When my husband, Dave, got a new job offer in a town three hours away, he was ecstatic. He told me it was a “fresh start” for us and a great opportunity. I was hesitant to leave our friends and family, but he was so insistent—specifically about the school district. He personally handled our 7-year-old daughter, Emily’s, enrollment.
But shortly after the move, Emily changed. She went from loving school to dreading it. She started coming home really upset, throwing her backpack down and refusing to talk.
I assumed it was bullying or just the stress of being the new kid. Dave dismissed it, saying, “She’s just adjusting. I’ll handle drop-offs and pick-ups to make her feel more comfortable.” And he did. He spent a lot of time “talking to the teacher” about Emily’s progress.
That day, I went into her room to check on her, and she was crying out loud—hysterically sobbing into her pillow.
Me: “Baby, what’s wrong?“
She: “I don’t want her to be my new mommy! Miss Allen!“
Me: “Your teacher Miss Allen? Why would you say that, sweetie?”
Emily sat up, her face red and blotchy. “Because Daddy told me! He told me to be nice to her because soon you’re going to ‘go away’ and Miss Allen is going to live in our house and be my new mommy. But I don’t want a new mommy! I want you!”
My entire body went numb. I stood up and walked straight to the master bedroom where Dave kept his “work files.” I tore through his briefcase until I found his old high school yearbook. I flipped through the pages until I found it—a picture of Dave, 17 years old, with his arm around a girl. Under the photo, it said: David & Jessica Allen, Prom King and Queen.
He hadn’t moved us for a job. He had moved us to be with his high school ex-girlfriend, and they were planning to push me out of the picture.
I didn’t wait for him to come home. I packed Emily’s bags, took the yearbook, and we were gone before he pulled into the driveway. He wanted a fresh start? He could have one—alone.
