When my ex-husband suddenly said he wanted to reconnect with our daughter, I thought maybe he was finally ready to be the father she deserved. I could never have imagined the real reason behind his sudden interest. The truth made my blood boil.
Being a single mom to a five-year-old isn’t as easy as it sounds. I’ve been doing this alone since the day my ex-husband, Leo, decided he wanted to live with the woman he’d been having an affair with.
Leo left me almost three years ago, when Lily was just two years old and I needed a partner who could stand with me while I cared for our little girl.
But no, the man I trusted the most decided to leave me and go live with another woman just a few blocks away.
Honestly, I didn’t stop him or beg him not to leave me. My pride wouldn’t let me. But as Lily grew up, she started asking questions that broke my heart.
Questions like “Why doesn’t Daddy come see me?” and “Does Daddy not love me anymore?” Every time she asked, I felt like a piece of my heart was being ripped out.
I tried my best to give Lily everything she needed. I worked double shifts at the hospital where I’m a nurse, just to make sure she had nice clothes and could go to a good daycare.
But seeing other kids at school talking about their fathers made her feel left out. She’d come home and tell me how she wished Daddy would be there for her school plays or to read her bedtime stories.
That’s when I swallowed my pride and decided to call him.
I told him about her feelings, about how she sometimes cried at night, asking for her daddy. I begged him to be present for our little girl and to at least try to be the father she deserved.
“Leo, she misses you,” I said during that phone call. “She asks about you every day. Can’t you just visit her sometimes?”
“I’m busy, Stacey,” he replied coldly. “I’m building a new life now. You’ll figure it out.”
He didn’t show up at her birthdays or special events. Not even when she got her first bicycle or when she lost her first tooth. I guess he was too busy with the new woman in his life, planning their perfect future together.
This was how everything was until last week.
It was a regular Friday morning when I saw his name flash on my phone screen. I almost didn’t answer it.
But something made me pick up.
“Stacey, I’ve been thinking a lot,” he said. “I’ve been ashamed of myself. I want to reconnect with our daughter.”
My heart skipped a beat. After three years of silence, he wanted back in?
“Can I take her for the weekend? Just us,” he continued. “I want to show her how much she means to me. I want to show her she still has her dad. I… uh, I made a mistake, and I want to fix it.”
My heart cracked open a little.
Lily had been so quiet lately.
She’d stopped asking about her daddy, which somehow felt worse than when she used to cry about him. I thought maybe this could be good for her.
“Are you serious about this, Leo?” I asked. “Because if you hurt her again, I swear—”
“I’m serious,” he interrupted. “I promise. This is about her, not us.”
I said yes. Because no matter how much I hated what he did to me, I would never get in the way of her having a relationship with her dad.
Every child deserves to know their father loves them.
So, I packed her little unicorn backpack with pajamas, snacks, her favorite teddy bear, and a pink dress she loved.
I gave her the biggest hug and told her Daddy was going to spend the whole weekend with her, just like he promised.
“Really, Mommy?” she asked.
“Really, baby girl,” I said, kissing her forehead.
We agreed he’d bring her back Sunday at 5 p.m. sharp.
As I watched them drive away, I hoped I’d made the right decision. I hoped I wouldn’t have to regret sending her with him.
On Saturday, he sent pictures of Lily at the park, giggling on a carousel and clapping at a kid-friendly theater. She was smiling in every single photo, and it looked like everything he said he’d do was actually happening.
I was happy. I thought maybe he’s finally realized what he’d lost when he walked away from us.
But then came Sunday.
I was waiting at home, cleaning up and getting ready for Lily’s return, when my sister called me.
“Stacey, how could you allow this?” she said. “Have you seen what your ex did to Lily?”
“Allow what?” I asked, confused. “He promised daughter-dad time at an amusement park, ice cream, all that stuff. Lily really misses him, and I thought—”
“Oh God, he lied to you,” she said, her voice softening with shock. “Oh my god. I thought you knew. I’ve just seen him on Instagram.”
My heart started pounding. “What are you talking about?”
“I’m sending you a photo right now,” she said.
