That was why I planned the vacation—just a simple trip, so we could all be together for a few days. I thought maybe if we had that time, Lily would finally feel like she had a father who cared.
I thought maybe it would bring us closer, even if just for a little while. I wanted to give her that. But as usual, Michael found a reason not to come, and I should’ve known better than to expect anything else.
Alas, nothing went the way I had planned. I couldn’t stop the tears when I thought about how bright Lily’s smile had been when I told her we were going on vacation, just the three of us. She was so excited. It breaks my heart just thinking about it now.
The man who used to stand up for me, who I had once loved deeply, was gone. Now, he was just a stranger—one who was asking another woman to slap his wife.
The protective and caring version of him that I fell for had long since vanished. In fact, I couldn’t even remember the last time he’d shown me any kindness after we were married.
It was clear that Allison had played a significant role in changing him, but I couldn’t pinpoint exactly when he started to despise me so thoroughly.
After Michael’s harsh command, Allison finally slapped me across the face. The force of it made my head spin, and I ended up trying to steady myself with my hands on the floor.
But before I could even react, I heard Allison’s sobs.
Tears streamed down her cheeks as she choked out, “I… I slapped my best friend. What kind of person am I?” She buried her face in her hands, and Michael rushed over to comfort her, wrapping her in a hug.
“Don’t cry, don’t cry. You’re too softhearted. It’s okay,” he said soothingly.
I stared in disbelief. I had learned the hard way how two-faced Allison could be, but this act of hers was something else entirely.
She had just slapped me, and now she was putting on a performance, crying and playing the victim. It was a new low, even for her.
I was on the verge of storming out, unable to stand being around them any longer. But before I could make my move, Michael grabbed my hand.
“Let me go!” I said, my voice cracking as tears started to well up in my eyes.
“Is this your new trick? Crying now?” Michael’s tone was dripping with provocation. “You failed to use Lily to threaten me, so now you’re just shedding fake tears?”