Chapter 1
My husband had a deep hatred for me and my daughter.
When my daughter was born, he wouldn't even spare her a glance. He just snapped at the nanny to get her out of sight.
It was all because there was a woman he held in his heart.
Later, that woman came back from abroad.
For the first time ever, my husband, the always cool and collected CEO, totally lost control.
His eyes were bloodshot as he gave me and my daughter a bitter smile repeatedly.
His gaze was blank, as if he was looking right through us, searching for someone else.
My daughter timidly wrapped her arms around his neck.
In her soft voice, she asked, "D... Chester, why are you crying?"
She paused because she suddenly remembered that Chester never let her call him Dad.
I quickly scooped her back into my arms, whispering to her.
"Chester's true love is back now, so we're moving out, Teresa," I explained.
*****
After putting Teresa to bed, I went back to the living room, pulled out my phone, and started texting the lawyer to discuss getting a divorce from Chester.
It had been five years since I married Chester.
For the last three years, we hadn't even shared a bed.
But now, it was really the end.
Just as I was zoning out, the sound of soft footsteps snapped me back to reality.
Teresa came out of the bedroom, her bare little feet pattering against the floor.
"Mommy, are we really moving out?" she asked.
She nuzzled into my arms, soft as a cuddly little bundle.
"But Chester hugged me today. Does that mean he likes me now?" she said hopefully.
I was a little lost in thought.
For five years, Chester never allowed Teresa to call him Dad.
When Teresa was just a year and a half old, she babbled as she flung herself into his arms and called him Dad.
But Chester carried Teresa out, left her on the tree-lined path beyond the garden, and then slammed the gate shut.
No matter how much Teresa cried, he never opened the gate.
By the time I heard the commotion and came downstairs, Teresa's voice was nearly hoarse from crying.
She was sitting there on the cobblestone path.
Tears and snot covered her face as she held out her arms to me to be picked up.
I turned to the nanny, asking why she hadn't watched her better.
Chester just sneered, "It's not the nanny's fault. The kid wouldn't listen."
My nose tingled, and tears threatened to fall as I pulled Teresa onto my lap and sat down with her.
"Teresa, Chester's true love is back now. We should give them their own space," I said.
Teresa looked disappointed, her lips pushing into a pout as she tugged at my arm.
"But Chester hugged me today. He's never done that before," she whispered.
Her eyes glistened with tears, and I tried to speak several times, but the words just got stuck in my throat.
How could I explain to her that Chester was only happy because his true love finally came back?
How could I tell her that Chester hugged her today, not because he liked her, but because she happened to catch a bit of luck when someone else made him happy?
I forced a smile, doing my best not to break down and cry.
I said, "Teresa, Chester just wants his own life. He doesn't like being bothered by us.
"I will take you overseas to someplace even more beautiful and fun. How does that sound?"
Teresa stayed quiet for a long time.
"Let's give Chester one last chance, okay? If he still can't see how wonderful we are, then we'll go overseas so he'll never be able to find us, okay?" she asked.
When Teresa was just a little girl, I told her, "Three strikes and you're out."
Chester forgot Teresa's third birthday. That was his first strike.
He promised he'd come to her school's parent meeting, but in the end, every other kid had their parents with them. Only Teresa was left standing alone in her empty seat. That was his second strike.
So Teresa said she would give him one last chance.
If he made Teresa cry one more time, we would leave.
Teresa still clung to that tiny hope he might change.
But deep down, I knew Chester would never even realize what was slipping away.
I told Teresa we'd give him one more chance, but I still got ready to leave.