After the divorce, Brittany would complain,
saying I was evil for driving away her dad and
grandma.
She said she wanted to live with her dad and
meet her half–sibling.
This time, she could have her wish.
“Let’s get divorced, Tom,” I said quietly.
He paused, then said happily, “Seriously? Did
I hear you right? You’re finally saying yes?”
I said, “Yeah.”
“Good, I make more money than you, so I get
custody of Brittany, right?” he said smugly.
<
He knew I wouldn’t give her up, that I’d
sacrifice anything for her, so he wanted to
use the same trick as last time.
“If you want Brittany, you’re going to have to
give up everything. If not, I’m not giving up
custody.”
“Think carefully, Tom. What’s more
important? Possessions, or your precious
daughter?”
“I’ve got a meeting tonight, be home around
eight. Have dinner ready, and we’ll sign the
papers.
“Oh, and if you want Brittany, remember to
pack your stuff, move out tomorrow morning,
and make room for my wife and kid.”
Then he hung up, all excited.
I laughed.
He was so sure I wanted Brittany, it was
pathetic.
I contacted a lawyer, had him write up a
divorce agreement, then printed it at the print
shop.
All assets to me, Brittany to him.
It was all written.
This time, I was going to get what was mine.
I was going to make that scum Tom leave
with nothing.
I leaned back on the couch, checked the
online store.
I found out that some of the supplies had
already been sold.
I wrapped up the sold stuff and took it to the
post office.
The supplies that filled the room were piled
up in boxes, and now the room was empty.
I was tired, so I ordered BBQ and seafood.
I spent over three hundred on food, which I
had never done after I got married.
Then I heard the door open.
Brittany came home from school
She saw me relaxing on the couch, with no
dinner ready for her, and she got furious.
She threw her backpack down, slamming the
door.
Then she glared at me, screaming.
“You evil old woman, you’re planning on
sending me to that art camp, aren’t you?!”
“Dad told me! You tricked him into calling my
dad, didn’t you?! What are you up to?!”
“I’m not going to that stupid camp!”
“I already take art lessons, that’s enough!
Don’t push it!”
“You don’t care about me as much as my
dad! He said I don’t have to go if I don’t want
- to. You want to lock me up in some art
prison. I don’t think so!”
く
Chapter 2
Even though I’d decided to give up on
Brittany, hearing those insults still felt like a
knife twisting in my chest.
I didn’t have to guess why Tom had told her
about the art camp.
He was stirring the pot, getting Brittany to
fight with me, so he could play the hero and
stick it to me.
That way, I’d have to pay for it myself, and
look like the bad guy.
So clever.
But that trick was old news to me.
I shook my head, and said slowly, “You’re way
off. I’m not signing you up for that camp.”
“If you want to go, and your dad’s willing to
pay for it, then he can call the teacher and
take care of it. I’m done with that.”
Brittany looked suspicious. “You’re really not
going to?”
Last time, when I suggested the camp, she’d
screamed bloody murder, thrown her
paintbrushes, splattered paint all over the
walls.
I tried to reason with her, didn’t want to
waste her talent.
I told her everyone else had to grind for a
vear to get into college. but she could get
into a top art school with just three months of
training.
She just yelled about how much she hated
art, how it was a waste of time.
I didn’t get it.
She used to love it.
Did I ruin it for her?
I thought I was wrong, started doubting
myself, and decided not to sign her up.
Then, right before the deadline, I found out
from her teacher that she had a boyfriend.
She wasn’t against the camp because she
hated art, or because I was pressuring her
but because she had a new boyfriend.
If she went to camp, she wouldn’t see him for
three months.
That was it.
I did some digging, and found out Brittany’s
boyfriend was a loser.
Smoking, drinking, with dyed hair, cursing like
a sailor, acting like a thug.
He’d dropped out of high school, spent all day
playing video games, selling gear online,
barely scraping by.
I didn’t know how they met, or why Brittany
liked him.
く
I couldn’t let him ruin my daughter.
I lost it, signed her up for art camp, told her if
she worked hard, I’d consider letting them be
together, but if not, it was over.
Brittany threw a fit, trashed her art room, but
she went.
Just like I thought, he dumped her for another
girl two weeks in.
Brittany cried for days, blaming me.
I pulled her out of the mud in two weeks.
But she never forgave me, said I couldn’t
stand her being happy.
୮
Remembering all that, I said, “That’s right. I’m
not going to anymore.”
“You can do whatever you want, and I won’t
say a word.”
She studied me, trying to figure out if I was
telling the truth.
Finally, she glared, “You better mean it! If
you’re lying, you’ll regret it!”
Then she grabbed her backpack and went
inside.
Three seconds later, she ran out. “What
happened?! Where’s my stuff?!”
I glanced at my online store, saw a few more
boxes had sold.
I said slowly, “Since you don’t want to do art,
you don’t have to.”
“Since you don’t appreciate the art supplies I
bought you, I sold them.”
“If you want to do anything else, ask your
dad. He’ll get you even better stuff.”
“I won’t interfere with anything anymore. You
got it.”
“You’re free.”
She looked at the empty art room, and finally
believed me.
She couldn’t help but smile. “Awesome! You
“I don’t want to go to camp, and I don’t want
to go to art lessons anymore, okay?”
I nodded. “Sure. I’ll cancel the classes.”
She thought for a second, then asked, “I have
a boyfriend. He’s really great. You won’t
break us up, right?”
“And you won’t yell at me if I eat junk food?”
“You won’t check my homework anymore?
You won’t stop me from playing video
games?”
I just nodded. “I told you, I’m not going to say
a word.”
She cheered and went to play video games.
A few minutes later, my food arrived.
Besides the loaded skewers, I ordered two
pounds of crawfish, arranged it on the table,
ready to dig in.
As I put on gloves, Brittany came in.
She squealed, “Crawfish and skewers? Yes!
My favorite!”
“You’re finally being cool! Did Dad say
something to you? It’s Dad’s doing, right? You
wouldn’t be nice without him!”
“When’s Dad coming home? I want to eat
with him, not you.”
