Three Chances, Then I'm Gone

My husband of six years treated me like a piece of meaningless furniture. He treated our daughter even worse, like a mistake he wished he could erase.

It wasn't until she was almost old enough for school that he finally bothered to give her a name.

But on the day his first love got a divorce, the man who was always so cold and stoic began to cry. He smiled through his tears as he stroked our daughter's cheek, whispering her name over and over.

"Summer... Summer..."

"You finally know how much I've been missing you, don't you"

My five-year-old was finally enjoying her father's touch for the first time. She looked at me, caught between hope and fear.

"Mommy, does Daddy finally like me" she asked.

I pulled her into a trembling hug, my heart breaking for her.

"No, baby. Daddy is saying goodbye to us. The person he loves is back, and it's time for us to make room."

01.

After finishing the bedtime story, I pulled out the divorce papers I had prepared and read through them carefully.

I had been married to Lucien Blackwood for six years, and I had endured six years of his icy indifference.

It was finally time to let go.

"Mommy..."

My daughter poked her head out from under the covers and whispered to me.

"Are we really leaving"

Her eyes were swimming with tears, and her tiny hands gripped the edge of the blanket.

"But Daddy called me by my name today. He even let me call him Daddy."

"Does he not hate me as much anymore"

I sat on the edge of her bed and gently wiped her tears. I choked back a sob, not knowing how to explain the cruel truth.

My daughter was five years old, but it wasn't until last year that Lucien finally gave her an official name.

He named her Summer. It was a beautiful name, and he had clearly put thought into it.

The tragedy was that her name was a forbidden word in our house.

It was a secret taboo because his first love, the woman who got away, was named Sommer.

Last year, our daughter had a high fever in the middle of the night. I couldn't get an Uber, so I begged him to drive us to the hospital.

When he heard the name "Summer" associated with a fever, he stood up in a panicked rush.

But the moment he realized I was talking about our daughter and not his precious Sommer, he sat back down with total indifference.

I had to carry our daughter through the freezing wind for an hour before we finally reached the ER.

All he did was send a cold text afterward.

"From now on, no one in this house is allowed to call her Summer."

Last month, my daughter brought home an award from preschool and proudly showed it to Lucien.

He took one look at it, his brow furrowing. Then, he ripped the certificate into pieces and threw them in her face.

She cried the whole night.

I stayed up to tape the pieces back together, and that's when I saw why he did it.

The teacher had written: "Congratulations to little Summer for winning first place in the art contest."

From that day on, my daughter understood that her father hated her. She became quiet and walked on eggshells around him.

I finally saw that my five years of effort had been for nothing.

Thinking about it now, my tears began to fall.

"Sweetie, the person Daddy loves is back. We have to be good girls and move out of the way."

My daughter lunged into my arms and gave me a tiny, hesitant kiss.

"Daddy hugged me today. It must be because I've been working so hard to be good, right"

"If I'm even better, can we stay I don't want to..."

Her voice trailed off until it was barely a whisper.

I knew what she wanted to say. She didn't want to lose her father.

What child doesn't crave a father's love What child wants to be abandoned by their own parent

I held her tight, my fingers shaking uncontrollably.

She didn't know that her name was just a symbol of Lucien's deep, bone-deep obsession with another woman.

She didn't know that the only reason he hugged her and called her name was because the real "Sommer" was finally coming back to him.

I couldn't bring myself to crush her tiny spark of hope. I had to swallow the pain that felt like a knife in my chest and maintain the fragile illusion.

I forced myself to stop crying and cupped her face.

"My baby is the best girl in the world. But the house is going to be too crowded, okay We have to leave."

Her eyelashes fluttered, and she looked down, looking utterly defeated.

"There are so many guest rooms... If there's no space, I can sleep in the basement..."

I bit my lip so hard I tasted blood. My nails dug into my palms.

The house had plenty of room, but Lucien's heart had never held a single inch of space for us.

"Honey, Daddy doesn't like it when the house is too full..."

"Will you come with Mommy"

My daughter curled up in my arms and stared silently toward the direction of Lucien's study.

