We walked down the hallway. Barefoot. Heartbroken already without knowing why.
Then we heard it.
A laugh.
Her laugh.
From the guest room. Elena’s room.
I felt Sophie’s hand shake as she reached for the doorknob.
When she pushed it open, my world ended.
The next morning, Elena was gone. Daniel sat hunched over the table.
“Anna, please. Let’s talk.”
“You talk,” I replied. “I’ve done enough listening.”
“It didn’t mean anything,” he whispered.
“Then why did it happen?”
“She… she was lonely. And I… I made a mistake.”
“A mistake?” I laughed bitterly. “You don’t trip and fall into a bed, Daniel.”
He blamed loneliness. He blamed distance. He blamed everything except himself.
When Sophie came downstairs, she didn’t look at him.
“Pumpkin—” he tried.
“Don’t call me that,” she snapped. “You lost that right last night.”
She stood by me. “Mom, I’m not leaving you alone with him.”
That night, Daniel slept in the same room where we found them.
Sophie insisted.
“Let the shame stay in those walls,” she said.
Chapter 4: The Cost of Lies
Three days later, Elena called.
“Anna… please. I didn’t mean for it to happen.”
“You smiled in my face while sneaking behind my back,” I said.
“Daniel was hurting,” she whispered. “He said you two weren’t close anymore.”
The same lie.
Rehearsed. Practiced. Shared.
I hung up.
But Sophie wasn’t done.
That weekend she brought receipts, transfers, records.
“Mom,” she said, “you need to see this.”
“Sophie, please—”
“No. You’ve protected him enough.”
He had sent Elena thousands—rent, hotels, gifts.
Money meant for my medication. Money he lied about.
That night, Sophie waited for him.
“Sit down,” she said when Daniel walked in.
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