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<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
A fun day at the fair turned into something I would never forget. One bright pink toy caught my daughter\u2019s eye, but I was the one who ended up seeing the truth. I never imagined a silly alien plush would unravel a lie quietly tearing our family apart.<\/p>\n
Why did men think parenthood was solely a woman\u2019s role? When Simon and I got married and started planning a baby, he swore he would be just as involved in raising our child as I would be.<\/p>\n
The truth was, I had been terrified of becoming a mother, scared I would not be able to handle it, that I would lose myself.<\/p>\n
But Simon had supported me wholeheartedly and kept insisting we could do it, because he wanted a baby more than anything.<\/p>\n
And no matter how scared I had been, no matter how hard it got, I had never once regretted having Sophie.<\/p>\n
My wonderful girl was almost six years old already, and every day I loved her more, even when it seemed impossible to love her more than I already did.<\/p>\n
But Simon\u2019s promises to be an equal parent had never come true. The reason? He had wanted a boy.<\/p>\n
And we were not planning on having another child. So all the responsibility for Sophie had fallen on my shoulders.<\/p>\n
At first, everything had been incredibly hard, but I had eventually come to terms with the fact that Simon simply was not involved.<\/p>\n
Until one evening. I was putting Sophie to bed and reading her a story, as always. Suddenly, she interrupted me.<\/p>\n
\u201cMom, why doesn\u2019t Dad love me?\u201d<\/p>\n
That question froze me.\u201cSweetheart, of course he loves you. Why would you think he doesn\u2019t?\u201d I asked gently.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe doesn\u2019t want to play with me or talk to me,\u201d Sophie muttered.<\/p>\n
\u201cBaby, Daddy loves you very much, he\u2019s just working a lot and gets tired,\u201d I reassured her.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s not true! I saw him playing with Jimmy!\u201d she blurted angrily.<\/p>\n
Jimmy was my best friend\u2019s son, and yes, Simon really did spend a lot of time with him.<\/p>\n
I could barely hold back tears and the urge to go punch Simon in the face for making our daughter feel unloved. I hesitated for a long time, unsure what to say, afraid I might mess it up.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ll talk to Dad and ask him to show you how much he loves you, because he really does,\u201d I finally told her and glanced down\u2014Sophie had already fallen asleep.<\/p>\n
I sighed heavily, moved her gently to tuck her in, and walked into the living room to confront Simon.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou need to do something!\u201d I snapped the second I saw him.<\/p>\n
\u201cAbout what?\u201d he mumbled, confused.<\/p>\n
\u201cSophie just asked me why you don\u2019t love her,\u201d I exclaimed, outraged.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe\u2019s my daughter. Of course I love her,\u201d he waved me off.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou don\u2019t pay her any attention. You spend more time with someone else\u2019s kid than with your own daughter,\u201d I accused.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat do you want from me? Just to nag me again?\u201d Simon huffed.<\/p>\n
\u201cI want you to actually do something! Tomorrow the fair opens, and we\u2019re going as a family. And you\u2019re going to spend real, quality time with your daughter,\u201d I demanded.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve got a lot of work tomorrow,\u201d he groaned.<\/p>\n
\u201cThen take the damn day off!\u201d I shouted and stormed out of the living room, done listening to his pathetic excuses.<\/p>\n
The next day, Simon did take the day off, and we all went to the fair together. I saw how Sophie lit up with joy, running between rides, not knowing which to choose first.<\/p>\n
\u201cMom! I wanna go on the rollercoaster!\u201d she squealed excitedly.<\/p>\n
\u201cOh honey, I\u2019m scared of those. Ask your dad,\u201d I nudged Simon, trying to push him into participating.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou know he won\u2019t go,\u201d Sophie mumbled, disappointed.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe will,\u201d I replied and gave Simon a sharp look. \u201cRight, Dad?\u201d I added through gritted teeth.<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah yeah, I\u2019ll go,\u201d Simon muttered, then took Sophie\u2019s hand and headed off with her toward the ride.<\/p>\n
I watched them from below. I could see Sophie clinging to Simon in fear, and he did not even try to comfort her. My heart ached\u2014it was like he just did not care.<\/p>\n
For the rest of the day, I walked around the fair with Sophie while Simon dragged behind us, glued to his stupid phone.<\/p>\n
Suddenly, Sophie spotted a claw machine and ran to it, pressing her face against the glass.<\/p>\n
\u201cMom, look at that awesome alien! Win him for me, pleeease!\u201d she begged excitedly.<\/p>\n
\u201cMaybe Daddy wants to win you that toy?\u201d I suggested, turning to Simon.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo no, I think you\u2019d be better at it,\u201d he mumbled, not looking up from his phone.<\/p>\n
