Read Part 1 here.

I was sitting on the plane, leaning against the window, watching as the world below slowly disappeared under a blanket of clouds. Daniel sat next to me, quiet as always.

“Are you okay?” he finally broke the silence, glancing over at me.

“I don’t know. I guess I will be… eventually.”

My mind drifted back to the note I had left on the kitchen table, the one Jack and the kids would find soon enough.

For the kids, I had written:

“I’m going away for a while. Just a month. Don’t worry, you’ll be fine with Dad. You always have been. I need some time to figure out what I want from life. Please understand. I love you both very much.”

I had to pause before writing Jack’s note. I had no idea how he would react, but I knew it had to be said.

Finally, I wrote:

“Jack, I know about Claire. I’ve known for a while. I can’t stay in a house where I don’t feel valued, where I’m invisible. I need time to think, so please don’t contact me. Let me have this time to decide what’s next for me… for us.”

Daniel’s voice brought me back to the present.

“Do you want to talk about it?”

“Not yet. It’s just… I left everything behind. The kids, the house. Jack.”

“Hey,” he said gently. You need to breathe. You’ve been suffocating for so long.”

I was grateful for his presence. He didn’t push, didn’t try to fix things.

***

As the plane touched down, we stepped out into the warm Florida night. Daniel grabbed my bag and led me to the car.

“Welcome to Florida,” he said with a smile, trying to lighten the mood.

“Feels different already.”

When we pulled up to his house, I stared in awe.

“Daniel… this place is… it’s huge.”

The estate was like something out of a dream, with a pool glistening in the moonlight and the ocean just beyond the terrace.

“Yeah, it’s been my refuge,” Daniel replied, unlocking the front door. “I bought it a few years ago. Thought maybe it could be the fresh start I needed.”

We stepped onto the terrace, and he gestured toward the horizon.

“The ocean… It helps me think.”

I leaned on the railing, taking in the peaceful sound of the waves crashing in the distance.

“It’s beautiful here…”

“We’ll take it one step at a time,” he reassured me.

We sat down on the terrace with lemonade, talking about our past.

“You know, I never really stopped thinking about you, Emily,” Daniel said quietly. “You brought something to my life back then… something I’ve missed.”

I didn’t know how to respond. Part of me wanted to believe him, but another part knew I had too many broken pieces to fix.

“I… I don’t know, Daniel. It’s all a bit much right now.”

“That’s okay,” he said, leaning back in his chair. “We don’t have to figure it all out tonight. Just know that I’m here for you.”

That evening, I felt like I could breathe again. But deep down, I knew that escape was temporary. Reality was waiting for me back home, and sooner or later, I’d have to face it.

***

The sun was barely up when Daniel knocked on my door.

“Hey, how about we start with some tennis before breakfast?”

He held up two rackets, giving me a playful look. I put on a sporty look and followed Daniel out to the garden. His backyard was enormous, with tall trees framing the court.

“Don’t worry,” he said, handing me a racket. “I’ll teach you.”

I tried to follow his instructions, but the ball still flew wildly to the side.

“Not bad for a first shot,” he teased.

I laughed, feeling a little lighter. We spent the next hour playing, mostly with him showing me the ropes while I missed most of my shots. But it was fun.

Afterward, we set up breakfast on the grass. Daniel spread out a blanket and opened a basket packed with sandwiches, fresh fruit, and lemonade.

“You know how to plan a day,” I said, surprised.

Later, we walked along the beach, the sound of the waves calming every nerve. Daniel held my hand, and for the first time in a long while, I didn’t pull away.

“This day,” I said softly, looking at him, “it’s perfect.”

“It’s just the beginning.”

***

The evening had started so beautifully. We were sitting on the terrace, the warm glow of candlelight flickering between us, casting soft shadows on the table.

But suddenly, the air changed. I heard footsteps behind us. A woman and a kid stepped onto the terrace. I froze.

“Daniel!” The woman greeted him cheerfully. “I hope we’re not interrupting.”

Daniel’s face tightened for a brief second, but he quickly masked it with a smile.

“Isabella… Nathan,” he said, standing up and motioning to them.

“Emily, this is my son, Nathan. And… my wife, Isabella.”

I stared at him, my heart pounding in my chest.

His son? His wife?!

Everything in me shut down as I processed the fact that the man sitting across from me, who I’d started to care for deeply again, was married.

“Hi,” I finally answered.

Isabella stepped forward, extending her hand.

“It’s so nice to meet you, Emily. Daniel has told me so much about you.”

Her smile was soft, kind even. But it felt wrong. Completely wrong.

“Likewise,” I said, though I hadn’t heard a single word about her.

