Side Chick Era... Over

Hearing Sharon bring up the topic on her own, Richard thought it was the perfect opportunity to bridge the distance between father and daughter.

He softened his tone and asked, “Sharon, will you tell me what happened?”

Sharon’s voice was calm. “He and his first love, Kelly, were torn apart years ago by his mother. Kelly later developed depression overseas. When she returned, she told him she didn’t have long to live. When Carter found out, he was overwhelmed with guilt. He didn’t want her to die with regrets, so he did everything he could to make it up to her.

“How he chose to make amends is his business. But he had no right to sacrifice me in the process.

“He owed Kelly, but I didn’t.

“To me, Kelly was the woman who stole my husband’s attention–who turned him against me every time we argued. Whenever it came to her, his choice was always clear. I couldn’t stand her.

“So after she reappeared, it only took half a year for our marriage to end.”

She smiled faintly at Richard. “Dad, do you think I was wrong?”

A flicker of uncertainty passed through his eyes. “Between husband and wife, there must be mutual understanding,” he said slowly.

deepened, though it didn’t reach her eyes. “You’re right, Dad,

found her the best doctors money could buy. I understood when, every time I needed him, he was

But he never once tried

him only means endless compromise and silence, what’s the point of staying married? Living freely on

deeply. “Your mother was stubborn enough on her own, but she even passed that thinking on to

expression froze. Then she said nothing

work to attend to. I’ll

that, he turned and

retreating figure with a

to reflect on his mistakes. Yet her mother had been

pregnancy vanished almost overnight,

1/2

world had no place for her chaos. And he knew the truth better

what hadn’t.

dared to cross the

see it in his