Until She Turns Eighteen

For eighteen years, my wife, Keira, never once contacted her old flame, Leo Hughes.
She became the perfect wife, cooking my favorite meals.
She attended every one of our daughters parent-teacher conferences.
She meticulously planned our family vacations each year.
We lived in what seemed like perfect harmony for eighteen years.
But the day after our daughter, Bella, turned eighteen, I said to Keira, "Let's get a divorce."
She was standing at the entrance to Bella's bedroom, her expression frozen in disbelief.
I added quietly, "You promised me, the day our daughter was born, that we would divorce when she turned eighteen."
1
A choked laugh escaped Keira's lips. "That was just a joke. You can't be serious."
The gentle, elegant woman before me slowly blurred, merging with the image of the bright-eyed, innocent girl I'd known eighteen years ago.
Our marriage was a business arrangement. Before she agreed to meet me, she had a college sweetheart, Leo. He was from a poor family, a fact Keira's parents could never accept, so they paid to send him abroad.
I gave her a choice back then. One, go after Leo, and I would find someone else to marry. Two, marry me, and cut off all contact with him.
Out of a sense of duty to her parents, she chose me.
After we married, she was good to me. She got pregnant, and for a while, I dared to believe I could have it alla profitable merger and a loving wife. That's why, when I was in that car crash, my first instinct was to call her.
But she didn't answer.
When I came to in the recovery room, she called back. Her voice was strained but honest.
"I'm so sorry, Liam. Leo had an allergic reaction... anaphylactic shock."
Her love for him made her choose him. Over me.
She stammered on the other end of the line, at a loss for what to say next. In that instant, I curled up like a hedgehog, retracting every ounce of affection I had invested in her.
Suddenly, her breathing turned ragged over the phone. I heard doctors shouting, rushing her into the delivery room. She had gone into premature labor. For Leo, she had completely disregarded her own body, our child's well-being.
But looking at my tiny daughter, wrapped in a hospital blanket, a strange calm washed over me.
"Keira," I said, my voice flat. "Can you promise me one thing? That we'll wait until our daughter is eighteen. Then, we can get a divorce."
"For these eighteen years, please, just play the part of a good mother and a good wife for her."
A faint "Okay" came through the phone.
I never forbade her from contacting Leo again, but it was as if she'd had a complete change of heart. She threw herself into being the perfect mother, the perfect wife, and never reached out to him.
I knew it was all born from a sense of duty. A responsibility to me and to our daughter.
But I also knew she never let Leo go.
I knew from the way her fingers would trace the old hair tie he gave her in college when she thought I was asleep. I knew from the private investigator she paid every month to send her photos of Leo's life overseas.
She wasn't a bad person. She tried desperately not to hurt anyone. But her love for him was a vine, growing wild and unchecked in the secret corners of her heart.
Now, eighteen years had passed. Keira's parents were gone. My daughter had grown into a beautiful young woman. And I had finally, completely, let go of any feeling I had for her.
It was time to let her go find her true love.
2
Id been agonizing over how to break the news to Bella, but I never expected the first obstacle to be Keira herself.
"It's okay," I said softly. "You don't have to worry about me. I let go a long time ago, eighteen years ago, to be exact."
Keira stared at me, as if truly seeing my resolve for the first time.
"And you don't need to worry about Bella. I'll explain everything to her."
"You're free, Keira."
I met her gaze directly. "So," I said, my voice firm. "It's time to honor our agreement."
She let out a long sigh, a flicker of guilt in her eyes. "I'm sorry for everything."
"If you or Bella ever need anything, I'll still be here for you."
Her expression shifted, a wave of excitement washing over her as she reached for her phone and dialed a number that had been dormant for nearly two decades.
That night, for the first time in our marriage, Keira and I slept in separate rooms.
For eighteen years, despite the distance in our hearts, we had maintained a physical relationship. It always left me with a bitter taste of guilt, as if I were stealing something that belonged to Leo. But Keira never seemed to mind; in fact, as the years went on, she seemed to enjoy it.
I pushed the thought away. It didn't matter anymore. Tonight, that connection was severed for good.
The next morning, I found Bella in her room, fresh off a video call with Harvard admissions. I told her that her mother and I were getting a divorce.
Before I could even launch into the carefully crafted story I'd prepared, she cut me off.
"Dad, you don't have to lie to me. I know all about what happened back then."