I closed my eyes and let out a long, weary sigh.

"I'll let you try three more times. If he still doesn't love us after three tries, we have to go. Deal"

A little bit of light finally returned to her eyes, and she nodded seriously.

"Deal"

Those would be the last three chances I'd ever give Lucien Blackwood.

After those three attempts at closeness, we would be gone forever.

02.

The next morning, the sound of Lucien leaving woke me before dawn.

Today was the day his first love was flying back to the States. He couldn't wait to go pick her up.

They were childhood sweethearts. Their families had basically arranged their marriage since they were kids.

But after college, Sommer insisted on going to London to study, and she cut off all contact with him.

Lucien had flown to the UK and searched for her for three months, only to find her leaning happily against another man in a chapel, swearing her life to someone else.

He came back and drowned his sorrows in a dive bar, eventually passing out on the sidewalk.

I was the one who found him and took him to the hospital. When he woke up, he offered me ten million dollars to marry him.

I needed the money for my mother's medical bills, so I agreed. I didn't realize our marriage was just a weapon he used to spite Sommer.

Even after we had a child, he remained as cold as ice. He wouldn't even pick out a name for the baby.

Years of this had destroyed every ounce of hope I ever had for him.

I wasn't as naive as my daughter. I knew there was no place for us in Lucien's life.

After dropping her off at preschool, I went to the principal's office to submit her withdrawal papers.

I tried to stay composed while saying my goodbyes, but before I could even leave the building, I ran into Lucien and Sommer.

He was looking at her with such intense focus. He was showing her the school's facilities, his voice dripping with a tenderness I had never heard.

"This place is great. I'm a major donor here. If your son enrolls, there won't be any issues."

Lucien stiffened the moment he spotted me.

His gaze instantly turned cold, a thick layer of frost coating his expression. It was a warning. He was telling me to keep my mouth shut and stay away from Sommer.

For a second, it felt like someone had grabbed my heart and twisted it.

I was his legal wife, yet I was expected to act like a ghost in front of the woman he actually loved.

Once he saw that I was staying quiet and moving away, he relaxed.

He reached out and gently took Sommer's hand. Even as they brushed past me, I could see the overwhelming adoration in his eyes.

They walked further into the hallway just as the school bell rang for recess.

Lucien actually knelt on the floor to tie Sommer's shoelace. He was so meticulous, so devoted.

I realized my daughter was about to come around the corner and see them. I turned around, desperate to stop her.

I could handle Lucien not loving me. But I couldn't stand the thought of my daughter seeing her father being that gentle with someone else.

I was also terrified of what he would do if she approached him in front of Sommer. He would be furious.

But before I could move, my daughter's small figure appeared at the end of the hall.

She froze. The excitement on her face crumbled into a look of pure heartbreak. She opened her mouth to call for her dad, but the sound died in her throat.

She probably never imagined that her distant, untouchable father could ever look that kind.

When Lucien finally looked up, he noticed her standing there. He hesitated for a fraction of a second.

But it was only a moment. He stood up and pulled Sommer close, using his body to shield Sommer from the sight of our daughter. He didn't give the poor girl a second glance.

I rushed over to pick her up, trying to comfort her. But then I heard her whisper.

"Mommy, Daddy likes that lady. Is she... is she Daddy's Sommer"

I shook my head, lacking the courage to explain any further.

My daughter found the answer in my silence. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a small paper flower she had made. With tears streaming down her face, she tossed it into a nearby trash can.

I held her and sobbed quietly.

Lucien, you have two chances left. Then you lose us forever.

03

At dinner, my daughter sat miserably at the table. She couldn't eat a single bite.

I asked her if she wanted anything special, and after a long silence, she finally spoke.

"Mommy, I know Daddy is busy. But tomorrow is my birthday... can we ask him to come home for it"

She looked up at me with a rare flicker of hope. Even after what she saw today, she was still holding onto her father.

"Okay. I'll ask him," I said. I waited a moment before dialing the number I knew by heart.

When he picked up, I kept my voice small. I mentioned the birthday and begged him to show up. He was silent for a few seconds before answering.

