Mom, Don't Cry! Here comes a new Daddy! novel Chapter 53

< Chapter 38 2

+25 Points

Chapter 38-2

“She manipulated Jake into humiliating me online-”

“Jake did that on his own! Because he watched you break his mother’s heart!” Parker’s voice echoes off the walls. “You think he doesn’t understand what you did? You think he didn’t notice you favoring Jessica over his mom? Kids aren’t stupid, Dustin. They see everything.”

The words hit harder than they should.

I think about Jake on the phone, crying, telling me I’m a bad daddy. Telling me he hates me.

I think about the videos he posted, asking strangers to be his new father because I wasn’t good

enough.

My hands curl into fists.

“Jake will understand when he’s older,” I say. “He’ll understand I did this for his own good.”

“And if he doesn’t? He’s going to hate you for it. And you’ll deserve it.” Parker shakes his head. “I’m warning you, man. Don’t do this. Drop the custody case. Work out shared custody like adults or something. Don’t make this issue uglier than it already is.”

“I can’t drop it. Not now. Not with everything that’s happened.”

“Why? Because you’re embarrassed the internet sees you as an asshole?” Parker’s laugh is bitter. “News flash-they’re right. You are an asshole, if you didn’t already know, Dustin. And the longer you keep this up, the worse it’s going to get.”

“Parker, that’s enough.” Jessica’s voice cuts through the tension. “Dustin knows what he’s doing.”

“Does he? Because it looks to me like he’s about to make the biggest mistake of his life.” Parker looks at me one more time. “Last warning. Don’t go through with this. You’ll regret it.”

He leaves, slamming the door behind him.

The silence that follows is heavy, oppressive.

“He doesn’t know what he’s talking about,” Jessica says finally. “He’s being emotional. Irrational.”

“Maybe.”

But Parker’s words keep echoing in my head.

Double-standard bastard.

Karma is going to hit you.

LOLG

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O

< Chapter 38-2

Jake will hate you for it.

+25 Points

I move back to the window. Sabrina and her. date are standing now, preparing to leave. The man helps her with her coat, his hand lingering on her shoulder.

The gesture is protective. Tender. Everything I never was.

Why did I never try to get close to Sabrina?

Why did I never see her as someone worth protecting?

She clearly loved me, and was ready to do anything for me. So why didn’t I forget Jessica and fall in

love with her?

I don’t have an answer, and that realization sits heavy in my chest.

“Stop second-guessing yourself,” Jessica says, reading my expression. “You made your choice. Sabrina made hers. Now we follow through.”

“Right.” I pull out my phone, scrolling through the photos I took. “Wednesday, we go to court. We show the judge all the evidence. The videos. The social media posts. These photos of her with another man when she should be focused on Jake. It will be more than enough for me to win Jake’s custody.”

I pocket my phone and turn away from the window.

“Let’s go over the court strategy again,” I say to Jessica. “I want to make sure we’re prepared for anything Sabrina’s lawyer might throw at us.”

Jessica nods, pulling out her tablet.

And I ignore the sick feeling in my stomach that tells me I’m making a terrible mistake.

Because winning is all that matters now.

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