He sighed.
Not worried.
Not concerned.
Annoyed.
“Claire…”
“She needs her father.”
A short laugh came through the phone.
Then he said, “You chose to have her. She’s your responsibility now. Your problem.”
My fingers tightened around the steering wheel.
For a second, I genuinely couldn’t speak.
“Eric, she’s your daughter too.”
“Find somebody else to help you.”
His voice became colder.
“Somebody who actually cares.”
Then the call ended.
I sat completely still.
Chloe made a tiny sound from the back seat.
I looked at her through the mirror.
She had no idea that her father had just reduced her existence to a problem he didn’t want.
Something desperate inside me still refused to accept it.
Maybe, I told myself, he could say cruel things over the phone because Chloe wasn’t real to him yet.
Maybe if he actually saw her…
So instead of driving home, I drove to the address where Eric was living with his girlfriend.
