Chapter 1
"It's just an exam. What's the big deal? I can't waste my vacation days." Curtis Garrison sounded so sure of himself on the other end of the phone.
I stood outside the exam hall, watching my daughter, Wendy Garrison, disappear inside.
"Take her yourself. It's not a big deal," Curtis added.
I didn't say anything.
"Alright, I'm gonna hang up. My flight's about to take off," Curtis said.
Then he hung up.
I looked at my phone screen. His location showed he was at Capital Airport, Terminal 3. [Destination: Avelaa. Number of people traveling: 2.]
I smiled.
He had no clue I'd been waiting for this day for three years.
*****
More and more parents were gathering outside the exam hall.
Some held sunflowers, some wore formal dresses, and some were snapping photos to post online.
I stood alone under the shade of a tree.
A parent next to me glanced over. "Your kid's dad didn't come?"
"He's on a business trip," I replied.
I'd gotten used to saying that.
For eighteen years, at every parent-teacher meeting, every birthday, every time Wendy got sick, I'd given that answer to her more times than I could count.
Business trips. Late nights at work. Networking dinners.
Sometimes I wondered if Curtis was really that busy. But I knew the truth.
My phone rang. It was my lawyer friend, Sarah Moran. "Alanna, I've got all the evidence ready. Are you sure you want to pull the trigger now?"
"Let's wait until Wendy finishes her exams," I replied.
"Alright. I've got three years' worth of bank transfers, hotel bookings, and chat logs. Curtis won't know what hit him."
I hung up the phone.
The sun was blazing, but I felt calm inside.
Three years ago, I first discovered his secret.
I didn't go looking for it. He brought it on himself.
That day, he asked me to pay his phone bill. When I unlocked his phone, I saw a WhatsApp message. [Honey, I miss you.]
The sender was named "Billie."
For a moment, my mind went blank. But I didn't make a scene.
I knew that making a fuss without proof would only make Curtis more cautious.
So, I pretended I knew nothing.
During the next three years, I was like a hunter, slowly gathering everything about him. Every transfer, every business trip, every lie.
He thought I was a gullible, worn-out housewife who'd be stuck relying on him for the rest of my life.
He was dead wrong.
The bell rang, signaling the end of the exam.
Wendy came out of the exam hall and stopped when she saw I was alone. "Where's Dad?"
"He's on a business trip," I replied.
She smiled, a knowing look in her eyes. "Mom, I know."
I looked at her.
"Dad never cared about me. He barely ever came to my parent-teacher meetings. When I got sick, you took me to the hospital alone. You checked my homework. You helped me with my college applications," she said.
She took my hand. "Mom, I know all of it."
My eyes started to sting. But I didn't cry. Today wasn't a day for crying.
Today was the start of something new.
"Let's go get a fancy meal," I said.
"Okay." Wendy hooked her arm through mine, and we walked out together.
My phone rang again. It was a post from Curtis on his social media feed.
Blue skies, fluffy clouds, and a stretch of sandy beach. The caption read: [Feeling great, living my best life.]
His location was a five-star hotel in Avelaa.
The photo showed two cocktails, two beach chairs side by side, and two plates of lunch.
I zoomed in and caught the silhouette of a woman on one of the beach chairs.
She was young, slim, and rocking a bikini.
I saved the photo. Another piece of evidence.
Wendy leaned over for a peek. "Mom, who's that?"
"No one." I locked the screen.
Some things didn't need to be shared with kids. At least not right now.
Once the dust settled, she'd understand.
We had dinner at a restaurant named Komorebi.
I ordered two plates of Wendy's favorite salmon sashimi.
"Mom, why aren't you eating?" she asked.
"I like seeing you enjoy your food," I replied.
I wasn't hungry at all. My mind was on what I had to do next.
Sarah told me Curtis sent that woman $290,000 over three years. Meanwhile, our family only got 1,500 dollars a month for everything.
All of Wendy's classes, tuition, and daily costs had to fit into that 1,500.
Anything extra, I paid out of my own pocket.
I earned 2,600 dollars a month.
In eighteen years, I had never bought myself a single outfit over 150 dollars. But he bought her a purse worth 30,000 dollars.
That thought made me laugh again.
Wendy glanced at me. "Mom, why do you keep smiling today?"
"I'm happy," I said.
"What are you so happy about?"
"Because you finished your SAT."
"Is that really all?"
I reached out and patted her head. "You'll get it one day."