I shook my head and stepped up to the machine. I used nine tries, cheered on by Sophie\u2019s hopeful squeals, but the best I managed was a plush bear, on the eighth try.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m sorry, sweetheart. I don\u2019t think I can get that alien,\u201d I sighed.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut I really wanted him,\u201d Sophie said sadly.<\/p>\n
\u201cI know, baby. But it\u2019s getting late, and we need to go home. I\u2019m sorry. Maybe we can try again another day,\u201d I whispered.<\/p>\n
\u201cOkay,\u201d she muttered, clearly disappointed, and we walked back to the car.<\/p>\n
The next day, hoping to cheer her up, I took Sophie back to the fair, I was determined to win that damn alien.<\/p>\n
But when we got to the claw machine, it was gone. Sophie immediately burst into tears, so I picked her up to comfort her and went to talk to a teenage worker nearby.<\/p>\n
\u201cExcuse me, yesterday there was a pink alien plush in the machine, but it\u2019s gone. Do you happen to have another one?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf it\u2019s not in the machine, then we don\u2019t have it,\u201d the boy muttered without looking up.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cLady, we don\u2019t have it,\u201d he snapped, cutting me off.<\/p>\n
\u201cRude,\u201d I muttered and carried Sophie to the car, grabbing her an ice cream cone on the way to help her feel better.<\/p>\n
When we got home, I happened to glance into Simon\u2019s car and a smile appeared on my face. Finally, he had heard me.<\/p>\n
Finally, he had done something for our daughter. Because on the back seat sat that very same pink alien plush Sophie had wanted so badly.<\/p>\n
I decided not to tell her. I wanted that toy to be something she associated with her dad. We stepped inside, and Simon was just heading out.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere are you going?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cBack to work. I only came for lunch,\u201d he replied casually.<\/p>\n
\u201cSophie\u2019s home. Don\u2019t you want to give her something?\u201d I asked, raising an eyebrow.<\/p>\n
\u201cUh, no. Don\u2019t think so,\u201d he muttered and walked out.<\/p>\n
Maybe he was saving it for later? Maybe it was supposed to be a surprise? At least, that\u2019s what I hoped.<\/p>\n
But when Simon came home that evening, he was empty-handed. I kept waiting for him to give Sophie that damn toy, but it never happened. She went to bed upset.<\/p>\n
Once she was asleep, I walked into our bedroom where Simon was lying.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy didn\u2019t you give Sophie the alien?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat alien?\u201d he grumbled.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe pink one, from the claw machine. The one she wanted so badly,\u201d I clarified.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat makes you think I was gonna give it to her? Where would I even get that from?\u201d he scoffed.<\/p>\n
\u201cUh\u2026 from your car?!\u201d I shot back, frustrated.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s no alien in my car,\u201d he replied flatly.<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t lie. I saw it myself,\u201d I snapped.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou must\u2019ve imagined it. I never had one,\u201d he shrugged.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo now you\u2019re gaslighting me?\u201d I snapped.<\/p>\n
\u201cNot my fault your brain confuses hope with reality. Now excuse me, I\u2019m tired and I wanna sleep,\u201d he muttered and turned away.<\/p>\n
I was this close to packing mine and Sophie\u2019s things and walking out. Better no dad at all than one like him.<\/p>\n
But that was my anger speaking, my perspective. Sophie still needed her dad. She loved him.<\/p>\n
A few days had passed since the alien incident. My friend Christine invited us over so Sophie and Jimmy could play together. Of course, Simon could not make it, as usual, so it was just me and Sophie.<\/p>\n
Christine and I sat in the kitchen, sipping tea and chatting about our kids while they played in the nursery.<\/p>\n
Christine went to the bathroom, and suddenly Sophie came running into the kitchen in tears.<\/p>\n
\u201cSweetheart, what\u2019s wrong?\u201d I asked, alarmed.<\/p>\n
\u201cJimmy has the pink alien,\u201d she sobbed.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d I blinked in confusion.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes, and he won\u2019t even let me play with it,\u201d she whined.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ll go talk to him,\u201d I reassured her and walked toward the nursery.<\/p>\n
Sure enough, Jimmy was sitting there, clutching the same alien toy.<\/p>\n
\u201cWow, that\u2019s a really cool toy you\u2019ve got there. Where did you get it?\u201d I asked with a smile. Kids always loved it when you admired their stuff.<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah, he\u2019s awesome. Simon gave him to me,\u201d Jimmy grinned proudly. \u201cBut only if I promised not to tell anyone that he comes over to visit my mom.\u201d<\/p>\n
Then his face dropped.<\/p>\n
