The Unwanted Wife's Return (Ex-Husband Wants Me Back) novel Chapter 349

Please Ask Daddy 

MARY’S POV: 

Alistair’s head snapped toward me. 

“I said apologize to her.” His voice was ice. “Right now.” 

I stared at him. 

At the man kneeling on the floor beside another woman. At the man who had missed his daughter’s birthday. At the man who had left me in a jail cell overnight. At the man who had just asked me to apologize for something hadn’t done. 

“Right now, Mary,” he repeated. His voice rose, filling the room. “Apologize.” 

I didn’t even bother responding. 

There were no words left. No arguments left. No tears left. I had spent them all, every single one and won’t anymore. 

I turned around and walked into the house. The door closed behind me with a solid click, shutting out the cold air and the lamplight and the sound of Vesper’s soft, practiced whimpers. 

The foyer was dark. The living room was dark. The whole house felt empty, hollowed out, as if someone had scooped out the insides and left nothing but the shell. 

Behind me, I heard footsteps on the porch. Then knocking. Loud and insistent, Alistair’s fist pounding against the wood. 

“Mary! Open the door!” 

I walked to the security panel. 

The small screen glowed blue in the darkness, casting pale light across my fingers. The list of authorized fingerprints scrolled down the display. Alistair’s name. Vesper’s name. My name. Elowen’s name, even though she was too young to reach the panel. 

I touched the screen. 

Alistair’s name vanished. The system beeped once, confirming the change. 

I touched it again. 

Vesper’s name vanished. Another beep. 

Behind me, the knocking grew louder. “Mary, I swear to God, if you don’t open this door-” 

I turned away from the panel and walked upstairs. 

“My teacher said there’s going to be a parent-child event at school,” she said finally. “Next week. On Friday. She said it’s best if both parents come.” She paused, her eyes searching mine. “I know you’ll be there. You always are. But… do you think Daddy can come this time?” 

The question pierced my chest like a needle. 

I felt it slide between my ribs, sharp and cold, settling somewhere deep in the hollow space where my heart used to be. I had been expecting this question. I had been dreading it. But knowing it was coming didn’t make it hurt any less. 

No matter what had happened between Alistair and me, he was still her father. He should be fulfilling his responsibilities. He should be showing up for the small moments, the ordinary ones, the school events and bedtime stories and Saturday morning pancakes. He should be there for the things that mattered. 

It was something he owed his daughter. 

I forced a smile onto my face. It felt wrong, stretched too thin, like a mask that didn’t quite fit. I reached out and gently stroked her hair, tucking a damp curl behind her ear. 

“I’ll do my best to make it happen,” I promised. “I’ll talk to Daddy and see what we can work out. But if he’s busy that day, you know Mommy will definitely be there, right? I’ll be there. No matter what.” 

Elowen nodded. 

She smiled, too, but the smile didn’t reach her eyes. I could see the disappointment in them, the quiet resignation of a child who had learned, far too young, not to expect too much from the people she loved. 

“Okay, Mommy,” she said.