Page 19 of I Shouldn't Feel This Way

“Well, quite frankly, Emily, you’re not asking at all, you’re demanding. And I’m not going to bring her home when that bastard has a twitching hand around her.”

“What do you mean? What did she say to you?”

“I don’t know everything, because clearly she’s protecting you, but I know enough to conclude that your fucking husband physically and verbally abuses our daughter.”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about …”

“You listen to me, and you listen well,” I said, growing angrier. “Because if you don’t, I’m going to make your miserable little life much worse than it already is, and I’ll especially target that asshole. I have the power to do it, I have the money to do it, and I’m directly telling you that you don’t want to push me, Emily. Am I making myself clear?”

“Are you threatening me?” She sounded outraged.

“It’s not a threat. It’s a warning.”

“You want full custody of her, don’t you?”

“I wouldn’t dream of taking her away from you.”

Not like the way you took her away from me and poisoned her mind.

“No one took her from you, Noah.”

“I tried to get shared custody. I tried to reason with you many times and—”

“Would you have honestly negotiated visitation rights with me if the tables were turned and I was the one battling a drug addiction? No! You would have made sure to keep our daughter far, far away from me!”

I shut my eyes and tried to calm down. I knew she was right. I had been in no condition to be a responsible father while I was still addicted to cocaine.

“I got clean, Em. You went back on your promise.”

“I never promised you anything. I had to protect our daughter. You always chose the drugs before her!”

I clenched my fist in reaction, seconds away from blowing up. But I modulated my voice and said, “I want Aria to live with me for a year.”

“Absolutely not!”

“You owe me this.”

“I don’t owe you a thing!”

“She’s already said yes to me.”

“Well, I’m her mother, and I say no!”

Fuck it.

“Quit being a bitter bitch. You just can’t stand the fact that you refused my proposal all those years ago.”

“Get over yourself,” she said derisively.

“Instead you ran away with that loser, cashed in my family’s bribe money, only to have it all blown away overnight. You can’t fathom how disappointing your life turned out—admit it.”

“Shut up!”

“Let me tell you this, so that it’s crystal clear for you. If you don’t allow Aria to come to LA with me, you can kiss your life goodbye. I’ll have Child Protective Services at your door so fast that you won’t even know what hit you. Your kids will become government property and be placed in the system. What system is that? Foster care, sweetheart. And lastly, your pathetic excuse for a husband will be behind bars. Maybe I’ll have you thrown in there with him as well, since you’ve been a neglectful mother.”

“You’re bluffing. There’s nothing you can do. Aria would never testify against me—and I’m not neglectful!”

“She wouldn’t need to. Don’t tempt me, Emily, because I swear on her life that I’d do it. And you would eternally regret it.”

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