Aimee seems to have realized that being as spiteful as Mary Martha wasn’t going to resolve anything.
I loved your story! The end of each chapter had a great cliff hanger and you were able to get the reader pulled back in with the new chapter. Nice job!
Thanks so much, Kirsi! It was a fun challenge to take a true story and structure it in such a way as to leave the reader wanting more - and asking questions - and the end of each chapter, without veering from the facts or actual timeline.
I also pursued a lawsuit that I decided to stop. I decided to stop in order to prevent the other person from taking up any more space in my brain. To move forward. Others didn't understand and wanted me to continue to be angry, but anger eats at you and ruins your health, physically and mentally. I had gotten my adversary to give up something, which to me was an admission of guilt.
Possibly Aimee thought she had punished Mary Martha enough thru the public statements and the news. She had made her mother suffer emotionally the way her mother had made her suffer.
Possibly she had, as we say today, "spoken her truth." As well as all the financial considerations the other people said. Possibly she was tired and felt, or her lawyers felt, she had gotten all she could. She knew that Mary Martha was her mother by what she left unsaid.
I do wonder that Mary Martha had never come up with a good story - you were the daughter of my beloved governess who died in childbirth while her husband was in the Civil War, or some such.
@Anne, I love that last bit, and - if I’d been writing this as a historical fiction - I would totally have added something like that in there 🤣 It seems logical, right?
If you’re gonna tell a lie, at least make it a whopper!
As important as obtaining validation regarding her circumstances of birth, I can imagine that the grind of long-term litigation had to be exhausting. At some point, the satisfaction of having her say in court, to reveal her likely origins, may have been enough and was preferable to continued wear and tear of courtroom haggling. It would be tough to give up that final victory, but I can understand just wanting to get on with life.
Agreed about the sheer exhaustion and stress of ongoing litigation and all it entails -yikes! Especially knowing - or at least believing - Mary Martha wasn’t going to back down. Bit still, as you said, it would seem to take a lot of strength and maturity to accept something less than a reckoning. It’s a fascinating situation for sure - thanks for your insight.
Thanks, Marci! When I was doing the original research, I admit I was surprised, too. And confused. As I’ve gotten to “know” Aimee a bit more, her decision does make more sense. Now Nary Martha and the things she did and does - well, that’s another story lol
Aimee probably settled because she did not have the wealth or time to continue fighting in the courts. If Mary Martha passed away before things were settled, the case might have been dismissed leaving Aimee with legal fees she probably couldn't pay. I was involved in a legal case once where my lawyer said settle or find someone else to represent you. It wasn't worth his time to continue the fight on a contingency fee.
That’s definitely a possibility - it was a David v Goliath fight in terms of resources, for sure. I’ve also thought it was the old “bird in the hand” situation - in the settlement she knew ( or at least believed) she would at least get something when Mary Martha passed away. Thanks for the comment!
Aimee seems to have realized that being as spiteful as Mary Martha wasn’t going to resolve anything.
I loved your story! The end of each chapter had a great cliff hanger and you were able to get the reader pulled back in with the new chapter. Nice job!
Thanks so much, Kirsi! It was a fun challenge to take a true story and structure it in such a way as to leave the reader wanting more - and asking questions - and the end of each chapter, without veering from the facts or actual timeline.
I also pursued a lawsuit that I decided to stop. I decided to stop in order to prevent the other person from taking up any more space in my brain. To move forward. Others didn't understand and wanted me to continue to be angry, but anger eats at you and ruins your health, physically and mentally. I had gotten my adversary to give up something, which to me was an admission of guilt.
Possibly Aimee thought she had punished Mary Martha enough thru the public statements and the news. She had made her mother suffer emotionally the way her mother had made her suffer.
Possibly she had, as we say today, "spoken her truth." As well as all the financial considerations the other people said. Possibly she was tired and felt, or her lawyers felt, she had gotten all she could. She knew that Mary Martha was her mother by what she left unsaid.
I do wonder that Mary Martha had never come up with a good story - you were the daughter of my beloved governess who died in childbirth while her husband was in the Civil War, or some such.
@Anne, I love that last bit, and - if I’d been writing this as a historical fiction - I would totally have added something like that in there 🤣 It seems logical, right?
If you’re gonna tell a lie, at least make it a whopper!
As important as obtaining validation regarding her circumstances of birth, I can imagine that the grind of long-term litigation had to be exhausting. At some point, the satisfaction of having her say in court, to reveal her likely origins, may have been enough and was preferable to continued wear and tear of courtroom haggling. It would be tough to give up that final victory, but I can understand just wanting to get on with life.
Agreed about the sheer exhaustion and stress of ongoing litigation and all it entails -yikes! Especially knowing - or at least believing - Mary Martha wasn’t going to back down. Bit still, as you said, it would seem to take a lot of strength and maturity to accept something less than a reckoning. It’s a fascinating situation for sure - thanks for your insight.
I hope you write a book with such amazing stories as this one.
As far as Aimee goes, I admit being surprised that she decided to sign the agreement rather than have final victory over her mother.
She made a better decision in accepting the monetary reward and that could be why she did sign.
Thanks, Marci! When I was doing the original research, I admit I was surprised, too. And confused. As I’ve gotten to “know” Aimee a bit more, her decision does make more sense. Now Nary Martha and the things she did and does - well, that’s another story lol
Aimee probably settled because she did not have the wealth or time to continue fighting in the courts. If Mary Martha passed away before things were settled, the case might have been dismissed leaving Aimee with legal fees she probably couldn't pay. I was involved in a legal case once where my lawyer said settle or find someone else to represent you. It wasn't worth his time to continue the fight on a contingency fee.
That’s definitely a possibility - it was a David v Goliath fight in terms of resources, for sure. I’ve also thought it was the old “bird in the hand” situation - in the settlement she knew ( or at least believed) she would at least get something when Mary Martha passed away. Thanks for the comment!
Harland Tibbetts is correct spelling. Love his great granddaughter. Lainey TIBBETTS Allen (Tibby)
Thanks, Tibby! I’d already made the correction - sorry about that!