Chapter 2

He let out a couple of awkward laughs. "I thought you were upset. Good, if you're not."

Then he changed the subject, not even bothering to read my face.

"It wasn't a big deal anyway. Can't you just be the bigger person about it?"

"I told you back then to get rid of the baby. You were the one who insisted on keeping it. So this is nobody's fault but your own."

He said it with one leg crossed over the other, scrolling his phone, never once glancing at me.

Before I could say anything, he suddenly sprang up off the bed.

"Right, we're getting Violet's daughter registered tomorrow. She needs a nice dress so her ID photo looks good."

He'd already opened a shopping app and held it up in front of my face.

"Help me pick. Which color's best for a little girl?"

The screen was full of frilly little dresses in every color.

Looking at those styles, I thought of Evelyn's third birthday.

He'd been working late and hadn't come home, so I took her to the mall in my arms, and she stood pressed against a display counter for half an hour, staring at a floral dress.

Back then I'd just quit my job to raise her, with no income of my own.

All I could do was message Brent asking for money to buy the dress.

I didn't get a single reply all night.

That night, even asleep, Evelyn murmured in her dream, "I want the dress."

And now here he was, spending a whole evening picking out pretty dresses for someone else's daughter.

I pulled my hand back and was about to speak when his phone rang.

Violet's voice came through soft and sweet. "Brent, it's thundering out here and Daisy's scared. She keeps crying for her daddy."

"I can't really reach her real father. Could you come over and keep her company?"

"Sure, I'm on my way." He answered without half a second's hesitation.

I stared hard at him, my eyes brimming with tears.

He looked up, caught my expression, and frowned.

"Who's this act for? A single mom's got it hard enough. Why are you so petty?"

Evelyn had woken at some point. She stood barefoot at the door, her little hand clutching the hem of his clothes.

"Daddy, don't go. I'm scared of the thunder too."

"Scared of what!" Brent flung her hand off.

She lost her balance, and the back of her head struck the door frame with a dull thud. She froze for two seconds before wailing.

"What are you crying for!" He jabbed a finger at her. "Picking up your mother's scheming little tricks!"

"Cry again and you'll never get registered your whole life!"

Evelyn shrank down to the floor, her sobs choking in her throat, breaking into small, shuddering whimpers.

I couldn't hold back any longer. I yanked open the drawer and slapped the divorce agreement I'd had drawn up down on the table.

"Brent, we're getting divorced."