“Dean Frazier, are you insane?!” she shouted at me. “Elroy came here out of kindness and you threaten him? You’re disgusting!”
Willow pointed at me, screaming, “You’re mean! Bad guy! I don’t want you. I don’t want a bad guy to be my dad. I want Uncle Elroy to be my dad.”
Without letting me say a single word, they all turned on me.
But… I no longer cared. My heart had already died for them.
Slowly, I pushed myself up, leaning on the bed for support. Sharon and Willow wouldn’t even look at me anymore. They each took one of Elroy’s arms and walked out like I was nothing.
I discharged myself from the hospital and went home alone.
Four hours before departure, I threw every family photo into a steel drum and set them on fire.
Three hours before departure, I sent all the video recordings to my lawyer.
Three hours before departure, I placed the divorce papers—prepared long ago—on the coffee table in the living room.
One hour before departure, I was already seated in the airport lounge, ticket and passport in hand, waiting for my plane to take off.
At the same time, Sharon and Willow, trying to cheer Elroy up, took him to the island where we’d spent our honeymoon for a vacation. A week later, Sharon got out of Elroy’s bed and suddenly remembered— today was our sixth wedding anniversary.
As usual, she booked a photographer and makeup artist. Then, she spent the morning convincing Willow to come back home with her for a surprise.
But when the two of them finally pushed open the front door—Willow cradling a bouquet of fresh flowers, Sharon carefully balancing a cake box—their smiles faded.
The villa was dead silent.
“Shh! I bet Dad’s still sleeping in,” Willow whispered excitedly. “Let’s stay quiet and we’ll surprise him in the room.”
Willow tiptoed upstairs and opened the bedroom door, only to find it completely empty.
Sharon was confused, an inexplicable anxiety rising in her chest.
She quickly pulled out her phone, about to dial, when suddenly, a panicked doctor ran in.
“Mrs. Frazier!” he gasped, breathless. “Mr. Frazier—he... he sent a legal notice to the hospital. He knows. He found out everything!”
