When My Husband Cheated on Me and My Kids Turned Against Me, I Was Faced with an Impossible Choice (Part 2) – Story of the Day

Read part 1 here .

I was sitting on the plane, leaning against the window, watching the world slowly disappear under a blanket of clouds. Daniel was sitting next to me, as quiet as ever.

“Are you okay?” he finally broke the silence, looking at me.

“I don’t know. I guess I will be… eventually.”

My mind went back to the note I had left on the kitchen table, the one Jack and the kids would find very soon.

For the children I had written:

“I’m leaving for a while. Just for a month. Don’t worry, you’ll be fine with Dad. You always have been. I need some time to figure out what I want out of life. Please understand. I love you both very much.”

I had to pause before writing Jack’s note. I had no idea how he would react, but I knew I had to say it.

Finally, I wrote:

“Jack, I know about Claire. I’ve known for a long time. I can’t stay in a house where I don’t feel valued, where I’m invisible. I need time to think, so please don’t contact me. Give me this time to decide what’s next for me… for us.”

Daniel’s voice brought me back to the present.

“Do you want to talk about it?”

“Not yet. It’s just that… I left everything behind. The kids, the house. Jack.”

“Listen,” he said softly, “you need to breathe. You’ve been suffocating for too long.”

I appreciated his presence. He didn’t push, he didn’t try to fix things.

***

When the plane landed, we stepped out into the warm Florida night. Daniel grabbed my bag and carried me to the car.

“Welcome to Florida,” she said with a smile, trying to lighten the mood.

“I feel different now.”

When we got to his house, I stared in amazement.

“Daniel… this place is… it’s huge.”

The estate looked like something out of a dream, with a pool glistening in the moonlight and the ocean just beyond the terrace.

“Yes, it’s been my refuge,” Daniel replied, opening the front door. “I bought it a few years ago. I thought it might be the fresh start I needed.”

We went out onto the terrace and pointed towards the horizon.

“The ocean… It helps me think.”

I leaned on the railing, absorbing the peaceful sound of the waves crashing in the distance.

“This is beautiful…”

“We’ll take it step by step,” he reassured me.

We sat on the terrace drinking lemonade, talking about our past.

“You know, I never really stopped thinking about you, Emily,” Daniel said quietly. “You brought something to my life back then… something I’ve missed.”

I didn’t know what to say. Part of me wanted to believe him, but another part of me knew I had too many broken pieces to fix.

“I… I don’t know, Daniel. It’s too much right now.”

“It’s okay,” he said, leaning back in his chair. “We don’t have to figure everything out tonight. Just know that I’m here for you.”

That night I felt like I could breathe again. But deep down, I knew that this escape was temporary. Reality was waiting for me at home, and sooner or later I would have to face it.

***

The sun had barely risen when Daniel knocked on my door.

“Hey, how about we start with some tennis before breakfast?”

He held up two rackets, giving me a playful look. I put on a sporty face and followed Daniel out into the garden. His yard was huge, with tall trees framing the court.

“Don’t worry,” he said, handing me a racket. “I’ll teach you.”

I tried to follow his instructions, but the ball kept flying wildly to the side.

“Not bad for the first hit,” he joked.

I laughed, feeling a little lighter. We spent the next hour playing, most of it with him showing me the ropes while I missed most of my shots. But it was fun.

Afterwards, we prepared breakfast on the grass. Daniel spread out a blanket and opened a basket filled with sandwiches, fresh fruit and lemonade.

“You know how to plan a day,” I said, surprised.

Later, we walked along the beach, the sound of the waves calming every nerve. Daniel took my hand and, for the first time in a long time, I didn’t pull away.

“This day,” I said softly, looking at him, “is perfect.”

“It’s just the beginning.”

***

The evening had started beautifully. We were sitting on the terrace, the warm glow of candlelight flickering between us, casting soft shadows across the table.

But suddenly the air changed. I heard footsteps behind us. A woman and a child entered the terrace. I froze.

“Daniel!” the woman greeted cheerfully. “I hope we’re not interrupting.”

Daniel’s face tensed for a brief second, but he quickly hid it with a smile.

“Isabella… Nathan,” he said, standing up and pointing at them.

“Emily, this is my son Nathan. And… my wife, Isabella.”

I stared at him, my heart pounding in my chest.

His son? His wife?!

Everything in me shut down as I processed the fact that the man sitting across from me, who I had begun to care deeply about again, was married.

“Hello,” I finally replied.

Isabella stepped forward and held out her hand to me.

“Nice to meet you, Emily. Daniel has told me a lot about you.”

His smile was soft, even kind. But I felt wrong. Completely wrong.

“Same here,” I said, although I hadn’t heard a single word about her.

