John stood up, panic flashing across his face.
“Please, we can talk—”
“No.
You’ve destroyed something that can’t be fixed.”
I turned and walked upstairs, leaving him in the ruins of our life.
The next morning, I packed our bags while John tried pleading again, his voice desperate. I didn’t listen. I was done listening.
Lila deserved better, and I was determined to give her that, even if it meant breaking apart the only home she’d known.
Before leaving, I thanked Dave with a bottle of whiskey and a note: “Thank you for your honesty.”
As I sat in our temporary apartment, watching Lila play and laugh like her old self, I knew I’d made the right choice.
It wasn’t the ending I wanted, but at least I knew who John truly was—a man who betrayed his family and lied to his daughter. Staying would have been impossible.
This story is inspired by real events but has been fictionalized for narrative purposes.
Names, characters, and details have been changed to protect privacy. Any resemblance to real persons or events is unintentional.