\u201cOops\u2026\u201d he whispered.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s okay, don\u2019t worry. I\u2019m good at keeping secrets,\u201d I told him gently. \u201cBut maybe you could let Sophie play with it a little?\u201d<\/p>\n
Jimmy nodded, and I headed back to the kitchen. Christine still had not returned, and Sophie was standing there alone.<\/p>\n
\u201cSweetheart, why don\u2019t you go play with Jimmy for a bit? Maybe he\u2019ll let you play with the alien now,\u201d I encouraged.<\/p>\n
Sophie hesitated, then smiled and ran back into the room. I spotted Christine\u2019s phone sitting on the table. I listened carefully, no footsteps. I picked it up and unlocked it. She still used the same password from college.<\/p>\n
I scrolled through her chats, trying to find one with Simon. But his name did not appear anywhere.<\/p>\n
Then I noticed a contact saved as \u201cMine \u2764 \ufe0f.\u201d I opened the thread and there it was.<\/p>\n
They had been arranging meetings, planning times when Sophie and I would be out of the house, exchanging pictures some decent, others not.<\/p>\n
Bastards. Both of them smiling in my face while sneaking around behind my back. I did not even have the energy to be angry anymore. I just wanted this nightmare to end.<\/p>\n
Christine walked into the kitchen and saw me holding her phone.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat are you doing?\u201d she asked, her voice shaking.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow does it feel to sleep with my husband?\u201d I fired back.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow did you find out?\u201d she stammered.<\/p>\n
\u201cOne toy. The one Sophie wanted so badly. Instead, Simon gave it to Jimmy,\u201d I replied coldly.<\/p>\n
\u201cClaire, it\u2019s not what it looks like,\u201d Christine tried to explain.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo you\u2019re not sleeping with my husband?\u201d I demanded.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2026 we\u2019re in love,\u201d she admitted softly.<\/p>\n
\u201cThen why the hell didn\u2019t that jerk divorce me first and then start seeing you?\u201d I yelled.<\/p>\n
\u201cI asked him, but he said you\u2019d take everything from him,\u201d she murmured.<\/p>\n
\u201cWell now I\u2019ll make sure he ends up with nothing. And you two can rot together,\u201d I spat and stormed out.<\/p>\n
\u201cClaire, I\u2019m sorry! But we really love each other!\u201d Christine shouted after me.<\/p>\n
I grabbed Sophie from the nursery, and we got in the car.<\/p>\n
\u201cMom, where are we going?\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re gonna find you that alien,\u201d I answered firmly.<\/p>\n
\u201cYay!\u201d Sophie squealed.<\/p>\n
While we drove from toy store to toy store, I also called my lawyer and asked him to prepare the divorce papers.<\/p>\n
Not a single store had that damn toy. So we went back to the fair. The first worker I saw was that same teenage boy.<\/p>\n
\u201cHi, I came here a few days ago asking about the pink alien plush,\u201d I said politely.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe still don\u2019t have it,\u201d he replied flatly.<\/p>\n
I was done being polite. I wasn\u2019t in the mood to tolerate some bratty teenager. \u201cListen to me,\u201d I growled, stepping closer. \u201cYou\u2019re gonna go to the back and check for that damn alien. And if you don\u2019t, I\u2019ll go to management and have them do it. If you can\u2019t handle such a simple task, maybe they\u2019ll find someone who can.\u201d<\/p>\n
The boy\u2019s face paled. \u201cAlright, fine. I\u2019ll go check.\u201d<\/p>\n
Fifteen minutes later, he returned with a pink alien plush even bigger than the one we had tried to win.<\/p>\n
\u201cHere you go,\u201d he muttered and handed it to Sophie. She jumped up and down with joy.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow much do I owe you?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cNothing. Just please don\u2019t come back,\u201d he said nervously and walked away.<\/p>\n
Sophie played with her new toy the entire drive home, beaming with happiness. Meanwhile, I flipped through the divorce papers I had picked up from my lawyer.<\/p>\n
Simon got home pretty late. I tossed the papers in front of him. \u201cWhat\u2019s this?\u201d he frowned.<\/p>\n
\u201cDivorce papers,\u201d I said sharply. \u201cI assume your girlfriend told you I found out. And trust me, I\u2019m gonna take everything and make sure you\u2019re paying child support.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t do this,\u201d Simon begged.<\/p>\n
\u201cI could\u2019ve tolerated you being a bad husband. But I won\u2019t tolerate you being a bad father,\u201d I said calmly. \u201cNow get out.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cClaire, please, let\u2019s talk,\u201d he pleaded.<\/p>\n
\u201cGet. Out,\u201d I repeated.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou stupid witch!\u201d Simon shouted and slammed the door behind him.<\/p>\n
I went to Sophie\u2019s room to check if she had woken up from the yelling. But she was sleeping peacefully, hugging her alien plush. I knew we were going to be okay. It was me and Sophie against the world.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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