- Why is She Being Mean to You?
- Why is She Being Mean to You?
Michelle
When Ryan and Candace left, I stood there, watching their figures fade into the distance until they blurred away.
A couple of tears rolled uncontrollably down my cheeks. With each step they took, I felt them moving further away from me, as if an invisible and ever-growing wall was rising between us.
“Are you okay?” Abdiel’s voice pulled me out of my thoughts.
I barely nodded, not trusting my words not to betray the storm of emotions swirling inside me.
“Yes… I will be okay.”
I see the compassion reflected in his eyes, and a lump forms in my throat. I don’t like it. Pity is the worst feeling one can evoke in another because it reduces you to someone pathetic, a person deserving of pity rather than respect. I looked away and searched for Susy. She seems calmer now, so I try to smile at her.
“Are you okay, Susy?”
She nods and tries to return the gesture.
“Yes, I am,” she replies, though her voice still sounds fragile. Is she your daughter?
I can sense her disbelief as she looks at Candace.
“Yes, she is Candace.”
Susy remains thoughtful for a few seconds before turning to her father with a doubtful expression.
“Why is she being mean to you?”
The question hit me harder than I expected. How do you explain to an eight-year-old girl who has grown up without a mother, that sometimes children struggle to love the parents they have?
I swallow and search for the right words.
“It’s not that she doesn’t love me… it’s just… there are things I can’t explain to you.”
Susy doesn’t insist. Instead, she lowers her gaze, and I see her eyes are wet. I move forward and gently wipe her tears with my fingers.
“I’m so sorry your party was ruined,” I tell her tenderly. “But I promise there will be another chance for us to have fun.
I have to leave now.”
She nods, but before I can take a step, she runs to me and wraps her small arms around me. The warmth of her embrace took me by surprise.
“If you were my mom, I assure you I would love you very much,” she whispers against my chest. “I’m a little envious of your daughter…”
Her words deeply move me. My own daughter rejects the fact that I am her mother, while this little girl yearns with all her
heart for a love she has never known.
“Don’t be envious, dear. I’m sure that someday your father will find a good woman who will love you very much.”
Susy looks at me with bright eyes and, with a sincerity that completely disarms me, murmurs:
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“I wish it were you…” she says in a barely audible whisper.
I am left speechless. Her words resonate in my mind and heart, leaving me in a state of disbelief and an inexplicable desire to be that refuge for her.
But I have a daughter who needs me. Now more than ever, I know I must fight for her before it’s too late.
Pots
Ryan
“Ryan, you shouldn’t be so hard on Candace. I’m sure that girl picked on her. I remember during the competitions she did the same, I saw it.”
My daughter sobs as she rests her head on Blake’s lap. It wasn’t just Michelle and me; once Blake entered her life, she started filling her head with ideas. With the admiration she developed for Blake, her coach, the idea of us forming a family together didn’t seem like a bad idea in her mind.
“It’s true, Dad. That girl pushed me when she came off the track during the competitions.”
I’m not sure why I doubt her words, but I also have no evidence to the contrary.
“Anyway, I don’t like you getting involved in trouble, especially with that person.” I looked at Blake through the rearview mirror and saw her frown with displeasure.
“Don’t worry, from now on I’ll take care of Candace. If her mother didn’t care and during the divorce wanted nothing to do with her, it’s because she already had a new family to attend to.”
“That’s not true. Don’t influence my daughter.”
Blake’s face turns red, a sign that my words have upset her more than expected.
“There’s no need to emphasize “she’s your daughter”. I know that. But apparently, I’m the only one who cares.
“Don’t say that. Michelle deeply loves Candace.”
“Oh, is that so? And where is she now? Oh, yes, consoling the other girl.”
“Please, let’s leave it at that. “I try to make her understand that her words only worsen the situation, but she doesn’t seem to care and keeps insisting.
“No. If you’re going to have full custody of your daughter, and we’re going to get married, I’ll become her mother. She’ll
have me to protect her.”
I listen to her and begin to understand why Candace has changed. It’s not just me; Blake has also put things in her head.
When we arrive home, they exit the car and walk together to the entrance. I watched them advance and let out a sigh of frustration.
Mrs. Ruth makes us something to eat, and just as we’re about to sit at the table, the doorbell rings. Ruth goes to the door and, to my surprise, I see Michelle enter. She looks at all of us with a serious expression.
“I’m here to talk to you, Ryan.” Her tone is firm and direct. She doesn’t greet or say another word.
I stood up to suggest we go to the office, but Blake steps forward.
“What do you need to discuss with my fiancé alone? I think you can do it here in the living room, in front of everyone. Right, Candace?”
My daughter nods, but Michelle remains unfazed. A sarcastic smile appears on her face.
