1 00:00:04,800 --> 00:00:09,040 Speaker 1: Hey, it's Stephanie back with the bonus episode. We talked 2 00:00:09,039 --> 00:00:12,119 Speaker 1: in episode three about the many emails Clayton received from 3 00:00:12,200 --> 00:00:15,720 Speaker 1: Laura Owens during the summer of twenty twenty three. He 4 00:00:15,800 --> 00:00:18,880 Speaker 1: compiled the emails into a Google drive that he calls 5 00:00:18,920 --> 00:00:22,119 Speaker 1: the L File. There was so much more about the 6 00:00:22,280 --> 00:00:25,000 Speaker 1: L file and these emails that we didn't have time 7 00:00:25,040 --> 00:00:28,160 Speaker 1: to get to in episode three, so I sat down 8 00:00:28,160 --> 00:00:30,840 Speaker 1: with Clayton to hear a bit more. We're going to 9 00:00:30,880 --> 00:00:33,080 Speaker 1: start with their back and forth about the paternity test. 10 00:00:33,880 --> 00:00:36,839 Speaker 1: Laura claimed that Clayton was refusing to take one. He 11 00:00:36,920 --> 00:00:40,080 Speaker 1: says that wasn't the case, and the emails seemed to 12 00:00:40,080 --> 00:00:46,400 Speaker 1: corroborate his account. In the last episode, we talked about 13 00:00:46,440 --> 00:00:49,640 Speaker 1: the paternity testing and who was paying for it. Now, 14 00:00:49,680 --> 00:00:53,040 Speaker 1: the whole conversation gets messy as the months dragon, but 15 00:00:53,120 --> 00:00:55,160 Speaker 1: I mention that you agreed to pay for the whole 16 00:00:55,160 --> 00:00:57,640 Speaker 1: thing yourself, So let's get into that a little bit deeper. 17 00:00:58,480 --> 00:01:01,720 Speaker 1: In the email from Laura to you on June twenty fourth, 18 00:01:01,880 --> 00:01:04,640 Speaker 1: about three weeks after she told you she was pregnant, 19 00:01:05,000 --> 00:01:07,360 Speaker 1: she says, I wanted to let you know that I 20 00:01:07,400 --> 00:01:10,000 Speaker 1: will not be paying for the paternity test. It's of 21 00:01:10,040 --> 00:01:12,080 Speaker 1: no use to me because I know I wasn't physically 22 00:01:12,120 --> 00:01:15,000 Speaker 1: involved with anyone else, and therefore no one else could 23 00:01:15,040 --> 00:01:17,520 Speaker 1: be the father. I promise that if it came back 24 00:01:17,560 --> 00:01:21,200 Speaker 1: any other way, I will fully reimburse you, but trust me, 25 00:01:21,720 --> 00:01:24,640 Speaker 1: it won't. I haven't lied to you yet, and I 26 00:01:24,680 --> 00:01:27,399 Speaker 1: don't need to pay several hundred or one thousand dollars 27 00:01:27,400 --> 00:01:31,560 Speaker 1: for information that I already have. Okay, So what was 28 00:01:31,600 --> 00:01:33,319 Speaker 1: your response to that email? 29 00:01:34,319 --> 00:01:36,920 Speaker 2: So my response to was I will pay for one 30 00:01:36,959 --> 00:01:40,240 Speaker 2: hundred percent of it. You have my word. Let this 31 00:01:40,319 --> 00:01:43,880 Speaker 2: message serve as the proof. Just schedule it and let 32 00:01:43,880 --> 00:01:46,399 Speaker 2: me know where you scheduled, and I'll pay. 33 00:01:47,280 --> 00:01:51,160 Speaker 1: Throughout this entire LO file, I don't see one email 34 00:01:51,160 --> 00:01:53,920 Speaker 1: of you refusing to take a paternity test. I know 35 00:01:54,000 --> 00:01:56,640 Speaker 1: you really wanted to take the paternity test based on 36 00:01:56,680 --> 00:01:59,600 Speaker 1: what I was seeing in the emails. So I found 37 00:01:59,600 --> 00:02:03,480 Speaker 1: something in the emails that might explain why Laura said 38 00:02:03,520 --> 00:02:05,520 Speaker 1: you were refusing to take it. Can you read that 39 00:02:05,560 --> 00:02:05,840 Speaker 1: for me? 40 00:02:06,760 --> 00:02:09,399 Speaker 2: So she had sent me an email saying, just confirming 41 00:02:09,440 --> 00:02:13,440 Speaker 2: that