Chapter 457 - Do you want nothing to do with Dominic? (5)

14 May, Courthouse, City K

Silence descended in the court room. Matthew could see Lexi's shocked response and noticed the moment she was ready to bite back.

Shaking his head to Bronwyn who was about to get to her feet he stood, and said "Sir, if I may?"

Still somewhat stunned from Madam Yao's statement, the judge said, "Go ahead General."

"Mr and Madam Yao know exactly what happened when their son married my wife. Her parents, ashamed that their seventeen year old daughter was pregnant and unwed used the law to their advantage and found someone they could use their assets to ensure that what they felt was a humiliation for them was wiped away. That involved them and their son. My wife outside gave Mr and Madam Yao a choice, stop this fighting and be a part of Dominic's life or fight and we would do everything to keep them from his life…"

"It is you that should be kept away form him," spat Madam Yao.

Matthew turned and said "Madam Yao, push and you will not like the outcome. My wife convinced me that you need to be a part of Dominic and any children we have in the future lives. Compared to my parents who detest their children, you loved and still love your son and care for Dominic despite there being no close biological connection. But even my patience has limits. You want to fight, fine."

Turning to Bronwyn, he said "Lieutenant you have those doc.u.ments we spoke about?"

"Yes Sir," was Bronwyn's quick response.

"Sir, please do not think me rude and disrespectful in doing this," came Matthew's response. He noticed Lexi tensing up on the link, but enough was enough. Now the truth was out she did not need this, nor Dominic.

"I will give you a choice, Mr and Madam Yao, be a part of Dominic's life, yes on condition and at times that works for us, you and Dominic or fight and you will loose everything."

"How can we lose everything. Our son is dead, a death caused by the b*tch who would not give him what he wanted and needed."

Matthew re-looked at Lexi across the link. She had predicted this reaction. "Fine, Madam Yao. Mr Yao, your choice?"

"My wife is correct. We lost our son, and Dominic is all that we have left however he came to be. We can only fight for him because that is what our son wanted."

"Lieutenant," snapped Matthew, turning to Bronwyn. As she stood, he saw she nodded, and Matthew sat down. Looking at Lexi's civilian lawyers he could see the confusion on their faces. Yes, they had told them some things, but they were still confused about everything.

"Sir, the General and Madam Rong were not willing to take this path, but they will. The so-called marriage of Madam Rong and Richard Yao was invalid…"

Yelling Mr Yao said, "No it was not." Matthew, rather than turning watched the reaction of Lexi, who he could see knew that the penny was dropping. An invalid marriage impacted the disposition of the shares of Jax Corp that were Lexi's so-called dowry.

"Mr Yao, you were given choices and some information before, but you and your wife made the decision you did." Pulling out a second folder, she handed a copy of doc.u.ments in the folder to the court staff for the judge, Lexi's civilian lawyers, and the Yao's team.

"These doc.u.ments are de-classified for the sole purpose of these proceedings and come from the General's personal records. Prior to Madam Rong's civilian marriage to Richard Yao, legally she and the General had completed two of the required three steps for a military marriage as existed at the time. As you know sir, given your role as a military judge, that invalidates any civilian marriage unless the military member of the couple files relevant paperwork to void the commitments made."

"She was only seventeen…," came a pitiful almost cry like statement from Madam Yao

"Madam Yao, the law as it applied to military marriages at the time, which has been preserved by the recent changes to the law, allowed seventeen-year-olds to make the relevant commitments. It was designed to protect young women; whose intended husband was slightly older and joined the military in case of their death during service provided that two of the three relevant steps had been undertaken. As the released records show, two of the three required steps had been completed, and therefore the commitment was legal."

"And" added Matthew "That means that she could not legally marry your son, because I never filed the relevant paperwork with the military authorities."

"You are a liar, the marriage between my son and that b*tch was legal," was the even more desperate response from Madam Yao. Matthew could see she sensed control of everything slipping from her fingers.

Bronwyn added "Sir, given your position in the military justice system, the general's personal record is available for you to confirm that nothing has been omitted from the information provided, but national security prevents it being available to all parties in the proceedings. Can I suggest that you inspect those records to confirm the situation."

After a brief pause, the judge said, "General you have something in mind?"

"Sir, I believe my wife's civilian lawyers have in their control a copy of the so-called marriage agreement for her invalid marriage to Richard Yao, which clearly indicates that the shares in Jax Corp he obtained on his marriage was his dowry for the wedding, and spelt out the control of those shares. With an invalid marriage that agreement could not give the control of those shares to Richard Yao, and they fell back into the estate of my wife's parents. They were never in Richard Yao's control nor could their control pass to his parents."

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