Chapter 9%
Elise shook her head, tears spilling freely down her cheeks. Her lips trembled, but no sound came out. Grief had stolen her voice.
Sara pulled the sobbing girl behind her, shielding her as if that might ease the pain. Her eyes locked onto mine, desperate and weary. “Ollie, I know I wronged you. I know now,” she said softly, voice catching. “Elise realizes it too. These past few nights… she’s cried in her sleep, begging to see you. She keeps saying your name. Please… just come home with us.”
She paused, taking a shaky breath. “I haven’t signed the divorce papers yet. You’re still my husband. And you’re still Elise’s father…“} Sara’s knees hit the ground in front of me.”
But I didn’t feel pity. I didn’t feel warmth. I felt nothing but the raw stench of betrayal.”
“Why would I go back with you?” My voice was low, bitter. “To keep playing stepdad to your daughter? To keep watching you run back to Francis every time he whistles? Or maybe to wait for the next time you all accuse me of something I didn’t do?“>
I stepped closer, my words cold and deliberate.}
“Sara, what makes you think I’d ever go back with you?“}
Her shoulders trembled and she quickly shook her head as if denial could erase everything.
“No–it’s not like that,” she insisted. “I just didn’t fully understand what was going on back then. Francis… he deceived me too–“>
A hollow laugh escaped my throat. It echoed through the entryway like something broken.}
“So what? You were tricked, so that makes you innocent? That means I should just forgive you, walk back into that house, pretend I’m your husband again?“}
I took a step back, shaking my head in disbelief.}]
“We were together for ten years, Sara. Ten years. And not once–not once–did I say no to you or Elise. But when Francis came back with his lies, you didn’t give me even a second of trust. Not a single chance to explain myself. You didn’t hesitate to throw me out like garbage.“D
I swallowed the rising emotion and pressed on.
“Tell me how do you expect me to forgive that?“}]
Her face turned ashen. Her mouth opened, then closed again. No words came.}
And finally, my own tears fell–hot, silent, relentless.
“You know better than anyone what I gave up for this marriage. My career… my future.“>
I pressed my hand against my chest. The pain was too familiar now.
“I gave you everything. Ten years of devotion, of patience, of love. And what did I get in return? Not even the barest trace of genuine love. Just scraps. Just tolerance.“}}
I looked down at Elise. Her face was wet, but her eyes were dry now–burning with something far older than a child should know. “How stupid would I have to be to walk back into that?“>
! turned to Sara again, voice hoarse now.
“And besides… now that Elise’s real father is back, let everything go back to the way it was meant to be. Let him take his place. Let me go.“2
Sara flinched, but said nothing.”
Then, to my surprise, Elise wiped her tears away with the back of her hand and took a shaky breath. Her voice, when it came, was laced with fire.
“He’s not my dad.”
I blinked, startled.”
“He ran off!” Elise shouted, her small frame trembling with rage. “He lied to me and Mom. He lied to everyone!”
I stood frozen. The words hung heavy in the air.”
She pushed forward, her fists clenched. “After Mom found out the truth, he stole a bunch of money from Grandpa and Grandma’s company and ran away. No one can find him now!“}
Her voice cracked, but she didn’t stop.
“Grandpa was so angry, he collapsed and had to go to the hospital. Grandma cries every day. It’s all because of him. I don’t have a dad like that!“%
A wave of something unnamable surged through me. I didn’t know whether it was anger or pity or something in between. All I knew was that the ache in my chest deepened.”
I looked down at Elise again, but I couldn’t find the words.
“So.. I finally said, slowly, “the only reason you all came looking for me again is because Francis ran off?”
Sara jolted and scrambled forward on her knees, panic flashing in her eyes.
“No–no, Ollie. It’s not like that,” she said quickly. “I love you. I’ve loved you for a long time. I just didn’t realize it before.“}
She kept going, the words tumbling out in a frenzy.
“What I felt for Francis was just… it was an old obsession. Something from ten years ago that I couldn’t let go of. I confused it with love. But now–now I really know I was wrong. I understand everything now.”
10:54 AM
Tears streamed down her face. She clutched at my hand, but I pulled away.N
“Please, Ollie. I’m begging you. Just give me one more chance. I swear I’ll treat you right from now on…“M But I couldn’t take it anymore.N
“Enough.” My voice cut through the air like a blade. “Sara… just hearing your voice makes me sick.“W
She went still.N
Her eyes, red and swollen, stared at me with a fragile kind of hope. And then, in a whisper, she said-
“I’m sorry.”
I didn’t say a word. I just stared at her in silence.N
But she took that silence as something else–an opening, a sign.
“I didn’t understand things before,” she said softly. “I didn’t know what I really wanted. That’s why I hurt you so deeply. But if you just give me a chance–watch what I do from now on, okay?“N
