“Kids, go inside,” I said. Jake and Emily hesitated, then hurried inside with their bags.
Lewis stepped out of his car casually. “Leaving them alone out here? Real responsible.”
“You sent that text, didn’t you?” I asked.
He didn’t deny it. “Maybe if you can’t handle things, they’re better off with me.”
I stood my ground. “You know why the court made its decision. This isn’t helping you.”
The front door opened again. Jake and Emily stood there, visibly upset.
“Please stop fighting,” Jake cried. Emily clung to her stuffed animal, tears in her eyes.
Lewis paused, then got back in his car and left without another word.
That night, I sat down and started documenting everything—texts, emails, and court records. Not out of spite, but out of a need to protect my children.
I had also heard that Lewis had a new partner, Lisa, and that she had doubts about me based on what he’d told her. So, I reached out. We met for coffee, and I shared the facts. I didn’t accuse or argue—I simply showed her the truth.
At first, she defended him. But as she read through the messages, her expression changed.
“I’m not asking you to pick sides,” I said. “I just want you to see what’s really happening.”
A few weeks later, word got back to me—she had started asking questions. Their relationship, once solid, was now under pressure from truths that couldn’t be ignored.
I didn’t need revenge. I didn’t need to win. I just needed peace—for myself and for my children.
And slowly, that’s what we were finding.