Her words stunned me.
"I know you don't love Mom. And I know it was her who wronged you." She wrapped her arms around me. "I'll be here for you, Dad. Always."
A sharp, dense pain bloomed in my chest. She knew. My little girl had known all along.
It was my fault. My acting hadn't been good enough, and Id left my child to carry such a heavy burden all by herself.
With Bella's understanding, things moved quickly. Keira and I filed for divorce. The plan was to fly to the States to help Bella settle into college. It would also be the perfect opportunity for Keira and Leo to finally reunite. She could decide whether to bring him back home or stay with him in America.
The official divorce decree would be finalized after the mandatory thirty-day cooling-off period.
The moment our plane landed, Keira was gone, rushing off to see Leo. Bella insisted on going with her.
"Dad, I just want to see what this guy looks like," she said, a defiant glint in her eye.
I could sense the resentment still simmering beneath the surface. "Bella, don't do anything rash. Your mother has paid her dues to us over the past eighteen years."
She didn't listen. She went with her mother.
But as evening turned into a deep, starless night, Bella still hadn't returned.
3
I called her. The background was a cacophony of music and laughter, like a party was in full swing.
"Dad, I'm not coming back tonight."
"Why not?" I asked, a knot tightening in my stomach.
She hesitated. "I... I don't want to be a downer for Uncle Leo. He's had it rough, you know? It wasn't his fault, what happened back then. He's been all alone over here for so long."
She paused, then added, "It's like you said, Dad. No one owes anyone anything anymore. But don't worry, I still love you."
It had only taken a few hours for her entire perspective to shift.
She was right, of course. No one was truly at fault. But her words made the eighteen years I had fought for feel like a bitter joke.
What if I had just divorced Keira back then? Left Bella with her? Would they have been happier as a family of three?
But I had poured so much of my life into her. I had swallowed my pride and begged Keira to stay, terrified my daughter would be taunted for not having a mother. I wanted her to have the world, so I leveraged the full power of my family and Keiras to give her every advantage.
After the divorce, Bella would be all I had left. I had already started planning how I would help her find the perfect husband, how I would dote on my future grandchildren.
I couldnt accept this. I had invested a year of my life loving Keira, and I had managed to spend the next eighteen un-loving her. But my daughter? I couldn't let go of my daughter.
"Bella," I said, my voice strained. "I made your favorite bear-shaped cookies. I'll wait up for you, no matter how late it is."
She came back in the dead of night. Seeing me still awake, she gently pushed me toward my bedroom. "Dad, the cookies were delicious. Go get some sleep."
A wave of relief washed over me. It was probably just a fleeting moment of sympathy for Leo. My daughter was kind-hearted, and that was fine. A little selfishly, all I needed was to know she still loved me.
I closed my eyes, but then I heard ita faint, breathy sound from the hallway.
My daughter, trying to stifle a laugh.
I didn't open my eyes. I couldn't bear to face it. The fact that in just a few short hours, Leo had completely and utterly captured my daughter's heart.
When Keira and I took Bella to the university for orientation, Leo came along.
It was the first time I'd seen him in person. He was more vibrant than in the photos, radiating a youthful energy that was rare for a man his age. He was polite, even friendly, keeping a respectful distance to give me and Bella our moment.
But my daughters eyes kept darting toward him, her attention clearly divided.
Finally, she turned to him. "Uncle Leo, is there anything you want to say to me?"
Only then did he step forward, ruffling her hair affectionately. "Don't be nervous," he said with a grin. "And if you don't feel like studying, just make sure you eat well. Being happy and healthy is the most important thing!"
He was a firm believer in a pressure-free life. No wonder Bella was so taken with him. He was dressed in athletic wear, his right arm strong and toned. I remembered hearing that Keira had arranged for a badminton court to be built in the backyard of his small villa years ago. It suited his cheerful, carefree personality perfectly.
Bella nodded obediently and waved goodbye to us.
I turned to Keira and Leo. "So, what are your plans? Are you staying here, or coming back home?"
Keira answered. "We'll stay here with Bella for the next four years. After that... we'll see what she wants to do."
4
It was clear they had already mapped out their future in the span of a few days, a future that pointedly excluded me. But the unspoken agreement had always been that Bella would stay with me.
Keira dropped Leo off at his house before returning to the hotel with me. She sat down, preparing for a serious talk.
