A person holding a child’s hand | Source: Freepik
I grabbed my phone and started snapping pictures. My hands were shaking. Part of me wanted to jump out of the car right then and drag him away from my daughter. But I needed proof. I needed to know exactly what was going on before I did something I couldn’t take back.
They got into his silver sedan. I followed them from a distance, staying two cars back. My heart was hammering. Every rational thought in my head was telling me there had to be an explanation, something innocent, but my gut knew better.
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They drove straight to Sophia’s office building downtown. He parked in the underground garage, and they both got out. Ben held Lizzy’s hand as they walked toward the elevator.
I waited for five minutes. Then 10. I couldn’t just sit there anymore.
I went in through the main lobby. The building was mostly empty. End of the workday. Just a few stragglers and the cleaning crew. And there, sitting in the lobby on one of those uncomfortable modern chairs with her little teddy bear, was Lizzy.
She looked up and smiled when she saw me. “Daddy!”
A little girl holding a teddy bear | Source: Midjourney
A little girl holding a teddy bear | Source: Midjourney
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I crouched down beside her, forcing myself to stay calm. “Hey, sweetheart. Where’s Mommy? And what about the man who picked you up?”
She pointed at the closed door near the corner of the hallway. “They’re in there. They said I should wait here and be good.”
I kissed her forehead. “Stay right here, okay? I’ll be right back. Don’t move.”
“Okay, Daddy.”
I walked up to the door, my legs feeling like lead. Part of me didn’t want to know what was behind that door. Part of me wanted to turn around, take Lizzy home, and pretend this whole day never happened.
But I couldn’t.
Close-up shot of a man walking | Source: Midjourney
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