Just a Little Too Late

Seeing that I wasn't joking, Chloe tugged at her mother's sleeve. She whispered urgently, "Mom, just sign it. Isn't getting rid of Dad exactly what you've wanted all along?"But Vivian glanced at my ashen face and, unexpectedly, her tone softened. "Ted, you know perfectly well I never actually meant to divorce you. I only wanted you to understand your place."My place. What place did I have?Ever since I'd moved into the Simpson household as Vivian's husband, I'd been nothing but an unpaid servant everyone ordered around. Vivian's mother, Lisa Simpson, looked down on me. She never missed a chance to humiliate me in front of others. Meanwhile, she doted on Andy and gave him the best of everything in the house.For Vivian's sake, I could have stomached all of that unfairness. What I never expected was her betrayal.Not long after she'd given birth to our daughter, she'd listened to Lisa and gone to Andy's room. The night the two of them spent tangled together, Lisa had me tied up

Hearing that, Andy's face went even paler, guilt deepening across his features. "Ted's right. I'm the one who wronged him."In an instant, Vivian's expression turned murderous. "You don't want your mother's life saved anymore?"She was already reaching for her phone, ready to stop my mother's emergency treatment.I knew she was capable of it. Panic took over completely. I abandoned what dignity I had left and dropped to my knees, apologizing.Still, it wasn't enough for Vivian. "Go live on camera and clear Andy's name. Tell everyone the truth—that you're the one who schemed your way into my life, that you're the one who came between me and Andy. By rights, you're the homewrecker here."Numb, I dragged myself through it exactly as she demanded. I went live and told the world the news was all fabricated—that I'd drugged her all those years ago and taken advantage of her for one night, and only after she got pregnant did I manage to marry into the Simpson family. I said the reason I'

Watching the mother and daughter in front of him suddenly change their tune, Andy spoke up. "Aren't you two divorced? What does it matter to you whether he lives or dies?"Vivian was visibly stung by the remark. "Whatever else Ted is, he's still Chloe's biological father!"Hearing that, Andy looked hurt too. He pointed at Chloe. "Didn't you say one dad—me—was all you needed? Or are you saying you still can't let go of him?"Vivian closed her eyes, in no mood to argue with him here. She rubbed her temple, exhausted. "Don't make a scene."Maybe it really had gotten to him, because Andy pressed on. "I make a scene? Ted made scenes for eight straight years, and you never once treated him the way you're treating me. Vivian, I asked you to cut him out of your life completely, and you can't even do that much?"Something in Vivian snapped too. "What exactly do you want from me? Back when you said you had no one to carry on your family line and wanted a child to your name, I gave you Chloe

Ted's POVI felt like I'd been dreaming, one long, endless dream.At the start of it, Vivian, Chloe, and I had been happy together—truly happy. But by the end, the two of them stood side by side, defending Andy, hurling cruel words at me.Even with my heart aching to the point of numbness, it still hurt, faintly, underneath it all.The pain went on and on, until finally, I opened my eyes.The first thing I saw was Chloe, asleep with her head resting on my leg. When she felt me stir, she woke and threw her arms around me. "Dad, you're finally awake."I looked at her, expression flat, and said nothing.Vivian must have heard the commotion, because she walked in. "Ted," she said. "I was wrong before. This time, whatever you want, I'll do everything I can to make it up to you. If you want to remarry, we can do that too."I almost laughed. Did she really think I'd still hold out hope for someone who'd hurt me over and over again?"I want my mother back. Can you make that happen?"