Chapter 9
Julie POV
“Emily’s parents recently got divorced.” Avery said while staring at the window.
“Oh I said
“She still hasn’t gotten over their divorce. She can barely concentrate, and she hasn’t been herself…”
* And why are you telling me all this?” I snapped at her.
“Are you going to divorce daddy?” Avery asked as she slid in her seat belt.
The question cut me off guard. I looked at her but she stared straight ahead, barely looking up at me.
“This is for me and your daddy to discuss.” I said, trying to avoid her question.
“Mom, just answer me. After all, this also affects me. Are you and Dad getting a divorce?” she asked again, her voice trembling.
Yes,” I said after a long pause.
“Your dad did something unthinkable, and you saw how he hit me,” I said.
“But he’s sorry about that. He promised me he would never hit you or hurt you again,” she said.
39
“Avery, please, can we just not talk about this?” I said. Not giving her a chance to respond, I quickly put on an earpiece and looked out the window. The drive home was quiet, as she didn’t say anything again.
But the moment we arrived at the house, Avery threw her backpack onto the couch and turned to face me, her arms crossed and tears streaming down her face.
“You knew, didn’t you? You had to have known about what he was doing
I blinked, stunned and confused by what she was saying.
“Excuse me?”
She sighed as she wiped her tears. “Don’t play dumb, Mom. You must’ve noticed something–the late nights, the secretive behavior… or were you just pretending not to see it?”
“Avery!” I screamed, barely struggling to control my tears.
-What do you mean?, I asked
“I knew I knew what Dad was doing,” she said, almost in a whisper.
Her words caught me off guard. “What do you mean, ‘you knew?*
Avery looked away, biting her lip. She sat down on the couch, her fingers nervously tugging at the hem of her sweater.
“I saw ham, she admitted. “I saw him with her.”
“You saw him?” I whispered.
She nodded, not meeting my eyes. “It was a few months ago. I saw her with Dad in a restaurant when I was heading back home. I wanted to wave at him, but when I saw him kissing her, I hid around the corner. She paused, wiping her tears. “I caught them twice, Mum”
* I caught them twice, mum.”
“He was with her,” she continued after a moment. “Some blonde woman. They were kissing. They were laughing, all lovey–dovey”
My knees felt so weak that I held the cushion to support my legs. This was all too much to process–my daughter had caught her dad cheating
“Unbelievable.” I muntered
1/2
Chapter 9
“Why didn’t you tell me?” I asked after a long pause.
Her eyes met mine and for a moment it felt as if I didn’t know the girl standing in front of me.
“Because I didn’t know how to,” she said. “I thought maybe telling you would break this family apart, and I didn’t want us to turn into one of those broken families where everyone hates each other.”
“Avery, you should’ve come to me. I would’ve-
“Would’ve what?” she interrupted. “Kicked him out? Started yelling? Made everything worse?” she said, tears spilling down her cheeks. “Dad understands me. He listens to me. You’re always so busy, so distant, I didn’t want to lose the only parent who felt like they actually cared about me,” she said.
“Mum, please don’t chase Dad away. I can’t live without you two. Please don’t ruin this family.
I leaned back and blinked the tears away.
“Avery, you know that is not true,” I said. “I’ve been trying my best-
“Your best isn’t enough!” she snapped, standing up. “Do you even know what’s going on in my life? Or have you been pretending not to notice that I was struggling?”
I stared at her, stupned. “Struggling? What do you mean?
She chuckled. “Of course you don’t know. You never ask. You’re too busy with work or trying to keep up this perfect family image. Meanwhile, I’m over here battling with depression, and the one person who seemed to care was Dad. And now.. now you want to take him away from me.”
She was barely able to complete her words, she just leaned back and buried her face in a pillow as she cried her heart out
I stared at her, not knowing what to do.
“Avery,” I said. “I am sorry, I didn’t know-
“Don’t, she muttered, her voice muffled by her hands. Just don’t.”
Finally, she looked up at me, her eyes red and puffy. “So what now?” she asked. “Are you really going to divorce him? Mum, please, for my sake, you know how Emily’s life turned out after her parents‘ divorce. I really don’t want that to be me, Mum.
“It’s more complicated than you can understand, Avery, Ladmitted, my voice trembling. “But I promise you, Avery, you won’t end up like Emily
She didn’t respond. Instead, she stood up, walked to her room, and closed the door behind her.
I sat there, staring at the spot where she had been, my mind racing. My daughter had known about his affairs all this while, and I had been clueless about it
And
now, it felt as if I was the one trying to tear the family apart. How iconic. I scoffed.
“No one sees the sacrifices I’ve made just for this family,” I muttered,
Either way, I was done and tired of making this sham of a marriage work.
As I sat there, I heard Avery scream from her room, followed by the sound of a breaking vase. I jumped up and
ran to her room
“Ave
Jour. B
Olivia Harris is an emerging author celebrated for her captivating romantic and steamy DaisyNovel. With a talent for crafting deep emotional connections and fiery chemistry between her characters, Olivia’s stories offer readers an escape into worlds filled with passion, intrigue, and heart-stopping drama.