Chapter 3

Before I could get it out, Darian's phone went off on the nightstand.

A message had come in.

He hesitated, then let go of me and walked over to read it.

A minute later, Darian pulled out a suitcase and started throwing clothes into it.

"Sean and Maya were in a car accident. I have to go back right now!"

At the door, he glanced back at me with a guilty look. "Serena, tell Lillian I'm sorry."

The door slammed behind him. Darian had walked out of our lives yet again.

The next morning, I calmly told my daughter, "Lillian, Mr. Ford had something else to take care of again."

Lillian didn't ask where he'd gone.

She walked to the couch, snatched up the collector's doll Darian had given her the day before, and threw it in the trash.

A week later, I decided to cut the trip short and take Lillian home.

At our front door, I had barely turned the key when I heard laughter upstairs.

My stomach dropped. It was coming from Lillian's bedroom.

My grandmother had left me this house. It held so many memories of Lillian and me, and I'd made it clear to Darian that no outsiders were ever to set foot in it.

I took Lillian's hand, and we quietly went upstairs.

The door to her bedroom stood wide open, and what I saw made my blood run cold.

Maya lay comfortably on Lillian's little bed in my silk pajamas, scrolling through her phone.

Their things were all over the room. Maya's son, Sean, was twisting a beautiful wooden carousel music box back and forth in his hands.

Darian had spent a whole month carving it by hand for Lillian's fifth birthday.

When he gave it to her, he said, "This is Daddy's promise to protect you. As long as you have this music box, Daddy will always love you, and no one can touch what's yours."

Lillian treasured it. She was careful even when she picked it up.

"Stop it! That's mine!" Lillian screamed. She pulled her hand out of mine and ran in to take back her music box.

Sean jumped, but he didn't let go. Instead, he gave her a nasty little smile and slammed the music box onto the floor right in front of her.

The wooden carousel shattered, and the mainspring flew out.

Lillian froze, staring blankly at the splinters on the floor, her shoulders trembling.

"What's going on? What happened?" Darian hurried in from the hall, carrying a plate of sliced fruit.

He saw the pieces on the floor, then looked up at us. His face drained of color, and the plate slipped from his hands.

"Serena? Lillian? Why... why are you two back early?"

He stumbled over his words, his eyes darting around nervously. "Maya's house had a leak, and she had nowhere else to stay, so I brought them here for now."

Maya sat up on the bed, pretending to be alarmed. "Darian, Sean was just curious about the music box. He picked it up to play with it, but then Lillian came running in, and he lost his grip...

"I'm sorry. It's my fault. I shouldn't have let Sean touch it. Serena, you won't blame us, will you?"

I stared at Darian, waiting for an explanation.

After a brief hesitation, Darian walked straight past his devastated daughter and rushed to Sean. He anxiously checked the boy's hands. "Sean, did you get any splinters?"

Only when he was sure Sean was fine did he turn to Lillian and speak gently. "Baby, Sean didn't mean it. That music box was old anyway. Daddy will buy you a prettier, more expensive one tomorrow, all right?

"You're such a good girl. Don't be angry with Sean..."

"I don't need it," Lillian said suddenly, her voice frighteningly calm.

She crouched down and, right in front of Darian, dropped the broken music box into the trash can without a moment's hesitation.

"Lillian?" Darian stood motionless. He clearly hadn't expected that.

"You promised me I'd never have to share the things I love with people I don't like. Liar."

She turned to me, her eyes red. "Mom, my room is dirty. I don't want it anymore.

"And I don't want him as my dad anymore..."

That was the moment I knew Lillian had truly given up on Darian as a father.

After so many broken promises, Lillian had stopped hoping to be her father's favorite.

She knew she would never come first with him.

If that was how he felt, she didn't want him either.

Darian finally realized something was wrong. Panicking, he reached for her. "Baby, what are you saying? Daddy only..."

"Don't touch my daughter!" I cut him off coldly and pulled Lillian behind me.

Just then, my phone rang in my bag.

It was my lawyer. I immediately put the call on speaker. "Ms. Vale, since Mr. Ford never responded, the court has accepted the evidence of marital fault we submitted. The judge has just issued a ruling. Your divorce is final.

"The court has also issued an eviction order for the property your grandmother left you. Mr. Ford no longer has the right to stay there."

The call ended, and the room went silent.

Darian stared at me, wide-eyed. "Serena, you filed for divorce?!"