Chapter 3 - Digging Up the Past
Finding Daniel wasn’t as difficult as I initially feared. Men like him—narcissistic, proud, and creatures of habit—rarely reinvent themselves entirely; they just upgrade their props.
Within an hour of putting the kids to bed, while Michael washed the remaining frosting off the cake plates, I sat at the dining room table with my laptop glowing in the dark. Public records, property taxes, and a few old professional networking profiles from his industry painted a very clear, very lucrative picture.
Daniel Mercer was no longer the mid-level corporate drone who drove a beat-up sedan and hid receipts in his glove box. According to recent filings, he was now a senior vice president at a regional logistics firm, living in an upscale gated community on the north side of the city—a sprawling, four-bedroom colonial with manicured lawns and a brand-new luxury SUV in the driveway.
Yet, despite the high-end address and the executive title, his son—a sixteen-year-old boy—was working part-time to help pay the household bills.
The contradiction made my stomach turn.
“Look at this,” I muttered, turning the screen toward Michael as he walked in with a mug of coffee.
Michael leaned over my shoulder, his eyes scanning the corporate bio and the property valuation. “A VP at Apex Logistics. That place pulls in eight figures a year easily. He’s making well into the six figures.”
“And yet he told a sixteen-year-old kid that his deadbeat mother—me—needs to pay his school fees,” I said, my voice dropping dangerously low. “Daniel hasn’t changed a bit. He’s just gotten better at hiding his greed behind a veneer of respectability.”
“So what’s the play?” Michael asked, setting his coffee mug down. “Are you calling him?”
“No,” I said, closing the laptop with a soft snap. “Calling him gives him the chance to spin another lie, to gaslight, to control the narrative. Daniel only understands leverage when it’s staring him in the face.”
“You’re going to his house,” Michael stated, not asking a question.
“I am. Tomorrow afternoon, while Kevin is at school and Daniel is likely working from home or prepping for an executive meeting. I want to see the castle he built on a foundation of lies.”
“You’re not going alone,” Michael said instantly.
“I can handle Daniel.”
“I know you can,” Michael replied, his voice softening as he placed a hand over mine. “You’re the strongest person I know. But this isn’t just about Daniel anymore. It’s about protecting our peace, and honestly? Helping that kid see the truth before his father ruins his entire future.”
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I looked into Michael’s steady eyes and felt a wave of profound gratitude. Fourteen years ago, I thought I was broken beyond repair. I thought love was just a trap set by charming liars. Meeting Michael had taught me otherwise.
“Okay,” I whispered. “We go together.”