"Fine."

As soon as I hung up, my daughter's face lit up. The gloom from earlier seemed to vanish instantly.

She started excitedly planning her birthday, talking about which dress she'd wear and what kind of cake we'd have.

Seeing her smile made me feel a little better, though I was still incredibly anxious. I didn't want to ruin her temporary happiness.

The next day, we worked together to hang streamers and balloons. The cake arrived early.

But as the hours ticked by, Lucien was a no-show.

My daughter's face went from excited to worried, and then to total disappointment. I picked up my phone to call him and remind him of his promise.

But before I could hit dial, a breaking news notification popped up on my screen.

"Blackwood CEO's Secret Family Revealed"

The photo showed Lucien holding Sommer's hand with one arm and her son with the other. He was smiling, looking completely at peace. It was a picture-perfect image of a happy family at an amusement park.

In that instant, all the strength left my body. My phone slipped from my hand and hit the floor. I felt like I was choking.

I couldn't bring myself to tell her that Lucien was busy playing dad to another man's kid.

But she saw the look on my face. She knew he wasn't coming.

She walked slowly to the table and stared at the unlit birthday candles. The light in her eyes was gone.

"Mommy, I don't want cake anymore."

Her voice was as thin as a breeze.

My heart felt like it was being ripped in half, but I had to be strong for her.

I pulled her into my arms and spoke with a grim finality.

"Baby, it's not because of you. It's because Daddy doesn't know how to treasure what he has."

Lucien, you're down to your last chance.

04

Lucien didn't come home the entire weekend.

On Monday, I took my daughter to preschool for the last time. They were having a parent-child field day.

Since we were both feeling low, we only signed up for the simplest eventDthe three-legged race.

As we got ready, I saw a familiar figure. My daughter's eyes instantly sparkled.

Lucien walked toward us carrying a beautifully wrapped box. He handed it to her while she looked up at him with wide, hopeful eyes.

"I was busy the other day and missed your birthday. This is to make up for it."

My daughter beamed as she took the gift.

"Thank you, Daddy"

Lucien frowned, and I noticed the cold distance in his eyes hadn't changed at all.

"I'm glad you like it. But during the games today, I need you to pretend you don't know me."

At that moment, the last ember of hope in my heart was snuffed out.

My daughter froze. She gave a small, obedient nod, but the light in her eyes died completely.

The races began. Sure enough, Lucien stepped onto the field with Sommer's son, Leo.

My daughter and I had always been close. Even without practicing, we moved in perfect sync and easily won the race.

Lucien's team, despite his athleticism, was clunky and awkward. They only managed to take second place.

During the award ceremony, Leo suddenly lost it. He lunged forward and shoved my daughter hard, knocking her to the ground.

"How dare you take my first place medal" he screamed.

My daughter hit the pavement and burst into tears. Her forehead was scraped and bleeding. The entire crowd gasped.

Leo realized he'd messed up and immediately ran to hide behind Sommer.

Lucien started to rush over to pick up our daughter and take her to the infirmary.

But Leo began to wail and tug at Sommer's clothes.

"Mommy, I got in trouble What do I do"

Lucien saw Sommer looking helpless and overwhelmed. He hesitated for a second, then turned his back on our bleeding daughter to comfort Leo.

"It's okay, buddy. It's no big deal. Daddy Lucien will fix it."

I stood up, shaking with rage. I wanted to scream and expose him right then and there. But my daughter just looked up at me, wiped her tears, and took my hand.

"Mommy, let's go," she said softly.

It was the first time she had ever been the one to suggest leaving.

I led her toward the exit. Just as we reached the gate, I heard Lucien's voice behind us.

"Summer..."

He whispered it, afraid someone might overhear and connect the dots.

My daughter paused. she turned her head and looked at him with an eerie calmness.

"I'm fine, sir."

Lucien went silent and just nodded, watching us walk away.

He had no idea he had just used up his final chance.

That night, I left the signed divorce papers on his desk and took my daughter out of the city forever.

This time, she didn't look back for her father.