Chapter 2

Back then, she was nothing like the proud little peacock she was today.

Tobias taught at Willow Creek High and was constantly swamped with work. He barely had time to take care of Allison.

At the time, Allison ranked near the bottom of her class. Every day after school, she would lock herself in her room without saying a word.

On the day Tobias and I got married, I took Allison's little hand in mine and said gently, "Allison, from now on, I'm your mom. I'll take good care of you."

She looked at me for a long moment before giving a small nod.

When Tobias was working himself to the bone trying to earn his promotion, his eyes bloodshot from countless late nights, I looked at timid little Allison and made up my mind to quit my job and devote all my time and energy to this family.

Later, Tobias was promoted.

Allison smiled more and more, and little by little, her grades began to climb.

Tobias used to praise me often. "Thank goodness I have you. I don't know what would've become of Allison without you."

Back then, Allison was still shy, but she'd reach for my hand on her own and call me "Mom".

But everything began to change after Alyvia reappeared in our lives. Alyvia was Tobias's ex-wife and Allison's biological mother.

At some point, she started contacting Tobias more and more under the pretense of visiting Allison. Every weekend, she'd pick Allison up and take her home with her.

I didn't know what she said to Allison during those visits.

Little by little, Allison grew more distant. By the time she reached middle school, that distance had turned into open hostility.

At first, Tobias would scold her, but after it happened often enough, he started telling me instead, "Ally's still young. She's just going through a rebellious phase. Try to be patient with her."

The bedroom was dimly lit, and my heart felt just as heavy.

After what felt like forever, the house gradually fell quiet. The relatives had probably all gone home.

The bedroom door swung open. Tobias walked in, smelling of liquor, irritation written all over his face.

Looking down at me, he demanded, "What's gotten into you? We still had guests here, and you hid in the bedroom. What kind of behavior is that?"

I said nothing.

"Allison's about to start at Willow Creek High. This is an important time for her. She's emotionally sensitive."

He kept lecturing me without waiting for a response. "She made one offhand comment, and you had to sulk and embarrass everyone?"

I looked up at him. "I wasn't."

"Ally's about to start high school..."

I'd held my anger in for far too long, and it finally boiled over.

"She's your daughter, not mine." My voice was steady, colder than it had ever been before. "You've already planned every step of her future. From now on, you can raise her yourself. I'm done."

The words were like a match tossed onto gasoline.

Tobias exploded. His voice rose sharply, dripping with sarcasm.

"Sofia, you sit at home all day without earning a dime, living comfortably off me. Now you don't even want to take care of the kid anymore? So what exactly did I marry you for?"

I froze and stared at him in disbelief.

So this was how he saw me—just a woman living comfortably at home while he paid the bills.

I'd poured every ounce of my time and energy into this family, and in return, all I got was one dismissive sentence.

"So what exactly did I marry you for?"

I slowly lowered my head. My voice was hoarse. "You're right. I'm useless."

With that, he turned and headed for the door.

"Tobias." My voice was barely above a whisper. "We should get a divorce."

The room fell deathly silent.

He paused for a moment before letting out a mocking laugh. "Sofia, knock it off."

Just four casual words made it seem as though I was only throwing a tantrum to get his attention.

He turned and walked away without another glance.

"I'm serious. I want a divorce." I shot to my feet.

Just as Tobias was about to speak, his phone rang.

He pulled it from his pocket. The screen lit up. I caught the contact name clearly: "Kiddo's Mom."

Alyvia Livingston.

I had no idea what she said on the other end of the line. Tobias only replied with the occasional, "Mm-hmm," and "Okay."

When the call ended, he didn't spare me so much as a glance. He walked straight out the door.