"That's why I'm telling you now that I won't interfere in your affairs anymore. Let's get a divorce, Stacy," I said.
Just then, Tammy piped up and said, "You're both divorcing, I'm not going with Daddy."
I looked at her and smiled slightly, a hint of sarcasm in my voice.
"Have I ever said that I'd want custody of you? I wouldn't want you even if you chose to come with me."
"That's enough!" Stacy exclaimed sternly in my face. "Stop throwing a fuss like this, Allen Gilbert! My patience has its limit too."
Then, she turned and went back into her study.
I sat quietly in place, waiting for my emotions to settle before calmly applying the topical medication to my flared-up skin.
Tammy glanced at the horrible red rash on my skin and expressed her disgust. "Eww."
Then, she walked right past me coldly.
I looked at her figure going up the stairs and felt the irony.
So, this was the wife I'd loved dearly, and the daughter I'd raised lovingly, for years.
Early the next morning, I left the villa and returned to my parents' home instead. They were still living in my childhood home.
I remembered how I'd brought Tammy home with me once to meet her grandparents. She circled their house and said in a cold voice, "You're lucky that Mommy even fell in love with someone as poor as you."
I just assumed that she'd been too young to know right from wrong back then and speaking her mind without a filter. But now that I thought of it, I realized that she had already changed a long time ago under Stacy's influence.
After all, she was still in love with her first love and often spoke ill of me. So, Tammy eventually began treating me with the same contempt her mother treated me with and thought that I was a failure of a man.
I stood at the door to my parents' home, raising and dropping my hand a few times as I hesitated to knock on their door.
It was Thanksgiving yesterday, and when Mom called me to check in on me, I lied to her, saying that I was celebrating with Stacy and Tammy at home.
"Allen?"
A familiar voice sounded from behind me. I looked back and saw Dad behind me with bags of groceries in his hands.
He was a little stunned at first when he saw me. However, he quickly broke into a surprised grin and exclaimed, "Why'd you come back all of a sudden? You never told us you were going to drop by to visit!
"And what are you doing here, still standing at the door? Hurry up and go in!"
He then opened the door and pulled me into the house.
The long-forgotten warmth enveloped me once again, and I could feel it warming up my frozen heart.
Mom walked up to me with a smile.
"Your dad was just complaining to me yesterday that he hadn't seen you in a long while. It's good that you're back now, though. We can make it up for yesterday's Thanksgiving!
"You used to always love your dad's meatloaf. You haven't had it in a while, right? I'm sure your dad would be more than happy to make it today!"
Of course, I remembered. Dad even once made his signature meatloaf for Tammy back then.
It was a well-loved dish that I had always loved and been extremely proud of. However, Tammy had just taken a small bite of it before making a disgusted face and saying that it was tasteless and she hated it.
I told her then that it was rude to criticize food that was lovingly made for her. She reluctantly apologized after that, but she also rarely ever came back to visit Mom and Dad anymore. In fact, she often dismissed the idea of having family dinners with them after that incident.
…
I stayed at my parents' place for a few days before finally returning to the villa where Stacy and I lived.
However, I noticed that we had a guest as soon as I pushed open the door.
Stacy's first love, Devin Fisher, was sitting with Tammy at the table, focusing intently on the game of chess between them.
Meanwhile, Stacy was holding a mug of coffee while standing next to them with a smile on her face.
They looked so warm and picture perfect, like they were the ones who were a true family of three, while I was just the extra that didn't make sense in their narrative.
My appearance shattered the beautiful moment between them.
The smiles on their faces disappeared at once, and I could feel the tension in the air rising.
Stacy was the first one to break the silence. She scoffed coldly. "I thought you weren't coming back anymore."
Tammy also glared coldly at me.
Devin, on the other hand, looked a little awkward and uneasy. He began explaining himself.
"Hey, Allen. I'm just here for a game of chess with Tammy…"
