Without prompting, he crawled into his lap and confessed everything. “She told me to lie. But I didn’t. I could never hurt you, Dad.” The next morning, James told Claire to pack her things. She tried to deny it. Then she tried to twist it. But James already knew—she hadn’t just betrayed him, she used his son to do it.
Later, he uncovered everything—texts, emails, and plans between Claire and Rick to push him out and create a new life using his home, his resources… and his son. James filed for divorce, took full custody, and cut her out for good.
It wasn’t easy. Mason had nightmares. There were hard conversations. But slowly, they healed. They walked to school again. Ate mac and cheese on the couch.
Laughed at silly cartoons like they used to. And one day, James saw a new drawing on the fridge: just him, Mason, their dog Rusty, and a giant pizza with bacon arms. No Claire. No Rick. Just love, peace—and a boy brave enough to tell the truth.