Jason’s ex-wife, Alexa, stepped inside my home. The woman Jason had left years ago. The woman I was told had moved to another state, claiming that she needed a fresh start with people she didn’t know.
And Beverly, my daughter, ran straight into her arms. I don’t remember grabbing my keys. I don’t remember how I got into the car.
All I know is one moment I was watching my world fall apart on the tiny screen, and the next, I was speeding home. I threw the door open so hard that it banged against the wall. There they all were.
Cheryl, Jason’s ex-wife, and my daughter sitting together on the couch like some twisted little family reunion. Alexa turned to me, startled. “Oh.
Hi, Martha,” she said. “I didn’t expect you home so soon.”
She said it casually, like she belonged here and I didn’t. Like I was the intruder to their little playdate.
“What the hell is she doing here?” I asked, my voice sounding sharper than I intended. Beverly looked up, confused. “Mommy, why are you ruining the union?” she asked innocently.
Union? Reunion? I didn’t understand.
Cheryl let out a sigh, sitting back like this was all so tiresome for her. “You always were a bit slow on the uptake, Martha,” she said smoothly. The conversation that followed shattered everything.
“What union? Or reunion? What is my child talking about?”
Alexa shifted awkwardly.
“Look, I…” she began. “Shut up,” I snapped, and to my surprise, she did. Cheryl smirked.
“I think it’s time you actually accepted reality, Martha. You’re not supposed to be here. You were never really supposed to be here.
I think the only good thing to come from you is Bev.”
I felt my body go ice-cold. Cheryl leaned forward. “Alexa is the one who was meant to be with Jason,” she said, gesturing to his ex.
“Not you, Martha. My goodness, you were a mistake. And if…
or when, Jason realizes that, Beverly should already know where her real family is. Alexa won’t just leave her at some daycare. She’ll move to working from home, so that she can be with your daughter.”
Alexa wouldn’t meet my eyes.
She picked at the frills on the throw pillow she had on her lap. “You manipulated my child, Cheryl!” I shouted. “You let her believe that I didn’t matter…
that she didn’t matter?! That we were both replaceable to each other!”
Cheryl raised an eyebrow. “Well, aren’t you?”
Something inside me snapped.
And if my child wasn’t sitting in the room, who knows what I would have done. I turned to Alexa, who still hadn’t spoken. “And you?
You went along with this? Why? You left Jason!
So, what the hell do you even want?”
She swallowed. “I just… Cheryl convinced me that Beverly should know me.
That maybe if Jason and I…”
I took a step closer. “If you and Jason what? Got back together?” I spat.
She didn’t answer. I turned back to Cheryl. “I am done with you,” I said, my voice was steady now, deadly calm.
“You are never seeing Beverly again.”
Cheryl smiled, and tucked her hair behind her ear. “My son will never allow that.”
I gave her a cold, hard smile. “Oh, we’ll see.”
I scooped Beverly into my arms.
She didn’t fight me. But she was confused. And that broke me more than anything else.
As I sat in the car, holding my daughter close, I made a promise. No one, absolutely no one, was going to take my daughter from me. Not Cheryl.
Not Alexa. And if Jason wasn’t on my side when he found out? Then not even him.
I took Bev for ice cream and explained the situation to her. “Mom? What happened?
Did I do something wrong?”
“Oh, no, honey,” I said, watching her pick at her ice cream. “Grandma did the wrong thing. She lied to you and me.
And she was very naughty. We’re not going to see her again.”
“And Aunty Alexa?” she asked. “We’re not going to see her either.
She hurt Daddy a long time ago. And… she’s not a nice person. And what do I say about people who are not nice?”
“We stay away from them!” she said, smiling because she remembered.
Later, when we got home, neither Cheryl nor Alexa were there. But Jason was. “Hi, baby,” he said to Bev, who jumped into his arms.
“Jason, we need to talk.”
We sent Bev to play with her toys while I told him everything. I showed him the footage as extra proof. He was pale and silent for a long time.
“She’s never seeing Beverly again. Never. I don’t care.”
Cheryl tried to call.
She tried to defend herself. I blocked her number. Some people don’t deserve second chances.
And some people don’t deserve to be called family. Source: amomama