you are refusing a paternity test. No answer equals 42 00:02:13,560 --> 00:02:15,120 Speaker 2: refusing it, Okay. 43 00:02:15,120 --> 00:02:17,760 Speaker 1: So it's my understanding. And I came to this conclusion 44 00:02:17,800 --> 00:02:20,320 Speaker 1: by reading the emails and you telling me about how 45 00:02:20,480 --> 00:02:24,600 Speaker 1: no response equals a response, that that's what's happening here. 46 00:02:25,480 --> 00:02:28,320 Speaker 1: You weren't responding to her emails, and she was taking 47 00:02:28,360 --> 00:02:30,040 Speaker 1: your lack of response as a no. 48 00:02:31,080 --> 00:02:34,600 Speaker 2: Yeah, it's ridiculous in nature, but I mean you've heard, 49 00:02:34,639 --> 00:02:36,639 Speaker 2: even from a societal state ABO when people say silence 50 00:02:36,680 --> 00:02:39,079 Speaker 2: speaks volumes. And I think that's what she was trying 51 00:02:39,080 --> 00:02:41,519 Speaker 2: to lean into, is I know you're reading this because 52 00:02:41,560 --> 00:02:44,200 Speaker 2: I have the mail trackers, and if you're choosing not 53 00:02:44,280 --> 00:02:48,240 Speaker 2: to respond, that is still a response. I obviously didn't 54 00:02:48,240 --> 00:02:51,120 Speaker 2: agree with that. I just didn't want to communicate with her, 55 00:02:51,800 --> 00:02:55,120 Speaker 2: But she was just looking for ways to manipulate and 56 00:02:55,160 --> 00:02:58,280 Speaker 2: gaslight me and eventually the people that were going to 57 00:02:58,280 --> 00:02:59,639 Speaker 2: see these emails and messages. 58 00:03:00,800 --> 00:03:02,880 Speaker 1: You just mentioned something that I want to talk about. 59 00:03:03,320 --> 00:03:05,640 Speaker 1: You mentioned the mail trackers, which we do talk about 60 00:03:05,680 --> 00:03:09,040 Speaker 1: in the episode with the emails. How did you know 61 00:03:09,520 --> 00:03:10,880 Speaker 1: that she had those trackers on? 62 00:03:11,960 --> 00:03:15,320 Speaker 2: Eventually she had told me, but I also just knew 63 00:03:15,320 --> 00:03:17,920 Speaker 2: because whenever I'd opened them and I'd read them, she 64 00:03:17,960 --> 00:03:20,160 Speaker 2: had send over another one right away. But if I 65 00:03:20,240 --> 00:03:22,240 Speaker 2: was ever just busy and I couldn't get around to 66 00:03:22,280 --> 00:03:24,040 Speaker 2: my emails. Then, Yeah, nothing would come through. 67 00:03:24,680 --> 00:03:27,280 Speaker 1: Then she eventually told you that she had a tracker on. 68 00:03:27,840 --> 00:03:30,720 Speaker 2: Yeah, and she eventually then told me that she had 69 00:03:30,760 --> 00:03:33,120 Speaker 2: the trackers. I'm like, okay, this makes sense to me 70 00:03:33,240 --> 00:03:36,280 Speaker 2: why she continues to send them. I thought I was 71 00:03:36,320 --> 00:03:39,800 Speaker 2: able to trick her by not responding and to thinking 72 00:03:39,840 --> 00:03:41,600 Speaker 2: that like I had her on a block folder and 73 00:03:41,600 --> 00:03:44,640 Speaker 2: I wasn't paying attention. Again, what I wanted her to 74 00:03:44,840 --> 00:03:47,760 Speaker 2: believe was that I wasn't looking at these emails. I 75 00:03:47,800 --> 00:03:50,000 Speaker 2: had way better things to do. She had no power 76 00:03:50,040 --> 00:03:52,520 Speaker 2: over me, and eventually she would just give up. 77 00:03:53,920 --> 00:03:57,120 Speaker 1: All right, let's move on to another one. Here's another email. 