CHAPTER ONE
SIMON
I poured a cup of coffee and walked outside, staring at the vista in front of me. I would never get tired of it. Coming from Ontario and the busy city we lived in, the openness of Nova Scotia was a delight to the eyes. This small town was the opposite of the noisy, bustling place we had left behind. From my porch, I could see the water, hear the waves as they crashed against the rocks. Watch the ever-changing colors in the depths. See storms as they approached. Mia and I loved to sit in the family room on the second floor and watch them roll in. We were fascinated by the way the clouds moved, the ocean joined with the skies to produce and echo the ferocity building in the air before the storm would strike. Mia would snuggle close, and I treasured those times with her.
My daughter—the nucleus of my world.
I ran a hand over my face, thinking of the letter my lawyer had given me yesterday. It was from my ex-wife Kelsey, Mia’s mother. She was like the proverbial bad penny and kept turning up. Subtlety and grace had never been her strong suits. Give me what I want was more up her alley.
I wasn’t shocked when I read it, but still, anger and disappointment raged in me as I scanned the words.
There was no query about Mia. No second thoughts about wanting a relationship with her daughter. Instead, it was a woe is me, life isn’t good, and you still owe me letter. She wanted more money. If I was honest with myself, it was all she ever wanted from me. I had been blind to her when I met her. I fell for her beauty and the façade she showed to the world. Even after we were married and the screaming voices in my head told me it had been a mistake, I tried. I gave in to her tantrums, telling myself she was settling into our marriage. I ignored her jibes and constant cruel actions, allowing leeway for her age. When she told me she was pregnant, I was thrilled. I was certain being a mother would soften her, make her less shallow and more the person I had believed her to be.
It only got worse. It became obvious to me what a mistake I had made. She had married me for one reason and one reason only. My money. The breaking point came when I saw her true colors during the holiday season the first year Mia was born. Her brother showed up unexpectedly, and I was shocked not only to learn of his existence, but to witness the way he was treated. He didn’t fit into the mold of the rest of her family. He sought neither money nor power, but simply to live his life and be happy. He was made so unwelcome, he left before I got a chance to know him. Shortly after, Kelsey and I separated. I paid a great deal of money to get rid of her, and she gave me the only thing I wanted from our marriage. My daughter.
Becoming a single father wasn’t easy, but it was worth it. I concentrated on Mia and my work. My two main focuses. Our first Christmas alone, a small package arrived from Kelsey’s brother Evan and his wife Holly with a gift in it for Mia. Every year after, a package would appear, and when Mia was old enough, she became curious about her uncle. She begged me to take her to visit, and once we arrived—and he got over the shock of our appearance—the relationship between them flourished. The added bonus was that my relationship with Evan, his wife, and family did as well. What started as a holiday became permanent, and we moved here. Surrounded by the beautiful scenery and the warm people, I knew I’d made the right decision. Mia blossomed the past while and was excited to start school. Settling into the new house and getting her ready had been my main focus until the letter arrived yesterday.
I sat down on the swing Evan had made and helped me hang on the porch. I sipped my coffee, letting the tranquility around me settle my anger.
Kelsey was a piece of work, and while part of me wished I had figured that out before I married her, I wouldn’t give Mia up for anything. But my ex wasn’t getting another penny out of me. She could find someone else to bleed. My lawyer assured me she had zero chance of getting any rights back to Mia, so her subtle threats didn’t sway me. And I owed her nothing. I’d given her a healthy settlement, bought her a new house, and paid off her debts to get rid of her. I had no feelings left for her aside from contempt. The truth was I had never truly loved her—I had loved the thought of her, of what we could be. When I saw the real person I married, I was horrified and had zero guilt about walking away. Mia and I were both better off without her.