“Your fiancé? As far as I recall, he’s still my husband and this is my house. So I’m going to ask you to leave.” Her voice is
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23 Why is She Being Mean to You?
firm, and I see Blake turn pale.
“Ryan! Are you going to let this woman insult me?”
“Blake, I’m going to talk to Michelle. Besides, she’s right. We’re still married, and this is still her house.”
Blake stands up, grabs her bag, and looks at me in disbelief.
“You know what? Stay with “your wife”. I’m leaving.
in party’)
Before I can respond, she storms out of the house, slamming the door. I turn my gaze to Michelle, who doesn’t smile victoriously but looks at me with pity.
“Shall we go?” he asks, as I tell Candace to go up to her room. She obeys without a word, so I continue toward the office.
“So?” Michelle sits across from me at the desk, her gaze fixed on mine.
I take a deep breath and cross my arms over the table, preparing for whatever she has to say.
“Ryan, I know things between us didn’t end well, but there’s something you seem to be ignoring and not giving the proper attention.* Her voice is calm, but there’s a hint of urgency in her words. “Even though I did the same, I’m not excluding myself.”
“What is it?” I ask cautiously.
Michelle hesitates for a moment before speaking.
“It’s about Candace. I’ve noticed changes in her behavior, and I can’t ignore Blake’s influence in all this. I know you’ve
noticed it too.”
I exhale slowly and run a hand over my face. I can’t deny I’ve seen those changes, but accepting that Michelle is right is another story.
“What do you suggest then?” my voice sounds more tired than I’d like.
“That we talk about custody again. Candace needs stability, and I want to make sure she’s okay.” Michelle holds my gaze
with determination. “I want to change that point and have her live with me.
The weight of her words falls on me like a slab. Am I really making the best decisions for my daughter to deserve living by
my side?
Before I can respond, the office door bursts open. Candace stands in the doorway, her eyes filled with tears and her
breathing agitated.
“Are you going to separate me from my dad?” she asks with a trembling voice.
Michelle and I look at each other, caught in a dilemma that neither of us knows how to resolve.
I lean forward and extended a hand to Candace.
“Come here, sweetheart. No one is going to separate us. We’re just talking about what’s best for you.”
Candace walks over hesitantly and sits on my lap. She clings to me tightly, as if that simple act could protect her from everything.
Michelle sighs and lowers her gaze.
“Candace, we just want to make sure you’re okay, that you’re happy.”
“I just want to be with you, Dad,” she whispers, burying her face in my shoulder.
23 Why is She Being Mean to You?
My daughter’s words hit me with unexpected force. I look at Michelle, who nods slowly. There’s still a lot to resolve, but for now, the only thing that matters is Candace and her well-being.
“I love you so much, Candace. You’re part of my heart, but you worry me.”
“I want to stay with him. After all, you chose to leave already and now you have another family.”
Michelle watches her in disbelief. Her eyes fill with tears at hearing the rejection from her own daughter. She stands up and takes a few steps around the room, trying to compose herself. I admire her ability to maintain self-control, even though I know she’s suffering inside.
When she regains her composure, she returns to her seat and looks at me with determination.
“I left because I thought it was what you both wanted, and it seems I wasn’t wrong. Just a few days after I left, there was already someone else filling my role, in my house and in my bed.” Her words are laden with reproach, but she keeps her voice steady. “That girl is my boss’s daughter, and her brother was my friend in the past. I only went to a birthday party with them. But what is true is that you pushed her on purpose, Candace. I saw it myself, no one told me.”
Candace looks away, but Michelle continues.
“I can accept that you may not love me, that you prefer someone else to take my place, that you don’t want to live with me and that you cast me aside. But what I cannot accept is violence, that you hurt someone for your own interests. I can’t tolerate that.” She turns to me with the same determined look. If you can’t commit to ensuring Candace’s good behavior, I will fight you and “I assure you I will win custody. I wanted this divorce to go smoothly for everyone, and there was no need to show evidence of infidelity. But I ask you not to force me to act differently. I think in these ten years you haven’t truly known me. You’ve only seen my good side, but not anymore.”
She stands up again, this time taking her bag. She walks towards the door, but before leaving, she stops and looks our daughter in the eyes.
“I only want you to become a good person, Candace. Unfortunately, you’ve chosen to be with someone whose influence I can’t guarantee is the best. I won’t live with you, but I’ll be keeping an eye on you. I hope that helps.”
Without saying anything else, she leaves the place, leaving a heavy silence in her wake. I know everything she said is true. And when the door closes, the emptiness it leaves feels like a final farewell, as if we had lost her forever.
Candace feels it too and, unable to hold back any longer, bursts into tears.
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