Seeing your child in pain is the worst thing that can happen to a dad. My daughter Demi, who is 13, had been crying on the way home from school, and she wasn’t the bubbly person she usually was. She had become quiet and distant. I was sure that something was very wrong, but I didn’t know what.
To find out what was going on, I chose to go to Demi’s school. I was shocked by what I saw. Demi was talking to a girl who looked just like her. They both had dark hair, were the same height, and had the same face shape. It was like seeing two different people who are my daughter.
A car pulled up, and the girl got in. I watched. Todd was the driver. I hadn’t seen him in years. Even though our meeting was short, it made an impact that will last. Todd didn’t pay attention to me and drove off, leaving me with more questions than solutions.
As soon as I got home, I told my wife Nora what I had seen. She seemed vague and nervous, which made me feel even worse. When Demi walked into the room, the stress was clear.
“Demi, what’s going on?” Nora tried to get in the way before she could answer, so I asked. Not Demi, though. She wouldn’t have any of it. She said, “You’ve been hiding this for so long!” “I know the truth, and it’s time Dad knows too!”
It turned out that Todd really was Demi’s father. He had an affair with Nora many years ago, and Demi was the child of that. Sierra, the girl I saw at school, was Demi’s sister.
It felt like the world had turned upside down. I thought I knew this woman, but she had been lying to me for 13 years. And Demi was also shocked by the news. She felt hurt when her mother lied to her, and I didn’t blame her.
I had to make the hard choice to leave Nora in the end. We both knew she was lying, and I couldn’t forgive her. We got a new place to live, and I asked for a divorce. We were determined to rebuild our lives together, even though it wasn’t easy.