78 00:03:57,120 --> 00:04:00,440 Speaker 1: This one's dated July fifth, So this is a a 79 00:04:00,560 --> 00:04:03,400 Speaker 1: month after she told you she was pregnant, but she 80 00:04:03,480 --> 00:04:06,400 Speaker 1: had already hinted to you that she might be pregnant 81 00:04:06,440 --> 00:04:09,800 Speaker 1: with twins. This is the email I had an idea, 82 00:04:10,000 --> 00:04:11,960 Speaker 1: what do you think about hanging out tonight and seeing 83 00:04:12,000 --> 00:04:13,520 Speaker 1: if this is something you want to try out for 84 00:04:13,560 --> 00:04:15,840 Speaker 1: a couple of weeks before me make a decision about 85 00:04:15,880 --> 00:04:18,280 Speaker 1: what to do. If either of us decide that we 86 00:04:18,400 --> 00:04:21,360 Speaker 1: don't want to explore something more serious, then at least 87 00:04:21,360 --> 00:04:23,880 Speaker 1: we will know and we will both have clarity, with 88 00:04:24,000 --> 00:04:26,760 Speaker 1: you not responding about the possibility of twins or me 89 00:04:26,839 --> 00:04:28,839 Speaker 1: giving you the chance to make a different decision about 90 00:04:28,839 --> 00:04:32,720 Speaker 1: the abortion pills. Because of that new prospect, things feel unresolved, 91 00:04:32,760 --> 00:04:35,640 Speaker 1: and my anxiety is through the roof. I'm sure yours 92 00:04:35,680 --> 00:04:38,320 Speaker 1: is as well, with my stress levels being where they 93 00:04:38,360 --> 00:04:41,200 Speaker 1: are at now. If the baby or babies are born 94 00:04:41,240 --> 00:04:43,520 Speaker 1: with any issues, I would blame you for not trying 95 00:04:43,560 --> 00:04:45,960 Speaker 1: to help me reduce those by supporting me as you 96 00:04:46,000 --> 00:04:49,080 Speaker 1: said you would. If you just pursued something romantic for 97 00:04:49,120 --> 00:04:51,160 Speaker 1: a night, you have no idea how much it would 98 00:04:51,160 --> 00:04:54,000 Speaker 1: help me emotionally, And I definitely would not blame you 99 00:04:54,080 --> 00:04:58,440 Speaker 1: for any problems the child or children would have. This 100 00:04:58,600 --> 00:05:01,360 Speaker 1: was still pretty early on when I believe you still 101 00:05:01,440 --> 00:05:03,640 Speaker 1: thought that there might be that point zero one percent 102 00:05:03,720 --> 00:05:07,240 Speaker 1: chance that she could actually be pregnant. So how did 103 00:05:07,279 --> 00:05:10,359 Speaker 1: this email make you feel? And were you concerned for 104 00:05:10,440 --> 00:05:12,039 Speaker 1: her mental health at the time? 105 00:05:12,720 --> 00:05:15,080 Speaker 2: Yeah, so of course I was concerned for her mental 106 00:05:15,080 --> 00:05:18,840 Speaker 2: health reading these messages, but I had my guard up 107 00:05:18,920 --> 00:05:21,400 Speaker 2: and I was like, there's no way that I can 108 00:05:21,920 --> 00:05:24,320 Speaker 2: explore intimacy. It has to be off the table. I 109 00:05:24,360 --> 00:05:27,599 Speaker 2: can date her, quote unquote for a week and give 110 00:05:27,640 --> 00:05:29,640 Speaker 2: her attention, and at the end of it, I was 111 00:05:29,680 --> 00:05:32,120 Speaker 2: going to say, oh, you know, I just don't think 112 00:05:32,160 --> 00:05:33,680 Speaker 2: it's going to work between us, but we gave it 113 00:05:33,720 --> 00:05:35,160 Speaker 2: a fair go. All right, I guess this is the 114 00:05:35,240 --> 00:05:37,440 Speaker 2: end of it, right, Like, that's essentially where I was 115 00:05:37,440 --> 00:05:40,279 Speaker 2: going to head with it. But she obviously was like, no, 116 00:05:40,400 --> 00:05:42,720 Speaker 2: we have to be intimate if we do do this, 117 00:05:43,040 --> 00:05:45,440 Speaker 2: and of course I wasn't willing to go there. 118 00:05:46,160 --> 00:05:48,280 Speaker 1: Okay, so I'm going to jump into another document that 119 00:05:48,320 --> 00:05:50,920 Speaker 1: I found in the LO file. This one is from 120 00:05:51,000 --> 00:05:54,400 Speaker 1: August thirteenth, so this was just a few days after 121 00:05:54,720 --> 00:05:58,200 Speaker 1: that dating contract that you received. Do you remember getting 122 00:05:58,200 --> 00:06:01,680 Speaker 1: another contract? Like docus meant after the dating contract? 