eked through the blinds and saw him walking down the street, his shoulders hunched as if he was trying not to be seen.

He didn’t park in our driveway. Instead, his car was two blocks away, hidden under the shadow of a large oak tree.

“Why would he do that?” I whispered to myself, my pulse quickening.

I slipped on a pair of sneakers, threw on a sweater, and followed him.

The night air was cool against my skin, and the quietness of the neighborhood felt deafening. I stayed far enough behind, darting behind bushes and parked cars whenever he glanced over his shoulder.

My heart was pounding so hard it felt like it might burst. Finally, he reached his car.

I stayed crouched behind a mailbox, watching as he pulled out his keys. But then he froze.

“Mia?” he said, his voice sharp and cutting through the stillness of the night.

I stepped out of the shadows, my face burning with the shame of being caught. He must have spotted me in the car’s side mirror.

Or maybe my shadow?

“What are you doing out here?” he asked, frowning. His voice was stern, but his eyes betrayed a flicker of panic.

“What am I doing?” I shot back. “What are YOU doing sneaking out in the middle of the night?”

He ran a hand through his hair, glancing around as if making sure no one else was watching.

“Mia, go back to bed,” he said, his tone softening.

“Not until you tell me where you’re going,” I said, crossing my arms.

He sighed, his shoulders slumping. “I was going to your mom’s grave,” he said quietly, avoiding my gaze.

“At two in the morning?” I raised an eyebrow.

“I’ve been busy all day, Mia,” he said. “This is the only time I can go.

It’s… peaceful at night.” His voice cracked just slightly as if he was holding back something heavier.

Something in his tone made me hesitate. It sounded real… too real. And my heart wavered.

But something didn’t quite add up. I mean, who goes to a cemetery at TWO IN THE MORNING?

“Fine,” I muttered, glancing down at the ground. “I’m going home.”

“Good,” he said quickly, climbing into his car.

“Go back to bed. And don’t tell Diana. Let’s not get her worried over this, okay?”

I turned to leave, feeling conflicted.

But just as I took a step, a flash of light caught my eye. His car’s dashboard lit up, and I saw a text message glowing on the screen:

“I’m already waiting, baby. Where are you!?”

The blood drained from my face.

I felt like I’d been punched in the stomach. WAITING? BABY?

I rushed home, but I didn’t go back to bed.

Instead, I grabbed my car keys, my hands trembling as I gripped the steering wheel. My mind raced with a thousand thoughts, none of them good.

The cool night air seeped through the cracked windows as I followed Dad’s car, keeping a safe distance. My headlights stayed off, and I trailed him carefully, my heart thudding louder and faster with every turn he made.

After about 20 minutes, he pulled into the parking lot of a fancy hotel downtown.

I parked a block away, slouching in my seat as I watched him step out of his car. My legs felt like jelly, and I gripped the door handle, frozen, as he walked toward the entrance.

Then I saw HER.

A young woman in a tight red dress stepped out of the lobby. She looked like something out of a magazine — long legs, perfect hair, and a laugh that echoed too loud in the stillness of the night.

And she wrapped her arms around him.

I froze. My stomach painfully twisted like someone had grabbed it and wrung it out.

He hugged her back.

This was my dad. The man who had cried over my mom’s grave.

The man who had begged for my forgiveness, saying he’d change. And yet here he was, doing it ALL OVER AGAIN.

My chest felt like it was caving in. My breath came in short, uneven gasps.

I watched as he glanced around, his eyes darting nervously. Then he took her hand and led her inside.

I don’t know what possessed me, but I followed them. I stayed a safe distance behind, my sneakers silent on the carpeted floor.

My brain screamed at me to stop and go back home, but my feet didn’t listen.

When I reached the corridor outside their room, I heard their voices through the door.

“You look beautiful tonight,” my dad said, his tone so smooth it made my skin crawl.

“Stop,” she said, giggling. “You’re just saying that. Where is the diamond necklace you promised, darling?”

I leaned against the wall, tears streaming silently down my face.

My fists clenched at my sides, nails digging into my palms. This wasn’t just some stranger. This was MY DAD.

And he hadn’t learned a damn thing about loyalty.

I was livid. How could he cheat on my stepmom? After EVERYTHING?

No. I wasn’t going to make the same mistake twice.

With shaking hands, I pulled out my phone and dialed Diana.

“Hey, Mia, what’s wrong?” she answered, her voice groggy and laced with concern.

“Can you come to the Dazzling Stars hotel downtown?” I said, my voice cracking despite my best efforts to sound calm.

“What? Why?

What’s going on? What are you doing there…? And, oh my God… where’s your father?

He was here just a while ago…”

I hesitated, my throat tightening. “I’ll explain when you get here. Please, Diana.

Just trust me. You need to come. And DON’T call Dad.

You’ll understand why when you get here. Please… hurry.”

She was silent for a moment, and I thought she might hang up. But then she sighed.

“Okay. I’m on my way.”

I sat in the lobby, my knees pulled to my chest, tears streaking down my face. My chest heaved as I tried to breathe through the pain.

It felt like the walls were closing in on me.

When Diana arrived in a taxi, she spotted me immediately. Her eyes widened as she rushed over and knelt in front of me, her hands gripping my shoulders.

“Mia, what’s wrong? You’re scaring me.

What are you doing here?” she said, her voice trembling. “Where’s your father?”

I pointed to the elevator, my hand shaking. “Room 512,” I choked out.

“He’s up there. With her.”

Her face went pale. “Who?

What are you saying?”

“You’ll know what I’m saying. Go to room 512.”

Her hands dropped to her sides, and for a moment, she just stared at me, her lips parted in disbelief. Without another word, she stood and marched to the elevator, her shoulders squared.

I followed a few paces behind, my legs feeling like lead.

When we reached the door, Diana pounded on it so hard the sound echoed down the hallway.

The door swung open, and there he was. Dad. Shirtless, messy, and utterly stunned.

His face went white when he saw us.

“D-DIANA?! MIA?!” he stammered. “What are you —”

“Save it,” Diana snapped, her voice cold and sharp.

“What are YOU doing here? And who is… SHE??”

His mistress appeared behind him, her lipstick smeared and her hair slightly disheveled. Diana’s eyes flicked to her, and for a moment, her expression crumbled.

Her lips trembled, her breathing quickened, but she didn’t let the tears fall.

“Mia told me everything,” she said, her voice trembling with both anger and pain. “How could you do this to me? After everything I’ve done for you?

For us?”

“Diana, I can explain,” he started, but she held up a hand.

“I don’t want to hear it,” she hissed. “You’ve already said and done enough. I trusted you.

But you broke more than my trust today, David.”

It’s been a week since that night.

Diana and I moved out the next day. I offered to stay with a friend so she could have some space, but she wouldn’t hear of it. “You’re the only person I can trust right now, Mia,” she’d said.

She’s been incredibly kind to me, even thanking me for telling her the truth.

“It must’ve been so hard for you,” she said one night, tears brimming in her eyes. “But you did the right thing. I’ll never forget that.”

My dad’s been calling and texting nonstop after Diana sent him the divorce papers.

Every message is the same: “I’m sorry. Please talk to me. Let me explain.

I made a mistake. :(”

But I haven’t responded. Some mistakes are so unforgivable and devastating that you can never take them back… or forget them.

Source: amomama