Iām so exhausted to notice anything at night!ā Sheād laughed nervously, but I didnāt miss the flicker of concern in her eyes. Thatās when I knew. Something wasnāt adding up.
One night, I decided to follow Dad. I waited until I heard the familiar sound of the door closing. Slowly, I crept out of bed, my bare feet padding against the cool wooden floor.
I peeked through the blinds and saw him walking down the street, his shoulders hunched as if he was trying not to be seen. He didnāt park in our driveway. Instead, his car was two blocks away, hidden under the shadow of a large oak tree.
āWhy would he do that?ā I whispered to myself, my pulse quickening. I slipped on a pair of sneakers, threw on a sweater, and followed him. The night air was cool against my skin, and the quietness of the neighborhood felt deafening.
I stayed far enough behind, darting behind bushes and parked cars whenever he glanced over his shoulder. My heart was pounding so hard it felt like it might burst. Finally, he reached his car.
I stayed crouched behind a mailbox, watching as he pulled out his keys. But then he froze. āMia?ā he said, his voice sharp and cutting through the stillness of the night.
I stepped out of the shadows, my face burning with the shame of being caught. He must have spotted me in the carās side mirror. Or maybe my shadow?
āWhat are you doing out here?ā he asked, frowning. His voice was stern, but his eyes betrayed a flicker of panic. āWhat am I doing?ā I shot back.
āWhat are YOU doing sneaking out in the middle of the night?ā
He ran a hand through his hair, glancing around as if making sure no one else was watching. āMia, go back to bed,ā he said, his tone softening. āNot until you tell me where youāre going,ā I said, crossing my arms.
He sighed, his shoulders slumping. āI was going to your momās grave,ā he said quietly, avoiding my gaze. āAt two in the morning?ā I raised an eyebrow.
āIāve been busy all day, Mia,ā he said. āThis is the only time I can go. Itās⦠peaceful at night.ā His voice cracked just slightly as if he was holding back something heavier.
Something in his tone made me hesitate. It sounded real⦠too real. And my heart wavered.
But something didnāt quite add up. I mean, who goes to a cemetery at TWO IN THE MORNING? āFine,ā I muttered, glancing down at the ground.
āIām going home.ā
āGood,ā he said quickly, climbing into his car. āGo back to bed. And donāt tell Diana.
Letās not get her worried over this, okay?ā
I turned to leave, feeling conflicted. But just as I took a step, a flash of light caught my eye. His carās dashboard lit up, and I saw a text message glowing on the screen:
āIām already waiting, baby.
Where are you!?ā
The blood drained from my face. I felt like Iād been punched in the stomach. WAITING?
BABY? I rushed home, but I didnāt go back to bed. Instead, I grabbed my car keys, my hands trembling as I gripped the steering wheel.
My mind raced with a thousand thoughts, none of them good. The cool night air seeped through the cracked windows as I followed Dadās car, keeping a safe distance. My headlights stayed off, and I trailed him carefully, my heart thudding louder and faster with every turn he made.
After about 20 minutes, he pulled into the parking lot of a fancy hotel downtown. I parked a block away, slouching in my seat as I watched him step out of his car. My legs felt like jelly, and I gripped the door handle, frozen, as he walked toward the entrance.
Then I saw HER. A young woman in a tight red dress stepped out of the lobby. She looked like something out of a magazine ā long legs, perfect hair, and a laugh that echoed too loud in the stillness of the night.
And she wrapped her arms around him. I froze. My stomach painfully twisted like someone had grabbed it and wrung it out.
He hugged her back. This was my dad. The man who had cried over my momās grave.
The man who had begged for my forgiveness, saying heād change. And yet here he was, doing it ALL OVER AGAIN. My chest felt like it was caving in.
My breath came in short, uneven gasps. I watched as he glanced around, his eyes darting nervously. Then he took her hand and led her inside.