We all sat down, and the evening carried on as if nothing had happened. Isabella was kind and welcoming, making small talk, and asking me about my time in Florida.

Nathan, Daniel’s son, chatted easily with his father, completely unaware of the storm brewing inside me.

But I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was deeply wrong.

How could Isabella be so calm? How could Daniel have not told me? What’s going on?

After dinner, Isabella casually approached me with a soft smile.

“So, are things serious between you and Daniel?”

I almost dropped my cup.

“Excuse me?”

She raised her eyebrows slightly as if my shock was amusing.

“I just thought I’d ask. You two seem close.”

“No, no… we’re just friends. That’s all,” I said, my words coming out in a rush.

But everything about this moment felt absurd.

How could Daniel’s wife stand here and ask me something like that?

And then, as if the situation couldn’t get any worse, Daniel walked over and asked, “Care to dance?”

That was the last thing I wanted to hear right now.

“Daniel,” I whispered harshly, “I can’t do this. Not in front of her.”

He looked at me, his expression full of confusion.

“Emily, it’s not what you think.”

“I’m not going to ruin your family. This is wrong.”

“Emily, please… I never wanted to hurt you.”

But it was too late. The betrayal, the lies, they all weighed too heavily on me.

“I’m leaving.”

I packed my things. I wasn’t sure where I belonged anymore. Florida didn’t feel like home, and neither did the life I had left behind.

That same moment, my phone buzzed. It was a message from Jack:

“Flight home. Got some trouble with kids.”

Without a second thought, I booked the first flight back.

***

When I opened the front door, the house was a mess—both literally and emotionally.

Lucas was sitting on the couch, his arm in a sling, staring blankly at the TV. Mia was pacing around the room, her eyes red from crying.

“Mom!” Mia ran to me the second she saw me. “I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean for any of this to happen.”

She clung to me tightly, and I hugged her back.

I glanced over at Lucas.

“What happened to you?”

“Car accident,” he mumbled. “It wasn’t my fault. Some guy ran a red light.”

“And Mia?” I looked at her, brushing a tear from her cheek.

“I got into a fight at the sleepover. The police had to bring me home.”

She looked down, ashamed.

“Dad wasn’t there.”

I clenched my teeth. Of course, Jack hadn’t been there. He had likely been with Claire, as usual.

My heart ached with the thought, but right now, my children were lost, and I hadn’t realized just how much until this moment.

Mia gripped my hand tighter.

“Please, Mom, don’t leave again. I need you.”

I looked at both of them, seeing the fear in their eyes.

“I’m not going anywhere.”

When Jack finally walked through the door, I was ready.

“I’m filing for divorce. The kids will stay with me, and if you want to see them, you’re going to have to make real changes.”

I didn’t wait for a reply. I was done waiting. It was time to take control of my life, for me and my kids.

***

Later that evening, I was sitting at the kitchen table, staring at my untouched cup of tea. My mind was numb, and my body was exhausted from everything that had happened in the past few days.

Suddenly, the doorbell rang.

I knew it was Daniel before I even opened the door. He had taken the next flight after mine. I stepped aside to let him in without a word, too tired to argue or push him away.

“Emily, I need to explain everything.”

I sat back down at the table, barely able to meet his eyes.

“Explain what, Daniel? You’re married. There’s nothing else to say.”

“It’s not what you think. My marriage to Isabella—it’s a sham.”

“A sham? What does that even mean?”

“She’s an immigrant. She needed help staying in the country, and my son, Nathan, needed stability after his mother passed away. I married her to provide that. There’s nothing romantic between us, Emily.”

“You… married her just to help her?”

“Yes. I wanted to give them a chance, a life here. The marriage will be over in a month.”

“Why didn’t you tell me this before?”

He looked down, ashamed.

“I was afraid, Emily. Afraid you wouldn’t understand, that I would make another mistake. But now I see that you’re the one who truly understands what it means to be honest, to have real family values.”

“I… I can’t do this right now, Daniel. I’m exhausted. My decision to divorce Jack hasn’t changed, but I need time.”

“I understand. I just needed you to know the truth.”

And then, his next words made my heart stop.

“I’ve fallen in love with you, Emily. All over again. Move to me with kids.”

“I’ll think about everything tomorrow,” I whispered, though deep down, I knew what I wanted.

I already knew I’d be flying to Florida again. With kids.

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If you enjoyed the second part of the story, read its beginning: I’ve given everything to my family, but my husband’s cheating and the kids are on his side. At one of his parties, I stepped out for air and ran into someone unexpected—my first love. Then came an offer that left me breathless… Read the full story here.

This piece is inspired by stories from the everyday lives of our readers and written by a professional writer.