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"Meet me at the bridge in an hour," she said, her tone urgent. "I'll explain everything. Just... please. Come alone."
Before I could respond, she hung up, leaving me staring at the phone in disbelief. I knew I shouldn't go, knew that meeting with Natasha was a terrible idea, but some small, desperate part of me hoped that maybe, just maybe, there was a way to resolve this without going to court.
An hour later, I found myself standing at the bridge, my hands shoved deep in my pockets as I watched Natasha approach. She looked different than the last time I had seen her, her face thinner, her eyes shadowed with something that looked like fear.
"Thank you for coming," she said, stopping a few feet away from me. "I know you must be angry."
"Angry doesn't even begin to cover it," I snapped, my patience wearing thin. "What do you want, Natasha? Why are you doing this?"
She sighed, running a hand through her hair. "I don't want custody of Hailey, Jake. I never did."
I stared at her, my mouth falling open in shock. "What? But the papers... the lawsuit..."
"It was a bluff," she admitted, her eyes downcast. "I needed to get your attention, needed to make you listen to me."
"Listen to you about what?" I demanded, my anger rising once again.
She looked up at me, her eyes filled with tears. "I need money, Jake. A lot of it. And I didn't know how else to get it. I’m not getting married. There is no Hector. Well, there is but, he’s just a lawyer friend who has been helping me out."
I couldn't believe what I was hearing. All of this, all of the pain and fear and uncertainty, had been nothing more than a ploy for cash. Natasha had been willing to put Hailey through hell and tear her family apart, just to line her own pockets.
I shook my head, my disgust and disappointment overwhelming. "I can't believe you, Natasha. I can't believe you would stoop this low."
She had the decency to look ashamed, but it did little to quell my fury. "I'm sorry, Jake. I didn't know what else to do. I'm in trouble, my family cut me off after I left here, and—I just need your help."
I turned away from her, my hands clenched into fists at my sides. I wanted to scream, to rage at her for all the pain she had caused, but I knew it would do no good. Natasha was beyond reason, beyond redemption.
"I'm not giving you a dime," I said, my voice cold and hard. "And if you ever come near me or Hailey again, I'll make sure you regret it."
“This will not end well for you, Jake. I will see to it.” she snarled.
With that, I walked away, leaving Natasha seething and standing alone on the bridge. I knew I should feel relieved that she wasn’t after custody, but all I felt was a hollow sense of betrayal and a deep, aching sadness for the woman I had once loved.
As I drove back to town, my mind was a jumble of conflicting emotions. I knew I needed to tell Molly what had happened, needed to lean on her strength and support, but a part of me was ashamed. I was so embarrassed that I had let Natasha manipulate me once again.
I thought back to the early days of our marriage, when everything had seemed so bright and full of promise. We had been young and in love, our whole lives stretching out before us like a blank canvas waiting to be filled with color and joy. I had truly believed that we would be together forever, that nothing could tear us apart.
Hailey’s arrival changed everything. Natasha had struggled with motherhood from the start, her once vibrant spirit slowly dimming under the weight of responsibility and sleep deprivation. I had tried my best to be there for her, to support her and ease her burden, but nothing I did seemed to make a difference.
And then, one day, she was gone. No warning, no explanation, just a note on the kitchen counter and an empty space in our bed. I had been devastated, my heart shattered into a million pieces as I tried to pick up the slack and be both mother and father to our little girl.
I had never quite forgiven Natasha for that, for the way she had abandoned us without a second thought, but I had always tried to maintain a civil relationship with her, for Hailey's sake. I wanted my daughter to know her mother, to have some kind of connection with the woman who had given her life.
After this, though, I didn't know if that was possible anymore. How could I trust Natasha to be a part of Hailey's life, when she had proven time and time again that her own needs and desires would always come first? How could I expose my child to that kind of selfish, manipulative behavior?
I sighed, my head pounding with the weight of it all. I knew I needed to talk to Molly, to lean on her strength and support as I navigated this impossible situation. She had been my rock throughout this whole ordeal, her love and loyalty never wavering even in the face of Natasha's cruelty.
I pulled out my phone and dialed Molly's number, my heart racing as I listened to the ring. When she answered, her voice warm and concerned, I felt a rush of love and gratitude so strong it nearly brought me to tears.
"Molly," I said, my voice breaking. "Where are you? I need to talk to you.”
“Is everything okay? Why are you acting so weird? I’m at home. Can’t you just tell me now?”
I shook my head even though she couldn’t see me. “No. It's about Natasha. I’m coming over. I’ll be there in ten minutes."
She would probably be cross with me for it, but I hung up before she could say another word. I was just about to my house when I did a three-point turn, cursing myself for driving home when I had known where I needed to go from the time I left the bridge.
The answer was Molly, the answer was always Molly.
