my ex-husband sent a courier letter accusing me of neglect during my mum’s birthday dinner

The knock came just as mum was blowing out her candles. I thought it was a late guest, maybe Sue with the good wine she’d promised. Instead, I signed for a courier envelope with David’s lawyer’s letterhead. Inside, a single page accused me of neglecting Lily’s medical needs and demanded I surrender her passport within 48 hours. My mother saw my face go white. I excused myself to the bathroom and read it again, hands shaking.

We’ve been divorced two years, and he’s been escalating ever since. He wants sole custody, and his argument is that I’m emotionally unstable and have a history of missing Lily’s paediatric appointments. The letter cited two missed appointments in June and July 2024. I have the clinic receipts in my email—I took her both times. He also claims I sent him a text threatening to “disappear with Lily.” I never wrote that.

The next morning, I called Lily’s school to check in. The receptionist hesitated, then told me David had contacted the principal claiming I was a flight risk. The principal had placed a “no release” alert on Lily without notifying me. I had to drive there in person with my ID and custody orders to prove I was still her primary parent. The principal apologised, but the damage was done. Lily asked me why the office lady looked at her funny.

I told Sue about the text message he’d submitted as evidence. She’s a graphic designer, and I sent her a screenshot of the letter’s attachment. She called me back within an hour. “Mia, this is fake. Look at the pixelation around the timestamp—it’s been copy-pasted from a different app. The metadata won’t match either.” She sent me a forensic analysis she did on her own time, with side-by-side comparisons and red circles. It was solid enough for a court filing.

I didn’t wait. I filed a cross-application in the Federal Circuit Court, attaching Sue’s report and requesting a recovery order for Lily’s passport. I also included the clinic receipts. The hearing was two days ago. The judge granted an interim order that Lily stay with me pending a full hearing. David’s lawyer withdrew from the case the same day, citing ethical concerns. I don’t know what that means, but it felt like a small win.

Now I’m sitting here with Lily asleep in her bed, her passport in my safe. David hasn’t contacted me since. Sue keeps saying I did the right thing, but I keep replaying that dinner, that knock on the door. Am I overreacting to think he’s dangerous enough to keep fighting? Would you put up with this?