123 00:06:02,279 --> 00:06:05,400 Speaker 2: So many emails came in that maybe she did sandwich 124 00:06:05,480 --> 00:06:07,840 Speaker 2: another contract in there, but I don't recall off the 125 00:06:07,880 --> 00:06:08,880 Speaker 2: top of my head. 126 00:06:09,080 --> 00:06:10,760 Speaker 1: Okay, Well, I'm going to read it to you. It 127 00:06:10,800 --> 00:06:14,080 Speaker 1: appears to be sent through DocuSign and the title of 128 00:06:14,200 --> 00:06:17,480 Speaker 1: the document is Agreement between Laura Owens and Clayton Eckered. 129 00:06:18,520 --> 00:06:22,640 Speaker 1: It begins we Laura Owens and Clayton eckerd agreed to 130 00:06:22,680 --> 00:06:25,760 Speaker 1: meet up tonight August thirteenth, twenty twenty three for the 131 00:06:25,800 --> 00:06:29,120 Speaker 1: court mandated good faith consultation. And I'll pause here for 132 00:06:29,120 --> 00:06:31,880 Speaker 1: a second. She's mentioning a good faith consultation because this 133 00:06:32,000 --> 00:06:34,719 Speaker 1: document came through two weeks after she filed in court 134 00:06:34,720 --> 00:06:38,560 Speaker 1: to establish paternity. So a good faith consultation is basically 135 00:06:38,760 --> 00:06:41,520 Speaker 1: like a formal requirement for opposing parties to attempt to 136 00:06:41,560 --> 00:06:44,839 Speaker 1: resolve a dispute that was brought to court, and you 137 00:06:45,000 --> 00:06:47,760 Speaker 1: kind of handle it sincerely, honestly, it's like a good 138 00:06:47,800 --> 00:06:51,080 Speaker 1: faith attempt to resolving it before you seek further intervention 139 00:06:51,240 --> 00:06:55,159 Speaker 1: from the court. Okay, So back to the document. In addition, 140 00:06:55,360 --> 00:06:57,760 Speaker 1: Laura Owens will alert the court to the fact that 141 00:06:57,800 --> 00:07:00,000 Speaker 1: there is no longer a need to take action against 142 00:07:00,040 --> 00:07:03,040 Speaker 1: Clayton Eckered for his refusal to participate in the good 143 00:07:03,040 --> 00:07:06,520 Speaker 1: faith consultation. Laura Owens agrees to take and pay for 144 00:07:06,600 --> 00:07:10,160 Speaker 1: both her and Clayton Eckered to take the prenatal paternity 145 00:07:10,200 --> 00:07:13,200 Speaker 1: test at Revgen to be taken at the earliest possible date, 146 00:07:13,600 --> 00:07:18,000 Speaker 1: and promises not to cancel. Clayton eckerd agrees to unblock 147 00:07:18,080 --> 00:07:22,360 Speaker 1: Laura Owens and not block her again. Now Laura signed 148 00:07:22,400 --> 00:07:24,960 Speaker 1: this document, but I don't see a signature from you 149 00:07:25,000 --> 00:07:25,680 Speaker 1: on that document. 150 00:07:26,520 --> 00:07:30,000 Speaker 2: Yeah, because it just wasn't a fair trade off. I mean, 151 00:07:30,120 --> 00:07:35,239 Speaker 2: I was willing to negotiate with her. I was working 152 00:07:35,400 --> 00:07:38,760 Speaker 2: at every moment to try to find that little common 153 00:07:38,880 --> 00:07:41,680 Speaker 2: ground where she would say, yeah, this could work. But 154 00:07:41,800 --> 00:07:44,000 Speaker 2: as far as this contract went, I'm like, you're not 155 00:07:44,040 --> 00:07:45,800 Speaker 2: going to do what you say you're going to do anyways, 156 00:07:46,160 --> 00:07:49,480 Speaker 2: And no, I don't want to unblock you because it 157 00:07:49,520 --> 00:07:51,960 Speaker 2: doesn't accomplish anything. You're just going to send me another 158 00:07:52,000 --> 00:07:53,800 Speaker 2: barrage of emails and text. 159 00:07:54,280 --> 00:07:56,160 Speaker 1: This was another theme I noticed in a lot of 160 00:07:56,200 --> 00:07:59,120 Speaker 1: these emails is that she