Chapter 2
“What?!”
Eric looked like I just slapped him.
“Emily, are you seriously divorcing me over this?”
Vanessa chimed in, smirking like the snake she was.
“Oh please. You’re such a drama queen.”
“Eric married you? What a waste.”
My face went cold.
Eric and Vanessa had history.
High school sweethearts, broke up in college when she got too busy chasing her grad school dreams.
That’s when I met him.
We fell in love–got married.
But he never really let her go.
Said they were “just friends.”
I believed him.
God, I was stupid.
Even after we had the girls, he kept sneaking out with Vanessa.
Late–night parties, 2AM returns.
Trips to Europe and Bali-
Photos of them together all over social media.
People warned me.
Said he was cheating.
But I defended him.
Told everyone she was just a friend.
Even told our daughters Daddy was busy working, earning money to buy them toys.
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Chapter 2
I begged him to spend more time with them.
He yelled at me instead.
“I work all day and you can’t even handle two kids? What kind of mother are you?”
I told myself he’d change.
Told myself the girls needed their dad.
Didn’t want them growing up being the kids “whose dad left.”
So I stayed.
Swallowed every insult.
Buried every red flag.
And now?
My daughters were dead.
Their laughter silenced.
All because I kept making excuses for this worthless man.
And he still had the balls to defend her.
I set the urns down gently on the table.
My hands were shaking.
Then I looked him straight in the eye.
“You two are monsters. Get the hell out of my house.”
Vanessa gasped.
“Emily, how dare you talk to us like that?”
I stepped forward.
“Point that finger at me again, I’ll break it off.”
She dropped her hand like it was on fire.
Eric shoved in front of her, furious.
“You’ve lost it!”
“I don’t care if you hate me, but don’t you ever insult Vanessa.”
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Chapter 2
“You want a divorce? Fine. Let’s do it.
But the girls? They’re coming with me.”
Even now–even now–he was protecting her.
I should’ve seen this coming.
I should’ve left years ago.
But I stayed.
And now Sophia and Natalie were gone.
“You want to talk about the girls?” I snapped.
“Since the day they were born, you’ve never lifted a finger for them.”
He scowled.
“I work my ass off every day for them!”
“Why else would they say they miss me so much?”
Eric looked at me with dead eyes.
“So where are they? You hiding them from me now?”
“You better bring them back, or you’ll never see them again after we divorce.”
I laughed.
A cold, broken laugh.
Then the tears came again.
“There’s no after, Eric.”
“They’re not coming back.”
“That’s their ashes you’re looking at.”
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3
Chapter 3
Chapter 3
