt D'Angelo. I just stood there and didn't acknowledge him at all. "Excuse me sir. Are you Kurt D'Angelo?" He said with a little more force. Again, I did not acknowledge him. He took out his phone, took a picture of me with the summons being offered. When I didn't accept it, he let it fall to the ground, said "You've been served.", and turned around and left.

After I was sure he was gone I bent down and picked it up. I was to appear in court the following Wednesday. That gave me a week to finish all my preparations.

I made the most of the week, calling and talking to people, making arrangements, and getting ready for court. I also called Regina and we went out to lunch. She was pissed at her mother. She couldn't believe that she had become such a bitch. She again told her mother that she wanted to live with me, but she wouldn't agree to it.

I said to her, "I will again ask the judge, and if he still doesn't agree to it then I will probably end up in jail."

"Don't do anything violent, Dad. It's not worth it." She said.

"Don't worry, I won't. I will be speaking my mind though, and that might get me put in jail. Your Mom will get a kick out of that, I'm sure. Don't worry about me though, I can take it. For you however, I have set up a trust. Uncle Ken will be the trustee until you become of legal age. He will ensure that whatever you want or need it will be taken care of. But, understand this, your mother is not to receive any of it. It is for your support, not hers."

"Of course, Dad, she doesn't deserve anything." She said forcefully.

That was my girl. She was strong willed and was becoming quite the little adult.

"Dad, I'm going to go to court with you. I'm going to demand that I live with you!"

"I don't know if that will make a difference."

Wednesday came, and Regina, my lawyer, and I were sitting in the gallery waiting our turn in front of the judge. Lilly came in with her fuck buddy lawyer and said, "Hey, Asshole, you'd better get with the program. You can't do whatever you want, you'll see."

When the Judge called my name, Regina got up and went to the podium first.

"Excuse me, miss, this is a case involving Kurt D'Angelo." The Judge said.

"Well, I'm his daughter and I want to petition the court, again, to have my father as the custodial parent, not that Bitch, my mother." She said and looked over at Lilly.

"Young lady, you'll not speak like that in my courtroom. Your custodial parent has already been decided!"

"But I'm 15, I should have the right to choose who I want to be with." She demanded, interrupting the Judge.

"Well, there were accusations of an improper relationship with your father, so I have ruled in favor of your mother."

When I heard that I looked over at Lilly and she had a smirk on her face.

My lawyer spoke up and said, "Your Honor, we have no knowledge of any accusations, nor have any been lodged or brought before the court in any previous meeting."

"I am referring to a psychiatrist report that I have obtained. With that information I am standing by my ruling, so that matter is closed!"

About 4 months previous Regina was having a hard time with the divorce as well as issues at her school so we decided to have her talk to a psychiatrist. There must have been something in those notes that Lilly thought would sway the Judge in her favor. I had never had any inappropriate activities with my daughter. Lilly was trying to paint me as a pedophile.

My blood pressure was rising. I couldn't believe Lilly would lie like that, accusing me of something I had not done. The Judge wouldn't even let my side be told.

I stared at the Judge. He would pay for this. I guess her law firm was calling the shots. We'll see how they all fare in the end. My vindictive nature was starting to resurface.

Lilly's lawyer spoke up and said, "We are petitioning the court to find Kurt D'Angelo in contempt."

My lawyer was almost as hot as I was now. He could see there would be no justice in this courtroom today. "Your Honor, my client has fulfilled all of the terms of the divorce decree to date. There are no grounds for contempt.

"Your Honor," Lilly's fuck buddy lawyer said, "His monthly spousal support payment was delivered a week ago Saturday and dumped on the floor in her residence."

"So?" The Judge queried.

"The $2000.00 was all in change, mostly pennies and nickels. This caused some damage to the flooring and a considerable amount of time and effort to clean up"

My lawyer didn't even wait for the Judge to respond, he was prepared. "Your Honor, Section 5103 of Title 31 United States code states: 'United States coins and currency are legal tender for all debts, public charges, taxes and dues.' My client paid the required spousal support. Likewise, he has fulfilled the insurance, home mortgage and child support requirements."

"You Honor," Lilly's lawyer said, "as of this date my client has not received child support from Mr. D'Angelo."

"That's correct, your Honor," my lawyer stated. "The child support has been given directly to his daughter for any wants and needs she may have. You can ask her yourself."

The Judge was flummoxed. He looked at Regina and she smiled, nodding her head.

"We have canceled checks for the insurance and the mortgage." My lawyer said.

I looked over at Lilly and her lawyer, they were scrambling to come up with something.

"Your Honor," he said. "Having the payment made in change causes an undo hardship for my client. Could we ask that in the future, she be given a check instead?"

The Judge, finally able to get a word in, said, "That seems reasonable."

Before he could say anything else, my lawyer spoke up. "Your Honor, before you speak further on that could you address a couple questions that pertain to that?"

"And what would those be?" He asked.

"Are the Chicago Police part of the legal system in the City of Chicago?"

The Judge looked at my lawyer like he was nuts, and said, "Why, of course they are."

"Why is it then," my lawyer continued, "that if my client were to get his car impounded and wanted to get it out of the Chicago Police Impound lot, that he would not be able to write a check, but would rather have to pay in cash or with a credit card?"

The Judge stuttered, "Uh ..."

My lawyer continued, "If the Police, by your own admission, part of the legal system of Chicago, refuse to take a check, then how can my client be required to pay future spousal support payments in the form of a check?"
The Judge, now looking like a buffoon, got defensive and said, "Because this is my court and what I say goes!"

