“It’s so great! Ms. Johnson came to see
Mommy again! She’s always so happy when
he’s here. She won’t yell at me today. I
wonder if Ms. Johnson will sleep over again…”
I stared at Lily, then frantically tried to explain
<
to Mark that Lily was lying.
But Lily just looked up at Mark, all innocent.
“Daddy, I don’t know how to lie. I just said
what I saw.”
Mark lost it.
“She’s four! She doesn’t even know how to
lie! You don’t deserve to be a mom. You’d
throw your own daughter under the bus to
cover your affair!”
I was left with broken ribs and a divorce.
In court, I was desperate to keep Lily, to
teach her right from wrong.
She got down on her knees, begging Mark to
୮
“I don’t want to wear those weird clothes for
those creepy guys anymore. I want to live
with Daddy, so I can study. I don’t want
Mommy to hurt me anymore. Please, help
me!”
I was stunned. Before I could say anything,
|
my mother–in–law snatched my phone and
showed it to the judge.
It was full of pictures of Lily in revealing
outfits, and a bunch of weird payments from
strangers.
“Sarah! Lily is your daughter! How could you
do this? She’s not even five years old. You’ve
ruined her!”
I never got a second hearing. A mob of moms
く
and child safety advocates cornered me at
the hospital, choked me to death.
As I died, I saw Lily, safe in Mark’s arms, with
a twisted, satisfied smile on her face.
I couldn’t understand. Why would my sweet,
helpful, little girl lie like this?
Now I’m back. If I make different choices, can
I stop it from happening again?
I gave Ms. Johnson a weak smile.
“I don’t know about Buster eating it, but Lily
hasn’t been feeling well. Could we push back
the homework for a few days, Ms. Johnson?”
Ms. Johnson nodded, didn’t push it.
I looked at Lily. She was smiling at me, all
sweetness. Not a trace of the darkness I saw
the first time.
I sighed. Maybe she was just being a kid. Maybe I pushed her too hard last time.
She’s just a little girl. If I talk to her, we can nip this lying thing in the bud.
I stood up, walked Lily to the door to see Ms. Johnson out, and then Mark punched Ms. Johnson in the face, and dragged him inside.
“Sneaking around with my wife? I’m going to kill you, you punk! If my daughter hadn’t told me, I’d be wearing horns for the rest of my life!”
I froze o
I froze. So, even when I tried to give her what
she wanted, she still lied.
The same message popped up in the family
group chat. Lily’s voice was more pitiful than
before.
“Mommy tells me to call Ms. Johnson ‘Daddy.‘
I don’t want to, but Mommy will yell.”
When she saw Mark, Lily ran up to him,
sobbing.
“Daddy, you’re home! Mommy and Ms.
Johnson were yelling at me! I didn’t think I’d
see you again!”
Ms. Johnson was dazed from the punch,
looked at Lily in shock.
Г
“Lily, I was here to check your homework.
Why are you lying?”
Lily just kept crying.
“Why is Ms. Johnson always coming to our
house? I’m so scared…”
Mark was furious.
“She’s four! How can she lie? You two
lowlifes, trying to blame Lily. How much has
she been through because of you two?”
Mark went to the garage, grabbed his golf
club, and threatened us with it.
Lily, for some reason, started shaking.
=
“Mommy hits me in the head with that. It
really hurts. I almost died…”
I stared at the club. It was covered in dust. No
one had touched it in years.
Mark wasn’t thinking anymore. He was
swinging the club at us.
Just as I was about to get a fractured skull, I
grabbed a chair, blocked the blow, and
screamed.
“Stop! I have a witness who can prove Lily’s
lying!”
Mark gripped the club, shaking, but he didn’t
swing again.
“I work 9-5. My mom watches her. You think
L
I’m lying? Go ask her! I’m asking my mother if
I hit my child!”
