Page 31 of Worship Him

His eyes flash with anger. "So you decided for both of us? You hid my daughter from me?"

I look down in shame and nod. "I wanted to wait until the divorce was finalized before I told you the truth. But my lawyer, Barrett didn’t like the idea."

I look back up at Adam, searching his eyes for understanding but finding none. "Barrett has been stalling the divorce," I explain. "He wouldn’t let it go through until I told you. He thought it was wrong to keep Avery a secret."

"And he was right!" Adam’s voice rises. "I missed her birth, Destiny! Her first year of life! Do you have any idea what you’ve done?"

Tears blur my vision, but I hold my ground. "I thought I was protecting her! Doing what was best for her!"

His anger is palpable, filling the room like a storm ready to break. "You didn’t protect anyone. You robbed me of precioustime with my daughter. And stole from her the chance to bond with her father."

"I’m sorry," I whisper, the words feeling inadequate.

"Sorry?" he scoffs, his eyes flashing with fury. "Sorry doesn’t give me back all those months."

I stand up and step closer, desperate for him to understand. "We were falling apart. I didn’t want Avery to be the reason we stayed in a broken relationship."

His fists clench at his sides as he fights to control his anger. "You don’t get to make that call alone."

"I see that now," I say softly, my heart breaking all over again.

He shakes his head in disbelief. "This isn’t just about our relationship. It’s about being there for our daughter."

"I know," I say again, my voice trembling with emotion.

He turns away from me, staring out the window as if searching for answers in the bright, blue sky. "This changes everything."

The weight of his words hangs heavy between us, and for the first time since stepping into his house, I feel the full magnitude of what I've done.

When he turns around to face me again, Adam's eyes blaze with fury, his jaw clenched tight. The tension in the room is suffocating, pressing down on my chest like a physical weight.

"You had no right," he growls, his voice low and dangerous. "No fucking right to keep this from me."

I flinch at the venom in his words. "Adam, I?—"

"Don't," he cuts me off, holding up a hand. "Just don't. You've said enough."

He turns away, running his hands through his hair in frustration. I want to reach out, to touch him, but I know it would only make things worse.

"I swear I wasn’t being malicious, I really felt that I was doing the right thing," I whisper, my voice breaking.

"The right thing? You hid my own child from me for nearly a year. I couldn’t even be there when she was still growing inside you. How is that right?"

Tears sting my eyes, but I blink them back. "I was scared, okay? I didn't want you to feel trapped and then trap me in a broken marriage."

"I don’t care," he snaps. "You should have told me the moment you found out."

The truth of his words hits me like a punch to the gut. I've royally screwed up, and I know it.

He takes a deep breath, visibly trying to calm himself. "I need to meet her. Avery. I need to see my daughter."

"Of course," I nod quickly. "When?"

He runs a hand over his face, suddenly looking exhausted. "Not now. I can't... I can't even look at you right now. I need time to process this."

His words cut deep, but I know I deserve them. I've made a terrible mistake, and now I'm facing the consequences.

"I understand," I say softly, moving towards the door. "Just... let me know when you're ready."

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