We all sat down and the evening continued as if nothing had happened. Isabella was friendly and welcoming, chatting and asking me about my time in Florida.

Nathan, Daniel’s son, was chatting calmly with his father, completely oblivious to the storm brewing inside me.

But I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was very wrong.

How could Isabella be so calm? How could Daniel not have told me? What’s going on?

After dinner, Isabella approached me casually with a soft smile.

“So, are things serious between you and Daniel?”

I almost dropped the cup.

“What do you say?”

He raised his eyebrows slightly, as if my surprise was amused.

“I thought I’d ask. You two seem pretty close.”

“No, no… we’re just friends. That’s all,” I said, my words coming out rushed.

But at that moment everything seemed absurd to me.

How could Daniel’s wife be here and ask me something like that?

And then, as if things couldn’t get any worse, Daniel came over and asked, “Would you like to dance?”

That was the last thing I wanted to hear right now.

“Daniel,” I whispered harshly, “I can’t do this. Not in front of her.”

He looked at me, his expression confused.

“Emily, it’s not what you think.”

“I’m not going to ruin your family. This is wrong.”

“Emily, please… I never wanted to hurt you.”

But it was too late. The betrayal, the lies, weighed too much on me.

“Leave”.

I gathered my things. I was no longer sure where I belonged. Florida didn’t feel like home, nor did the life I’d left behind.

At that very moment, my phone buzzed. It was a message from Jack:

“Come home. I’m having problems with the kids.”

Without thinking twice, I booked the first flight back.

***

When I opened the front door, the house was a mess, both literally and emotionally.

Lucas was sitting on the couch, his arm in a sling, his gaze lost in the television. Mia was pacing around the room, her eyes red from crying.

“Mom!” Mia ran to me as soon as she saw me. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t want any of this to happen.”

She held on to me tightly and I hugged her back.

I looked at Lucas.

“What happened to you?”

“Car accident,” he muttered. “It wasn’t my fault. Some guy ran a red light.”

“And Mia?” I looked at her, wiping a tear from her cheek.

“I got into a fight at the sleepover. The police had to bring me home.”

She looked down, embarrassed.

“Dad wasn’t there.”

I gritted my teeth. Of course, Jack hadn’t been there. He’d probably been with Claire, as usual.

My heart ached to think about it, but right now my children were lost, and I hadn’t realized how much until that moment.

Mia gripped my hand tighter.

“Please, Mom, don’t leave again. I need you.”

I looked at both of them, seeing the fear in their eyes.

“I’m not going anywhere.”

When Jack finally walked through the door, I was ready.

“I’m filing for divorce. The kids are staying with me, and if you want to see them, you’re going to have to make some real changes.”

I didn’t wait for an answer. I was tired of waiting. The time had come to take charge of my life, for myself and for my children.

***

Later that night, I sat at the kitchen table, staring at my untouched cup of tea. My mind was numb and my body was exhausted from everything that had happened in the past few days.

Suddenly, the doorbell rang.

I knew it was Daniel even before I opened the door. He had caught the next flight after me. I stepped aside to let him in without saying a word, too tired to argue or push him away.

“Emily, I have to explain everything to you.”

I sat back down at the table, barely able to look him in the eyes.

“Explain what, Daniel? That you’re married. There’s nothing more to say.”

“It’s not what you think. My marriage to Isabella is a farce.”

“A farce? What does that mean?”

“She’s an immigrant. She needed help staying in the country, and my son Nathan needed stability after his mother died. I married her to provide that for him. There’s nothing romantic between us, Emily.”

“You… married her just to help her?”

“Yes. I wanted to give them a chance, a life here. The marriage will end in a month.”

“Why didn’t you tell me before?”

He looked down, embarrassed.

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“I was scared, Emily. I was scared that you wouldn’t understand, that I would make another mistake. But now I see that you’re the one who truly understands what it means to be honest, to have true family values.”

“I… I can’t do this right now, Daniel. I’m exhausted. My decision to divorce Jack hasn’t changed, but I need time.”

“I understand. I just needed you to know the truth.”

And then, his next words made my heart stop.

“I’ve fallen in love with you, Emily. Again. Move in with me with the kids.”

“I’ll think about it tomorrow,” I whispered, although deep down I knew what he wanted.

I already knew I would fly back to Florida. With the kids.

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If you liked the second part of the story, read the beginning: I’ve given everything for my family, but my husband is cheating on me and the kids are on his side. At one of his parties, I went out for some fresh air and met someone unexpected: my first love. Then an offer came along that took my breath away… Read the full story here .

This story is inspired by the everyday lives of our readers and has been written by a professional writer. Any resemblance to real names or locations is purely coincidental. All images shown are for illustrative purposes only. Share your story with us, it could change someone’s life. If you want to share your story, send it to info@amomama.com .