I donāt know what possessed me, but I followed them. I stayed a safe distance behind, my sneakers silent on the carpeted floor. My brain screamed at me to stop and go back home, but my feet didnāt listen.
When I reached the corridor outside their room, I heard their voices through the door. āYou look beautiful tonight,ā my dad said, his tone so smooth it made my skin crawl. āStop,ā she said, giggling.
āYouāre just saying that. Where is the diamond necklace you promised, darling?ā
I leaned against the wall, tears streaming silently down my face. My fists clenched at my sides, nails digging into my palms.
This wasnāt just some stranger. This was MY DAD. And he hadnāt learned a damn thing about loyalty.
I was livid. How could he cheat on my stepmom? After EVERYTHING?
No. I wasnāt going to make the same mistake twice. With shaking hands, I pulled out my phone and dialed Diana.
āHey, Mia, whatās wrong?ā she answered, her voice groggy and laced with concern. āCan you come to the Dazzling Stars hotel downtown?ā I said, my voice cracking despite my best efforts to sound calm. āWhat?
Why? Whatās going on? What are you doing thereā¦?
And, oh my God⦠whereās your father? He was here just a while agoā¦ā
I hesitated, my throat tightening. āIāll explain when you get here.
Please, Diana. Just trust me. You need to come.
And DONāT call Dad. Youāll understand why when you get here. Please⦠hurry.ā
She was silent for a moment, and I thought she might hang up.
But then she sighed. āOkay. Iām on my way.ā
I sat in the lobby, my knees pulled to my chest, tears streaking down my face.
My chest heaved as I tried to breathe through the pain. It felt like the walls were closing in on me. When Diana arrived in a taxi, she spotted me immediately.
Her eyes widened as she rushed over and knelt in front of me, her hands gripping my shoulders. āMia, whatās wrong? Youāre scaring me.
What are you doing here?ā she said, her voice trembling. āWhereās your father?ā
I pointed to the elevator, my hand shaking. āRoom 512,ā I choked out.
āHeās up there. With her.ā
Her face went pale. āWho?
What are you saying?ā
āYouāll know what Iām saying. Go to room 512.ā
Her hands dropped to her sides, and for a moment, she just stared at me, her lips parted in disbelief. Without another word, she stood and marched to the elevator, her shoulders squared.
I followed a few paces behind, my legs feeling like lead. When we reached the door, Diana pounded on it so hard the sound echoed down the hallway. The door swung open, and there he was.
Dad. Shirtless, messy, and utterly stunned. His face went white when he saw us.
āD-DIANA?! MIA?!ā he stammered. āWhat are you āā
āSave it,ā Diana snapped, her voice cold and sharp.
āWhat are YOU doing here? And who is⦠SHE??ā
His mistress appeared behind him, her lipstick smeared and her hair slightly disheveled. Dianaās eyes flicked to her, and for a moment, her expression crumbled.
Her lips trembled, her breathing quickened, but she didnāt let the tears fall. āMia told me everything,ā she said, her voice trembling with both anger and pain. āHow could you do this to me?
After everything Iāve done for you? For us?ā
āDiana, I can explain,ā he started, but she held up a hand. āI donāt want to hear it,ā she hissed.
āYouāve already said and done enough. I trusted you. But you broke more than my trust today, David.ā
Itās been a week since that night.
Diana and I moved out the next day. I offered to stay with a friend so she could have some space, but she wouldnāt hear of it. āYouāre the only person I can trust right now, Mia,ā sheād said.
Sheās been incredibly kind to me, even thanking me for telling her the truth. āIt mustāve been so hard for you,ā she said one night, tears brimming in her eyes. āBut you did the right thing.
Iāll never forget that.ā
My dadās been calling and texting nonstop after Diana sent him the divorce papers. Every message is the same: āIām sorry. Please talk to me.
Let me explain. I made a mistake. :(ā
But I havenāt responded.
Some mistakes are so unforgivable and devastating that you can never take them back⦠or forget them. Source: amomama