When Dani and Nathan met while still at high-school, they both felt they were meant for each other. After a couple of years, they tied the knot and looked forward to a happy life together. However, just two years into their marriage, Nathan changed.

Dani was unaware if that change had to do anything with the two welcoming a baby girl into their lives. At the end of the day, Nathan was a great dad, so that was probably not the reason why he criticized Dani so much.

He started disliking her appearance and told her to take more care of the way she looked. “You’ve just let yourself go, Dani,” he said. “Always in those frumpy clothes. Do you think that you’ll keep the spark alive like that?”

He also accused her of not being the best mother although she worked from home and spent a lot of time with little Ellie.

“You’re always behind that computer screen. Do you even give Ellie enough attention? It doesn’t seem like it. She’s always alone when I come home from work.”

One day, Nathan told Dani that he got a job opportunity and that they needed to move. Since Ellie was in first grade and she worked from home, Dani was fine with the decision to change cities. Maybe the change would affect their marriage positively, she secretly hoped.

Ellie got enrolled at a new school, but as days passed by, Dani noticed her girl started coming home upset. One day, she even found her crying in her room.

“Honey, what happened?” Dani asked, worried.

“I don’t want Miss Allen to be my mother! I want you to be my mother!” Ellie sobbed.

A chill ran through Dani. Miss Allen was Ellie’s teacher.
“Why would she become your mother?” she asked.

With tears rolling down her face, Ellie started sharing with her mother what she had heard the previous days, and as words started coming out of her mouth, she felt as the weight that rested on her shoulders was getting lighter and lighter.

“Yesterday, when Dad picked me from school, Miss Allen told me to wait by the door while she spoke to Dad. I didn’t hear everything, but I did hear her saying that she’ll be a better mom to me… Dad laughed when she said that.”

Nathan was having an affair.

That evening, after making sure that Ellie was asleep, Dani poured Nathan a drink.

“So,” she began. “Miss Allen seems really good with Ellie.”

“Really?” he asked, his eyes lighting up. “I knew Ellie liked her…”

“Enough for Miss Allen to be her new mom?” Dani asked. “What’s going on, and don’t you dare lie to me.”

Nathan looked at the floor, ashamed to raise his head. But he confessed he was seeing his daughter’s teacher. They started the affair shortly after they met. But that wasn’t all. Back where they used to live, he was having an affair with another woman who suddenly started expecting more of him than being his mistress and that was why he decided to change jobs and move places.

At that moment, Dani knew her marriage was over.
In the days that followed, she transferred Ellie to another school because she needed to be protected and cherished, not be caught in the middle of her father’s extramarital affairs.