Chapter 3

3

Early the next morning, when I walked out of the room with Annie, Chelsea was already waiting by the door.

"Babe..."

I intended to brush past her, but Annie wrapped her arms around my neck and whispered, "Isn't today Mommy's birthday?"

I froze, unsure how to explain the situation to a child.

Chelsea's eyes immediately lit up with hope.

"That is right, sweetie! Today is Mommy's birthday. Can you stay and spend the day with me?"

Annie instinctively looked at me.

Seeing the eager hope in her eyes, I could not bring myself to crush her spirit.

What did a young child know? She only knew her busy mother finally had time to play with her, and that made her happy.

"Babe, Annie wants to stay and have fun. Let us just celebrate today together, okay?"

I stayed silent. Taking my silence as a concession, Chelsea eagerly took Annie into her arms.

Seeing her temporary attempt to play nice, I said nothing.

Chelsea spent the entire day by our daughter's side, taking her to the theme park and the aquarium, snapping countless photos.

Throughout the outing, Chelsea kept holding my hand. Whenever I pulled away, she would grip it even tighter.

"Our daughter is watching," she whispered.

Unable to bear breaking Annie's heart, I endured her touch.

Watching my daughter's beaming smile, an invisible weight squeezed tightly around my chest.

I grew up in a broken home, so I knew firsthand the scars a divorce could leave on a child.

When my parents split up at age seven, I went with my father.

Back in first grade, the other kids pointed at me and called me a bastard with no real family.

As I grew older, I became sensitive and insecure, terrified of judgment, eventually turning into a chronic people-pleaser.

I desperately wanted to shield my daughter from that kind of pain.

Watching Chelsea feed Annie ice cream, my mind was an agonizing tangle of emotions.

After a long day of playing, Annie fell asleep the moment we got into the car.

I drove in complete silence. Chelsea stared at me, her lips trembling.

"I have cut all ties with Ian for good. From now on, I will stay by your side and focus on our family. Please, babe, forgive me this once."

"I already submitted a request at work to transfer to another department. I will have plenty of time for Annie moving forward."

She pulled out her transfer request and messaging apps to prove it to me.

"I did not sleep at all last night. I was a complete fool before, taking such an amazing husband and sweet daughter for granted."

"Please don't give me the silent treatment. When you stay quiet, it terrifies me."

Looking at her remorseful face, I will admit my resolve cracked.

Especially whenever I glanced in the rearview mirror at my daughter's peaceful face.

I kept my mouth shut, but the fierce desire for a divorce began to waver.

When we got home that night, Chelsea swore on her life and signed a postnuptial agreement, agreeing to forfeit all marital assets if she ever cheated again.

My defenses completely crumbled.

Over the next few days, Chelsea kept her word. She came straight home after work every day and had no business trips scheduled.

Smiles appeared on Annie's face far more often, and she grew increasingly close to Chelsea.

Just as I began to believe she had truly turned over a new leaf, she delivered a massive shock.

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