He Chose Her Son Over Our Daughter

That caught me by surprise, and then my heart ached. My daughter used to adore Timothy, even though he'd barely shown up, and even if he did, he never smiled at her. When I found out Timothy hadn't forgotten about his first love, I asked my daughter, very subtly, if she wanted to leave with me.And she cried, every single time. "I love you and Dad, Mom. Why can't we stay together?" So I didn't get a divorce for Tabitha's sake.Yet now she was the one who wanted to come with me. Timothy killed Tabitha's love for him. I looked at the scar on her forehead, and I felt my heart twist into a knot. I held her tightly in my embrace, and with a trembling voice, I said, "Of course. We'll leave. No one will hurt you. Timothy hates us? Then, we'll leave him behind."Tabitha said sweetly, "It's my birthday tomorrow, Mom. Can I have one last birthday with Dad before we leave?"Of course. She had one last sliver of hope for her father. Though he was always distant, Timothy would celebrate her bir

We got home and started packing. Tabitha came over to me, holding her plushies. She was looking forward to something. This was the only gift her father had given her all these years. I didn't want to let her down, and the plushies did no wrong, so I let Tabitha stuff them into our suitcases.She smiled, and I did as well. Then, someone came to the door. Tabitha and I raised our heads, surprise filling our eyes. It must be Timothy.And then our delight was destroyed. Willow and Nathaniel were right behind them. "Nathaniel's down with a fever, and Willow can't take care of him herself, so I'm letting them stay with us for a while," he explained as he looked at me.I would probably be crestfallen in the past, but now I knew how important Willow was to Timothy, so I felt nothing. Calmly, I nodded.Annoyed by my response, Timothy frowned. "You're not objecting?"I looked at him weirdly. This was his house. He could invite anyone he wanted, so why would I object?My silence angered h

I made a feast that night, as was tradition for Tabitha's birthday, and I ordered a big cake for her. Both of us waited around the table for Timothy, with silence as our only companion. We didn't think he'd come back, to be honest. This was a final ritual—one that would kill the last sliver of hope we had for him.Time slipped by like grains of sand. It was ten to midnight soon enough. I got a text, but it was from Willow. "Don't wait up. Timothy's asleep." There was a picture where Timothy was sleeping with Nathaniel and Willow in his arms.Ah, what a lovely sight. They were a happy family, weren't they? I put my phone down and lit up the candles. "Make a wish, Tabitha."Tabitha didn't seem disappointed or sad. Instead, she sweetly told me, "I'll give the wish to you, Mom."I looked at her, touched and melted at how sweet she was. No, I didn't make a wish. I had the person I loved the most by my side, and I had no need for wishes. Before I deleted Timothy's number, I asked Tab

The cold hands of fear were grasping Timothy's soul. He knew what was going on. Yvonne had abandoned him. That thought struck him like a sledgehammer, and he bent over in agony. Then, he remembered what Ms. Lane said to him, and it shone like a sliver of hope.Timothy called Ms. Lane and cut to the chase, asking, "What is the reason for Tabitha Horuson's dropping out?" His voice was sharp, and she spilled the beans immediately."Ms. Johnson wishes to take her daughter back to Sinoria, where she can be reunited with her husband and Tabitha's father."Timothy choked on his words. That was a lie, and anyone could've seen through it if he'd just picked Tabitha up from school once. Regret overwhelmed him, but that wasn't the point. He hung up and booked the first flight back to Sinoria. He needed to take Yvonne and Tabitha home. He would not be separated from them again.…Back in Sinoria, Tabitha and I were reveling in the joy of our new lives. Though Timothy had shown not an ounce of

Timothy gnashed his teeth. Fortunately, I got pregnant because of what happened that night. He went MIA for a week and showed up out of the blue. He mentioned marriage like it was nothing and told me there would be no ceremony for this.To his surprise, I accepted his terms. After we got hitched, he neglected me on purpose, and even when Tabitha was born, he acted like he didn't care. Timothy didn't think I could keep the act up for too long, but I remained faithful for half a decade.Just when he was about to give in, Willow came back. He thought he would put me to the test one last time. If I passed, he would let go of the past and keep me as his partner for life. He told me he regretted everything when he saw Tabitha and me crying because of what he did for Willow and Nathaniel.He just couldn't lower his prideful head and apologize to us. He held my hand and lovingly confessed, "Trust me, Yvonne. You're the one I love. I swear."He thought I would be touched, but I thought it