All Chapters of Just a Little Too Late: Chapter 1 - Chapter 8

8 Chapters

Chapter 1

Ted's POVI'd just finished signing the custody waiver the judge had drawn up when Vivian Simpson and our daughter arrived.They probably assumed I was here to drag them through court for a ninth time, the way I had the last eight.Vivian's voice dripped with mockery. "Ted, this makes nine lawsuits. It'll be the last one, too. Chloe just turned eight today, and legally, she's old enough to choose which of us she wants to live with."My daughter Chloe's eyes went cold and distant. She didn't hesitate. "I want to live with Mom and Papa Andy."I thought of the video my brother-in-law had sent me the night before—Vivian's family gathering early to set out a cake and light candles for our daughter's birthday. At the table, Chloe had suddenly frowned and complained, "It's all Dad's fault I always end up celebrating my birthday early."I wanted to tell her that wasn't true. Every year, Vivian pushed our court dates back to our daughter's birthday, claiming she was too busy with work. I'

Chapter 2

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

Chapter 3

Walking out of the courthouse, I took a cab straight to the hospital to see my mother, who was gravely ill.Just like the judge, she asked me the same question out of habit, "Did you get custody of Chloe?"I shook my head. "I withdrew the suit. I'm not fighting for custody anymore."Mom didn't ask why. She only looked crestfallen. "Maybe it's for the best."I knew she was lying. She'd begged me more than once to bring Chloe to see her. I'd brought it up with the Simpsons, but Lisa wouldn't budge, and even sneered at me for asking. "How could I let Chloe anywhere near someone who's about to die? Don't you think that's bad luck? No matter what, you're still her father—shouldn't you be thinking of what's best for her?"But the person Lisa called bad luck was my mother.Choking down the bitterness of it, I told Mom, "Once you're feeling better, let's leave Northbridge." She nodded weakly. I pulled out my phone to check for flights.That was when I saw a tabloid reporter had, just a

Chapter 4

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'

Chapter 5

Vivian and Chloe spun around and froze, eyes going wide.The blood had splattered onto them by accident. Truly, I'm sorry it did.Chloe was the first to cry out. "Dad!"I curled up on the floor, Chloe so close I could almost touch her. It felt like forever since my daughter had held onto me like this. She tried to press her hands against my throat where the blood kept surging out, asking over and over, "Why won't it stop? Where are you hurt?"But by then the pain in my chest had gone numb, and all I could do was gasp for air in ragged heaves. The last thing I saw was Chloe's face—the panic in her eyes, the fear. A second before I blacked out, I couldn't help thinking that dying here alongside Mom might not be so bad after all.-Third-person POVJust as Vivian moved to go to Ted, Andy let out a sharp cry of pain. "Vivian, you're gripping my wound too hard."Only then did she notice her hand had tightened around Andy's bandaged wrist. She murmured, "Sorry."That brief interrupt

Chapter 6

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

Chapter 7

But what came out of Vivian's mouth next was colder than anything before. She turned to her assistant. "Take him to my mother. Hand her every piece of evidence we have. I trust no one deals with a man like this better than she does."Andy, trembling, grabbed at the hem of Vivian's pants, begging for mercy, only to be kicked away. "It was only because Mom liked you that I never broke things off with you outright. But since you've brought this on yourself, don't blame me for what happens next."As she said it, she happened to glance over and see the light above the emergency room go dark. She and Chloe hurried over to ask, but the doctor only let out a sigh."His vital signs have stabilized. Whether he wakes up is another matter."Something in Vivian's chest twisted painfully at that. She stepped inside and looked down at Ted's pale, drawn face, unable to believe that the man who'd fought her so relentlessly for so long could simply fail to wake up like this.She found herself rem

Chapter 8

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?"

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