“Jeff, I…”
She stopped, seeing me.
My mind blanked.
Then I remembered Jeff saying they didn’t
cross a line.
A casual coworker with fingerprint access to
his apartment?
<
As I glared at Jeff, another blow hit–Lily
knew Summer.
“Hi, Summer!” she chirped.
Summer looked awkward, but her eyes were
defiant.
The texts said she was working late, but here
she was.
She was clearly there for me.
Summer said to Jeff, “I called, you didn’t
answer. I was worried something happened,
So…”
Jeff didn’t explain, just said, “Go home.”
Summer hesitated. “I’m here now, can I join
you for dinner? Your wife and Lily won’t mind,
right?”
Jeff’s face darkened.
I couldn’t watch their charade, pulled away
from Jeff, and left.
In the elevator, Lily hugged me. “Mommy,
don’t you like Summer?”
I forced a normal tone. “Why? Do you know
her well?”
Lily nodded. “Daddy was busy, so I stayed
with Summer. She made me sandwiches!”
“When?”
“Last vacation.”
“Why didn’t you tell Mommy?”
She thought. “Sorry, Mommy, I forgot…”
She didn’t forget; Jeff told her not to mention
Summer.
I never asked before, never suspected
infidelity. I didn’t want to taint Lily’s mind.
I’d been so blind.
I was a joke.
Starting the car, my hands shook.
Tears blurred my vision.
Lily, in her car seat, whispered, “Mommy, do
we have to go? I miss Daddy…”
! couldn’t speak. My throat was choked with
emotion.
Jeff arrived, blocking my car.
He mouthed for me to get out.
Lily said, “Mommy, Daddy’s here. We can
stay.”
He knew Lily didn’t understand, but he
blocked the car.
If I left, Lily would think I was the one being
unreasonable.
It was him who cheated.
I bowed my head, trembling, and texted Jeff:
“Get lost!”
He wouldn’t move. We stood there for
minutes, until I saw Lily crying in the rearview
mirror.
She missed her dad. She didn’t want to leave.
My heart broke.
Since she could remember, Lily hadn’t spent
く
Since she could remember, Lily naun i spent
much time with Jeff.
Her love for him stemmed from my constant
praise.
But was he a good father? He went on day
trips with another woman while I was on
crutches.
I couldn’t hold back, sobbing into the steering
wheel.
Jeff pulled open the car door.
“You can’t drive. Come back with me.”
I refused.
I wouldn’t go back to his place. Every surface
might hold Summer’s scent.
Images of them cuddling, laughing in the
kitchen, kissing… It was suffocating.
We compromised. I didn’t go home; he didn’t
force me to his place. We got a family suite;
Lily and I shared a room, he had his own.
loff tried to talk but!
After Lily Tell asleep, Jeτ tried to talk, but I
refused. I didn’t want his lies.
I just wanted to leave. I was a stranger in a
strange land; I needed to get back home.
But the next morning, Jeff’s parents and my
parents arrived.
They believed Jeff’s story, that he just lacked
boundaries, not that he cheated. They urged
me to consider the kids, not to get divorced.
Jeff’s parents siding with him wasn’t
surprising.
My parents siding with him… that was
heartbreaking.
They didn’t understand, accusing me of
making a fuss.
My mother pulled me aside, whispering, but
her displeasure was clear. “Jeff told us
everything. He messed up, but it’s not
divorce–worthy. He promised to stop seeing
that
“”
“It’s not about seeing her, his heart isn’t with
me.”
Seeing my refusal, she glared. “A woman has
to hold onto her man. If you can’t, you have
to look the other way.”
I couldn’t believe my mother said that.
She knew Lily was my weakness, and she
exploited it:
