All Chapters of BETRAYAL: The Day I Died.: Chapter 71 - Chapter 80

The sight of Daisy standing there with an ice cream cone in her hand, smiling innocently as if nothing in the world was wrong, made my heart pound so violently I thought I might collapse. My legs moved before I even realized it.“Daisy!” I cried, rushing forward, scooping her into my arms so tightly she almost dropped her cone. I pressed her head against my shoulder, my body trembling. She looked up at me, confused, licking the corner of her ice cream, and whispered, “Mommy, what’s wrong?”I couldn’t even answer. Relief and terror crashed together inside me. I kissed her cheek again and again, breathing in her scent like I was afraid she’d disappear if I let go.Behind me, Benjamin’s voice came, sharp and full of fury.“What the hell do you think you’re doing, Dennison?”I turned just enough to see them. Benjamin’s body was stiff, his fists curled at his sides, his eyes burning with a kind of anger I rarely saw from him. He stood a step in front of me, blocking Dennison with his prese

Benjamin’s voice broke the silence first, low but steady.“It’s time to tell her,” he said, his eyes fixed on me.My chest tightened. The words felt heavier than the walls around us. My hands trembled, but I forced myself to step forward. Daisy’s little face was lifted toward us, her eyes wide, waiting.I crouched down so we were face-to-face. My throat burned, but I managed to smile.“Yes,” I whispered softly, brushing a strand of hair from her forehead. “Yes, he is your daddy.”Her eyes widened, shining as they darted to Benjamin. He moved closer, his steps slow, almost hesitant, like he didn’t want to startle her. But his gaze never wavered, it was full of warmth, full of something I hadn’t seen in years.He walked slowly toward us, his eyes soft, almost shining. He crouched down too, resting his hand gently on Daisy’s shoulder. “I’m sorry I couldn’t be with you since the day you were born,” he said quietly. His voice shook, though he tried to keep it steady. “Your mother and I wil

The next morning, after Benjamin left for work, I went straight into my usual routine. Daisy was still curled up in bed, her little hands tucked under her cheek. I sat beside her and brushed her hair back gently before waking her. She blinked up at me, smiling sleepily. That smile alone gave me the strength to move.I carried her to the bathroom and gave her a bath. She kept giggling as the warm water splashed on her skin. For a few minutes, I forgot the weight in my chest. I dried her, slipped her into a soft dress, and tied her hair into two tiny ponytails. In the kitchen, I prepared her breakfast — scrambled eggs and toast, cut into small squares the way she liked. She ate happily, humming between bites.I sat across from her, pretending to eat too, though I barely touched my food. My mind was somewhere else. Every sound in the room felt distant, the clinking of Daisy’s spoon, the faint noise from the TV, all drowned under the steady pounding of my heart.When she finished eating,

By the time Benjamin pulled into the driveway, my body felt like it had been wrung out. I sat still for a moment, hands limp in my lap, until he opened my door and helped me out. His hand stayed steady on my back, guiding me gently into the house.I wanted only one thing before anything else. “Let me check Daisy,” I whispered.He nodded without hesitation.I walked down the hall and pushed her bedroom door open carefully. The evening sun cast a soft glow across her small figure curled under the blanket. She was fast asleep, her chest rising and falling, one arm hugging her stuffed rabbit. My throat loosened at the sight. Relief washed over me.Closing the door quietly, I turned back. Benjamin was waiting in the hall, watching me with those steady eyes.“Go take a hot bath,” he said gently. “It’ll help. I’ll make something for us to eat. Come down when you’re ready.”I nodded, too tired to argue. “Okay.”Upstairs, I started the water, letting the steam fill the room. I slipped in slowl

The days began to fall into a rhythm I hadn’t felt in a long time. Therapy twice a week, pills in the morning and night, Daisy bouncing into the house after school with a backpack that seemed heavier every day. It wasn’t perfect—nothing about me was suddenly cured—but it was something steady, something I could lean on.Each morning started the same. Benjamin’s alarm went off first, but he never let it ring too long. He’d silence it with a quick swipe, then lean over and press a kiss to my forehead. Sometimes I was awake, sometimes not, but I always felt it. His presence was like a thread I could hold onto before the day started pulling me apart.After that, Daisy’s voice would echo down the hallway. She never needed much encouragement now. School had lit a fire in her. She’d come rushing into our room, climbing onto the bed with her curls sticking out in every direction.“Mommy, guess what we’re doing today?” she’d ask, her eyes wide with excitement.Every day it was something new—art