“Yes, sweetheart?”
“When is Daddy coming home?”
The question stole the air from my lungs.
I forced myself to smile.
“I don’t know.”
She frowned.
“Did he do something bad?”
Children notice far more than adults realize.
I gently brushed a strand of hair away from her face.
“Sometimes adults make mistakes.”
She thought about that for a moment.
“Is that why Aunt Lily hasn’t visited either?”
This time I couldn’t answer.
Instead, I hugged her tightly.
She wrapped her little arms around my neck.
“I miss everyone,” she whispered.
So did I.
More than I wanted to admit.
—
The following Monday, my lawyer called.
“There has been a development.”
My stomach tightened.
“What happened?”
“Daniel has agreed to sign the divorce papers without contesting them.”
That surprised me.
“He isn’t asking for the house?”
“No.”
“The savings?”
“No.”
“He only requested shared custody of the children.”
I thanked her and ended the call.
None of it made sense.
Daniel had always cared about appearances.
About money.
About winning.
Why would he suddenly surrender everything?
Something was missing.
—
That evening, another message arrived from Lily.
This one was different.
It wasn’t begging.
It wasn’t apologizing.
It simply read:
“He’s lying to you.”
I stared at the words.
Then another message appeared.
“He lied to both of us.”
A third followed.