My phone buzzed. It was a screenshot from an Instagram account I didn’t recognize. But I recognized the people in it immediately.
There they were. Leo and his mistress-turned-girlfriend, Rachel, in full wedding attire.
And right between them, holding a small bouquet and wearing a frilly white dress I’d never seen before, was my daughter.
My innocent Lily, looking completely lost and confused.
This is why Leo wanted to take Lily with him for the weekend. He was tying the knot with Rachel, and they wanted to use Lily as their flower girl. How could they do this without even telling me?
The captions were all hashtags and fake sweetness. #OurDay #FamilyComplete #MyPrincess #FlowerGirl #BlessedFamily”
Fuming with anger, I immediately called Leo, but it went straight to voicemail.
I called again, but no answer.
I looked at the photos again and recognized the venue in the background.
It was a local estate with a huge glass gazebo that I’d driven past a hundred times. They were probably still there, celebrating their perfect day with my daughter as their unwitting prop.
So, I grabbed my keys and drove straight there.
My heart was racing the entire time while a million questions popped up in my mind.
How could he do this to her? How could he lie to both of us like this?
The 20-minute drive felt like hours.
Lily’s confused face kept coming to my mind. My little girl had no idea she was being used. She just thought Daddy wanted to spend time with her.
Once I reached the venue, I found them at the edge of the reception area. The bride was laughing with her friends, showing off her ring and posing for more photos.
Meanwhile, Leo was sipping champagne like nothing had happened, like he hadn’t just betrayed his daughter.
I stormed through the crowd of guests, past the shocked faces and whispered conversations. I didn’t care about making a scene.
I only cared about finding Lily.
She was sitting on a bench in the corner, still in her flower girl dress, hugging her teddy bear and looking like she wanted to disappear. When she saw me, her whole face lit up with relief.
“Mommy, can we go home now?” she whispered, reaching her arms up to me.
I scooped her up immediately, holding her tight against my chest. “Yes, baby. We’re going home right now.”
That’s when Rachel rushed over, still wearing her fake smile.
“Wait!” she said. “We didn’t get the family photo yet!”
Family photo, I thought. Yeah, right.
I looked straight into her eyes.
“You used my daughter as a prop for your Instagram wedding,” I said, my voice shaking with rage. “She’s not your flower girl. She’s a child. And she had no idea why she was here.”
Rachel rolled her eyes.
“Well, she looked cute,” she said. “I needed a little girl as a flower girl for the photos. And it’s not like we have one of our own… yet.”
I was about to explode. I wanted to say things I would’ve regretted later, but that moment never came.
One of Rachel’s bridesmaids, Sarah, stepped forward. I didn’t know that woman, but she looked seriously disgusted by what she’d just heard.
“She planned this whole thing,” Sarah announced. “Rachel told us she needed a flower girl for the pictures, and that she’d get Leo to ‘borrow his kid’ and make it happen. She literally said, ‘Her mom will fall for it. Just tell her it’s a daddy-daughter weekend.'”
That’s when all eyes shifted to Rachel.
“Oh, Sarah’s just jealous,” she said with a fake laugh. “She just wants to ruin my day.”
But it was too late. People were already looking at Rachel and Leo with judgment in their eyes.
One of the groomsmen, Leo’s cousin, turned to me and said, “I’m so sorry, Stacey. I had no idea they were lying to you.”
I nodded, too drained to speak. What was there left to say?
I had seen enough. These people didn’t deserve another second of my time, and my daughter certainly didn’t deserve to be in the middle of it.
Without a word, I picked Lily up and walked straight out of that place. I didn’t look back.
By Monday morning, half the bride’s side had unfollowed her on social media. She even took the wedding photos down from Instagram.
Honestly, I wasn’t surprised. This is what you get when you use someone else’s child as a prop for your wedding photos.
Looking back, I’m just grateful my sister called me that day. If she hadn’t, I wouldn’t have known the truth until it was too late.
Thanks to her, I was able to bring Lily home safely.
And Leo? He’s not getting a chance to be near my daughter anytime soon. Not until he learns what it means to be a father.