really wanted you to unblock 161 00:07:59,120 --> 00:08:01,840 Speaker 1: her phone number. Now she could still get in touch 162 00:08:01,840 --> 00:08:04,120 Speaker 1: with you via email. It seemed even though you had 163 00:08:04,120 --> 00:08:06,680 Speaker 1: her block, they were still kind of getting through. But 164 00:08:06,920 --> 00:08:09,400 Speaker 1: why do you think that the unblocking of her phone 165 00:08:09,440 --> 00:08:11,120 Speaker 1: number was such a priority for her? 166 00:08:12,040 --> 00:08:17,080 Speaker 2: To me, it's completely stemming from a hert ego. I 167 00:08:17,240 --> 00:08:21,760 Speaker 2: feel that she felt less than if she was blocked. Therefore, 168 00:08:21,840 --> 00:08:26,560 Speaker 2: if I unblocked her, there wasn't as much hostility because 169 00:08:26,560 --> 00:08:29,320 Speaker 2: it's like, Okay, now we have an open chain of communication, 170 00:08:29,520 --> 00:08:33,079 Speaker 2: like two people that respect one another would have. I mean, 171 00:08:33,160 --> 00:08:36,120 Speaker 2: who do you block? Typically you block people that are 172 00:08:36,520 --> 00:08:38,760 Speaker 2: individuals that you don't want to talk to, people that 173 00:08:38,840 --> 00:08:41,520 Speaker 2: you don't want to have access to your life, people 174 00:08:41,559 --> 00:08:44,319 Speaker 2: that are extremely rude. I mean, you don't block just 175 00:08:44,400 --> 00:08:46,720 Speaker 2: the average person, right, You're blocking people that you do 176 00:08:46,760 --> 00:08:48,760 Speaker 2: not want to have any interactions with. So there's a 177 00:08:48,800 --> 00:08:51,559 Speaker 2: negative connotation around being blocked, and I believe Laura just 178 00:08:51,600 --> 00:08:52,400 Speaker 2: wanted to remove that. 179 00:08:53,480 --> 00:08:57,000 Speaker 1: A lot of your correspondence with Laura happened almost three 180 00:08:57,080 --> 00:09:00,000 Speaker 1: years ago. Now what has it been like for you 181 00:09:00,600 --> 00:09:04,560 Speaker 1: going back, reading these messages and reliving this time of 182 00:09:04,559 --> 00:09:05,040 Speaker 1: your life. 183 00:09:05,720 --> 00:09:10,640 Speaker 2: It's been very agitating. Anger has been the main emotion 184 00:09:11,080 --> 00:09:15,640 Speaker 2: that I feel a rise whenever I have to reopen 185 00:09:15,679 --> 00:09:18,800 Speaker 2: this box that I've compartmentalized as much as possible because 186 00:09:18,840 --> 00:09:21,600 Speaker 2: I still have a life to live beyond this matter. 187 00:09:22,640 --> 00:09:24,959 Speaker 2: But Laura makes it really hard. I mean she's always 188 00:09:25,120 --> 00:09:28,800 Speaker 2: reopening the box, and so for me, this is a 189 00:09:28,840 --> 00:09:34,480 Speaker 2: still ongoing matter, and I am hoping to have a 190 00:09:35,000 --> 00:09:39,560 Speaker 2: outcome where we can close this completely because it's tiring. 191 00:09:40,120 --> 00:09:43,960 Speaker 2: I am so tired of talking about this, feeling this, 192 00:09:44,120 --> 00:09:47,800 Speaker 2: dealing with this in my eyes, and what I would 193 00:09:47,800 --> 00:09:49,560 Speaker 2: have thought would have occurred, was like this would have 194 00:09:49,600 --> 00:09:52,959 Speaker 2: been done over the course of six months at Max 195 00:09:54,040 --> 00:09:56,600 Speaker 2: and here we are on year three and we're still going. 196 00:10:01,840 --> 00:10:04,400 Speaker 1: Thanks so much for listening. If you want to see 197 00:10:04,400 --> 00:10:06,960 Speaker 1: the emails we mentioned, you can read them for yourself 198 00:10:07,080 --> 00:10:11,040 Speaker 1: at our Instagram at Glass Podcasts, and stay tuned for 199 00:10:11,080 --> 00:10:14,679 Speaker 1: new episodes and bonus episodes on the Love Trapped feed.