18. Is it karma?
Adrian’s pov:
After hearing Vanessa’s words, my face hardened instantly.
She noticed it.
Her expression softened at once, and in a gentler voice she said,
“Adrian, okay… we can take fifty percent custody of Lily. But you can see how difficult it will be. Today alone, she stayed with you the entire day. You’re the one paying for her needs, and she will be living in our house. Sophia should take some responsibility too, right?”
I clenched my jaw.
“Lily is my daughter,” I said through gritted teeth. “Whatever belongs to me belongs to her too.”
Vanessa softened even more, as if trying to calm me down.
“Adrian, Lily is not your future. Lily is just… a mistake. A mistake that happened five years ago.”
I stared at her.
She continued,
“It was manageable till now because she was there with us. But it can’t be forever. When we get married, we will need our own life… our own space. Lily can’t be there all the time. Sophia is single, she can take care of her. We need to start fresh.”
My anger flared instantly.
“Vanessa,” I snapped, “from the very beginning I told you clearly that I had a wife and a daughter. And my daughter is my everything.”
She moved closer and gently held my forearm.
“Sit down first,” she said softly.
Before I could refuse, she guided me toward the couch and sat beside me.
Then she said,
“Yes, you told me you had a wife… But honestly, Adrian… I thought about it.”
She paused.
“I can’t be Lily’s stepmother.”
I stared at her in disbelief.
“She is a reminder of that woman.”
I frowned.
“What exactly is your problem?” I asked, my irritation rising. “Till now you were fine with Lily. You took her out, played with her, spoiled her so much that now she is attached to you. And suddenly you want to get rid of her?”
Vanessa straightened and folded her arms.
“Because till now we were just having an affair. It was casual.”
I stood up immediately.
“Casual?” I repeated, stunned. “I am getting divorced because of this relationship, and you’re saying it was casual?”
She stood up too.
“Oh come on, Adrian. You’re reacting as if I’m leaving you.”
I stared at her, unable to understand.
“What exactly do you want?”
She stepped closer and said clearly,
“You. I want you. Not your past baggage.”
The words hit me hard.
She continued in a softer tone,
“Try to understand my perspective. I’m still young. I have my whole life ahead of me.”
I said coldly,
“But you don’t need to mother Lily. She already has a mother.”
Vanessa shook her head.
“It’s not that simple. As your wife, I’ll still have responsibilities. And what about you? You never leave Lily behind. She even comes with you to my place. After marriage it will only get more complicated.”
She looked at me seriously.
“Think about it, Adrian.”
Then she walked out.
I stood there frozen.
Then slowly, I sat down on the couch.
Everything felt like it was falling apart.
Everything.
The woman for whom I had ruined my marriage…
was telling me my daughter was baggage.
I immediately called Evan.
“Can you come over?” I asked.
He sounded tired.
“I’m out of town. I’ll be back tomorrow morning.”
I hung up.
Then I leaned back, rubbing my forehead.
For the first time, a thought crossed my mind—
Was this karma?
The woman I ignored my wife for…
had never been serious.
And the woman who had stayed serious all along—
I had treated her like she meant nothing.
The weight of it made me feel dizzy.
I forced myself to get up and finish my work.
Just then Lily came running into the cabin.
She looked around.
“Is Vanessa gone, Daddy?”
I nodded.
“Yes.”
She pouted and wrapped her arms around my leg.
“But I wanted to play with her. Why did she leave?”
I stroked her hair.
“I’ll play with my princess, okay? Daddy just needs to finish some work first.”
She nodded quietly.
“Okay…”
But I could see she was upset.
After finishing some files and making a few calls, I looked at her.
She was sitting silently in the chair, her face sad.
I walked to her and crouched beside her.
“What happened, baby?”
She looked at me and said softly,
“Vanessa isn’t replying to my calls… and Mommy hasn’t picked up either.”
Then her lip trembled.
A sob escaped her mouth.
I pulled her into my arms immediately.
“It’s okay, princess…”
She clung to me as she cried softly.
I held her close, trying to calm her down.
But my own mind was racing.
Vanessa… I understood.
But Sophia?
Sophia had never ignored Lily.
Never.
Lily was her entire world.
So why wasn’t she answering?
A strange unease settled inside me.
For the first time—
I was worried for Sophia.