At this point I had had enough, so I stood up and said, "Because you're the Law and you're trying to appease my wife's law firm. What, was she a whore for you too?"

With that he blew up. "Mr. D'Angelo, I find you in contempt of court and sentence you to 6 months in the Cook County Jail, unless you apologize to me and this court, and agree to any terms I impose!"

"Who are you? The King? King of this Kangaroo Court?" I shouted.

The Judge was shocked. I'm sure he had never been spoken to like that before.

"Bailiff, take this man into custody!"

I looked over at Lilly and her lawyer, they were stunned.

"Good luck getting your slut money now, Bitch!" I said, and then smiled. She didn't know how much her life was going to change.

I was taken to holding, strip searched, and transferred to the Jail. Jail is a nice word for it. It is more like a prison. Right away, two of the guards started badgering me about the disrespect I had shown the Judge.

I wasn't scared of jail. I am 6' 4" tall and about 255 pounds of muscle. Working on my rental properties kept me fit. Also, I had spent a little time in juvy as a teenager.

I was processed, and escorted into the cell yard. I ignored all the talk and yelling. I was determined to keep to myself and always be watching my back. As long as no one messed with me, I would be a ghost.

When the evening meal was being served, I got my tray and went through the line. I stood against a wall and ate as I looked around at the scum that were trying to act bigger than they were. Then, out of the din, I heard a voice that I hadn't heard in literally decades, say, "Tex??"

I had been called "Tex" by my street friends from my juvenile delinquent days.

"Tex?" said Randall, also known as Ringer. "What the hell are you doing in here?"

As he approached many eyes followed him and turned to me. I sat my tray down and grabbed him in a man hug, right hands clasped together between us and the other arm around the shoulders. "Ringer! Wow, aren't you a sight for sore eyes. How the hell are you?"

"Well, I'm in here, so not very good. You neither, I guess. What did you do?"

"Basically, told a judge he was an asshole."

"That will do it." He said. "So how long you in for?"

"Six months, unless I apologize to the Son of a Bitch. So ... 6 months I guess."

We talked and ate and got looks from some of the inmates. Ringer told me the lay of the land. He told me he'd be watching my back, and I likewise. We talked about old times.

"So, what are you going to do about the ex, her lovers, and the judge?" He asked after I filled him in. He knew me from when I was young. Revenge was always a part of how I handled things back then. In fact, that is how I had gotten the nickname 'Tex'.

Tex was short for Texas. As in "Don't mess with Texas." Those that did, paid. They would think twice before they crossed me again, and tell others also.

"So, the Judge. What happened there?" He asked.

"I told him he was basically a piece of shit."

"Oh Shit. What did he do?" he asked.

"He took my little girl from me, even though she requested to live with me, and then he basically accused me of molesting her."

"Oh Shit. So, what are you going to do about it?"

"I've got some things in the works. I kinda figured I'd be in here, so I started planning weeks ago."

"Anything I can help with?" He asked.

"Maybe, but I don't know right now. Boy, it sure is nice to have a friend in here though."

"I'll introduce you to some of my buds in here. It's good to have people that will watch your back and that you can count on."

After some introductions, Ringer started telling some of the stories of when we ran the streets of Lansing. There were a few laughs, but mainly nods, as if their stories weren't that different.

That night I lay in my bunk, staring at the wall. "How had it gotten to this?" I asked myself. I started reviewing my life. My childhood was rough by most people's standards; A Dad that was an abusive drunk and a Mom that had no backbone at all, even when Dad started beating me. That drove me to spend most of my time on the streets. I hooked up with a group of guys in similar situations. We weren't a gang, even though we pretended to be. We were just stupid kids dealing with the hands that we'd been dealt.

The crime rate in Lansing is pretty high, and we weren't helping those statistics. Mostly petty things, but we did steal a car or two.

That is what landed me in juvy. In retrospect, that was probably the best thing to happen to me. Sure, it was rough, but I had time to think about the direction my life was going. I vowed to myself that I would do something with my life. When I got out, I did change, I started planning for a future.

By the time I was 20 I had accumulated enough cash to purchase a tax foreclosed house in the neighborhood. That became the first of many homes I fixed up and started renting out.

When I was 22, I was at a club trying to get lucky. I don't even remember the name of the club. It changed names so many times in the following decade, then was torn down to make room for condos.

That night I did get lucky, at least I thought so at the time. I met Lilly. We hit it off. Her life had been so different from mine. She had just moved to Chicago to live with a friend. She had grown up in Seymour, Indiana. Seymour is a small town, best known for being the hometown of John Cougar Mellencamp. He had already become famous and moved away by the time Lilly was born, so she had never even met him.

A small Midwest town upbringing created a 21 year old woman that had an attitude toward life that I found attractive. I guess opposites attract. We married a year later, and a year after that Regina was born, named after Lilly's Mom.

I had purchased a house in Oak Forest to flip, but when she saw it, she loved it and wanted to make it our home. We spent the next 10 years fixing it up the way we wanted. It was the best 10 years of my life; working on home projects together, watching our daughter grow up, having neighbors over for BBQ. It was the American Dream.

Then Lilly got the job with the law firm and things began to change, mostly her attitude. The simple life was no longer good enough for her. She had to have expensive clothes, jewelry, and the neighborhood BBQ's were replaced by going out to eat at expensive restaurants, often times with people from her law firm. She also started making derogatory statements about the people from the South Side of Chicago.