"Since Bella chose a school in the States, I think she might be drawn to the freedom here. You can still come and visit her whenever you want."
I thought of Bella's shining eyes as she looked at Leo, and a wave of confusion hit me. Was my eighteen-year stand completely meaningless?
I was silent for a long moment before looking up at her. "Will you hate me? For these eighteen years?" I asked, then added, "Do you think Bella will hate me?"
Understanding dawned in Keira's eyes. "No, of course not. It's all my fault."
It was her default answer, taking all the blame onto herself.
How tedious. I gave up.
"Fine," I said. "I respect Bella's decision. I hope you'll all take good care of her."
Keira managed a smile. "You say that as if you'll never see her again."
"I don't think I'm cut out for life abroad," I replied casually. "I prefer a quiet, simple life."
After several days of whirlwind excitement with Leo, Keira's expression grew complicated, almost nostalgic.
I turned and went into my room to pack for my flight home. "Don't forget," I called over my shoulder, "you need to fly back in about twenty days to sign the final divorce papers."
She nodded.
She was still standing there when I came out. "So," she asked, "were you acting for all eighteen years?"
I rolled my eyes. "Weren't you?"
She faltered, then changed the subject. "Do you think I was... convincing?" She seemed anxious, dabbing at her sweaty palms with a handkerchief. She was probably worried about how she would take care of Leo.
I clapped her on the shoulder like an old friend. "Don't worry," I said reassuringly. "You'll be great for Leo."
"In every way," I added, a sharp edge to my voice. "Including in bed."
I didn't care anymore, but my words seemed to leave Keira looking strangely lost and deflated.
After I returned home, Keira started posting on social media frequently. Trips to art galleries, picnics in the park. In every single photo, Leo's face was conspicuously absent. She was probably trying to be considerate, given that we weren't officially divorced yet.
But it was just like the past eighteen years. Leos presence was a ghost that haunted our lives, a suffocating fog I could never escape.
There were moments, I admit, when Keira's performance had almost fooled me. I'd think, maybe I should just give up. Forget the promise. Pretend none of it ever happened. Maybe we could have another eighteen years together.
But I couldn't betray the man I was eighteen years agothe man lying broken and bleeding in a hospital bed, utterly alone.
Now, I was glad I was letting her go.
And it wasn't too late to let my daughter go, either.
Keira would sometimes send me pictures of Bella and we'd exchange a few pleasantries. At first, I'd reply, but eventually, I just stopped. I buried myself in my work.
Time flew by in a blur of meetings and deadlines. Before I knew it, the thirty-day cooling-off period was over.
5
Keira and Bella flew back from the States together.
The moment Bella saw me, her eyes filled with a familiar dependence. But when I casually asked how long she was staying, she answered without a second's thought. "We're leaving tonight."
So soon? So eager to get back to Leo?
Keira, at least, had the decency to offer an explanation for my sake. "Her studies are demanding."
Looking at Bella, who seemed completely drained of all energy, a flicker of doubt crossed my mind. Was university in the States really that exhausting?
I was tired. I didn't press the issue.
The three of us went to the city hall. The clerk placed the documents in front of us.
I signed my name without hesitation. Keira glanced at me, her hand hovering over the paper.
I checked my watch. "Could you hurry up? I have a tight schedule."
Bella chimed in. "Mom, just sign it. Uncle Leo is waiting for us for dinner."
Her words landed without impact. I felt nothing.
As if in a fit of pique, Keira snatched the pen, scribbled something illegible, and slammed it down on the table.
"Are you satisfied now?" Her voice, usually so soft, was low and strained.
I raised an eyebrow. "I never forced you to do anything. This was always your choice."
Keira rubbed her nose, a flush of embarrassment on her cheeks. She turned to our daughter. "Bella, let's go."
But Bella didn't respond. I turned and saw my daughter's face was deathly pale. Her body was twitching, her eyes rolling back in her head, and then she collapsed, hitting the floor with a sickening thud.
"Bella!" Keira and I cried out in unison.
The clerk who had just stamped our divorce papers rushed over to check on her. His face went grim.
"That's not good," he said, his voice urgent. "She's going into withdrawal!"
Keira stared in disbelief. "Withdrawal? How could she be hooked on something like that? The only thing... yesterday, the bread she ate... Leo gave her that"
Her voice trailed off, the horror dawning on her face.

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