Mom, Don't Cry! Here comes a new Daddy! novel Chapter 38

Chapter 28-2

Chapter 28-2

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Dustin saw it. That’s why he felt comfortable cheating-he knew I’d never leave. And if I did, he

must’ve felt I didn’t have the courage to stand against him.

Jessica saw it. That’s why she fired me without hesitation-she knew I wouldn’t fight back.

Sophia saw it. That’s why she felt the need to set me up with someone-she didn’t think I could find

happiness on my own.

Even Jake saw it. My own son thinks his mom is too broken to function without help.

The realization makes me want to drive off a cliff.

Instead, I pull into Sophia’s parking garage and sit in my car for twenty minutes, trying to compose

myself.

By the time I take the elevator up to her floor, I’ve made a decision.

Sophia opens the door before I can knock. Her face is red and puffy, her hair a mess. Jake is behind her, clutching Rexy, his eyes wide and frightened.

They returned quick enough. Quicker than me, in fact, considering the fact that I almost lined up at the dock to be the first one off.

Does this mean they anticipated my move?

How smart.

“Sabrina-” Sophia starts.

“I’m getting my things,” I say, my voice flat. “And then Jake and I are leaving.”

“What? No. Where will you go?”

“I’ll figure it out. I should have figured it out weeks ago instead of depending on you.”

“You weren’t depending on me. I offered-”

“You offered because you felt sorry for me. Because you thought I was too pathetic to handle my own problems.” I push past her into the apartment. “Well, I’m done being pathetic. I’m done being the victim everyone needs to save.”

Jake runs up to me, wrapping his arms around my legs. “Mommy, I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to make you sad!”

I kneel down, cupping his face. Tears are streaming down his cheeks, and it breaks something

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inside me to see him cry.

I know, baby. I know you were trying to help.”

“Are you mad at me?”

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“No.” I pull him close, breathing in his little-boy smell. “I’m not mad at you. You’re five years old. You didn’t know better. But Aunt Sophia did. And so did Jason. They should have stopped you instead of supporting you, but neither bothered to do so.”

“But Jason is nice! He makes you smile! Don’t you want to see him again?”

“No, sweetheart. I don’t.”

“But why? He has shiny shoes and nice eyes and he likes art and-”

“Jake.” I pull back, looking into his tear-filled eyes. “I appreciate what you were trying to do. But you

can’t find me a boyfriend. That’s not your job. Your job is to be a kid. To play and learn and not worry about your mom’s love life.”

“But you’re sad all the time.”

The words hit me like a physical blow.

And this is why, isn’t it? The real reason my five-year old is so desperate to find a new daddy. Because his mom is sad.

I thought I masked my emotions quite well. But reality is proving how utterly I’ve failed to hide everything from him.

It seems I really do need to do better.

“I know I’ve been sad. And I’m sorry you’ve had to see that. But I’m going to be okay. We’re going to be okay. Just you and me.”

“You don’t need Jason?”

“No, baby. I don’t need Jason. I don’t need anyone except you.”

Sophia is standing in the doorway, tears streaming down her face. “Sabrina, please. Don’t do this. Don’t shut me out.”

“You should have thought about that before you decided to run my life for me.”

“I wasn’t running your life! I was trying to help!”

“I didn’t ask for help!” My voice rises, and Jake flinches. I take a breath, forcing myself to calm down. “I didn’t ask for any of this, Sophia. Not the cruise. Not the setup with Jason. You just

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decided what I needed and did it without asking if I wanted it.”

“Because you wouldn’t have accepted it if I asked!”

“Exactly! Because I’m an adult who gets to make my own choices!”

“So letting Dustin walk all over you for seven years was a choice? Letting Jessica treat you like crap was a choice? Isolating yourself and refusing to move on was a choice?”

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