Chapter 3

Lydia tugged lightly at his sleeve.

"Leave it, Graham. Don't fight.

"We've got an early morning tomorrow. Let's go."

Graham looked at me.

"Tessa, I'm giving you one night to cool off.

"After the ceremony tomorrow, we'll go refile.

"Don't turn something small into a disaster."

After the door shut, Maisie crouched down and picked up the crushed paper crown.

She asked me, "Mom, if a paper crown gets stepped on, can it be fixed?"

I knelt in front of her and dropped it in the trash.

"If it's broken, we don't keep it."

"People too?"

I smoothed her hair.

"People too."

First thing the next morning, I called my lawyer, Renee Porter.

"I need three things.

"Custody filings, authorization to sell the house, and a petition to change Maisie's last name."

The line went quiet for a few seconds.

"Tessa. You're sure?"

I looked at Maisie's swollen eyes while she slept.

"I'm sure.

"Graham signed the settlement, and he signed the addendum giving me primary custody."

I'd made him sign that the third time he insisted on divorcing alongside Lydia.

He'd said, "We'll be remarried in a few days anyway. Put in whatever you want."

He never read a word of it.

Because he was certain I couldn't leave him.

At 10 that morning, Graham's wedding motorcade pulled up downstairs.

He was in a groom's suit, leaning against the car, calling me.

I stood behind the curtain and let it ring.

Then a voice message came through.

"Tessa, don't do this.

"Lydia's ex is already at the hotel. We have to see this through.

"Bring Maisie and sit at the head table. Do that much for me."

The second Maisie heard "head table," her face went white.

I turned my phone off.

The movers showed up soon after.

There wasn't much in that house that actually belonged to Maisie and me.

Her books, her clothes, her sketchpads, and the little tin box with three years of holiday money in it.

Mrs. Hollis stood in the doorway wiping her eyes.

"Mrs. Bennett. You should've gone a long time ago."

I corrected her.

"It's Ms. Weller now."

Mrs. Hollis nodded through the tears.

Maisie walked to the door with her backpack and looked back at the living room one more time.

The family portrait was still on the wall.

In it, Graham had her in his arms and smiled like a father who showed up.

Right before that picture was taken, Lydia had called to say she was upset.

He almost walked out on us that day too.

He only stayed 10 minutes because Maisie cried and grabbed his pant leg.

I took the frame down.

Maisie asked, "Mom, are we taking it?"

I slid the photo out and tore it in half.

The half with the two of us went into my bag.

Graham's half went in the trash.

"We take what belongs to us."

That afternoon, Lydia posted a livestream link to her wedding.

She was in a white gown, on Graham's arm, beaming.

Her caption read, "Thanks to a certain someone for having my back today. Old debts settled."

People egged her on in the comments.

"Bennett's playing the groom a little too well."

"Isn't Tessa going to lose it when she sees this?"

Lydia replied, "She's used to it."

Maisie leaned over, glanced at my screen, and quietly turned the phone face down.

"Mom. Don't look."

I smoothed her hair.

"Okay. We won't."

On the way to the airport, Renee messaged me.

"Filings are in, and I've got a cash buyer for the house.

"I've also had her posts and the wedding stream preserved and notarized."

I sent back one word. "Good."

Before we boarded, I took Graham off my blocked list for one minute and sent him one last text.

"Graham, Maisie's taking my last name.

"Stop showing up to play her father when it suits you."

Once it went through, I blocked him again.

Maisie fell asleep against my shoulder.

She still had that half of the photo in her hand.

Just the two of us in it.

Nothing else.