She Gave Our Daughter to Her First Love

As I head out again to put up missing-child flyers around town, my wife, Felicia McCoy, stops me. Instead of pulling me into her arms to comfort me like she used to, she looks at the miserable state I'm in and finally tells me the truth. "Elsa wasn't abducted. I gave her away." My voice is hoarse. "What did you say?" Felicia looks a little guilty, but only a little. "Gordon fell into a deep depression after losing his own child, so I gave Elsa to him. "I never thought you'd have such a hard time moving on. You kept searching for her, and it was throwing our lives into chaos. That's why I have to tell you the truth." The words hit me like a fist to the chest. At that moment, only one thought runs through my mind—I have to bring Elsa back. Felicia seems to realize what I'm thinking. She steps in front of me, blocking my way. "Don't bother looking for Elsa. She went with Gordon willingly. She doesn't need your fatherly love. You're only going to get in the way of her life." Chapter 1 Hugh's POV My love was only going to get in the way of our daughter's life? My wife, Felicia McCoy's, words kept echoing in my mind, making my fingers tremble. My nose stung as memories of our daughter, Elsa Wadlow, came flooding back. She was only five years old when I thought she'd gone missing. She was such a sweet girl, always knowing how to make me smile and following me everywhere. She had once been my greatest pride. I refused to believe my daughter didn't want me, and I had to see her for myself. Felicia sighed, her expression softening. She placed a photograph in front of me. Elsa and Gordon Parker, Felicia's first love, were smiling brightly in it. "She's grown up now," Felicia said, pausing for a moment. "She's happy with Gordon. You shouldn't disrupt her life. Gordon is a better father than you are." Felicia had stripped me of my right to be a father and decided I was unfit to be part of Elsa's life. What gave her the right to do that? I couldn't contain my anger and grabbed her by the shoulders. The missing-child flyers in my hand scattered across the floor. "What gives you the right to say that?" I shouted at her. Felicia froze, but before she could react, Gordon suddenly showed up. He shoved me aside and stepped in front of Felicia, shielding her from me. "Hugh, if you have a problem, take it up with me. It's all my fault. I was suffering from depression after I lost my daughter. Felicia was only trying to keep me from falling apart. Don't blame her. I'll make it up to you." He pleaded with me, but Felicia immediately stopped him. "Gordon, it's not your fault. I made that choice, and I let Elsa go with you." The two of them clung to each other, making me look like the bad guy trying to tear them apart rather than the victim of their deception. How ridiculous. Gordon's eyes reddened. "Hugh, I'll give Elsa back to you, I swear. I'm just asking you to give her time. She doesn't adapt well to change. Please give her time to adjust." I pulled my arm away and stumbled, my lower back slamming into the chair beside me. The pain was so intense that cold sweat broke out on my forehead. Felicia's eyes remained fixed on Gordon, full of concern. When she finally looked at me, her expression hardened. "Hugh Wadlow, knock it off," she said coldly. "Elsa doesn't want to come back. If you force her, she'll only end up hating you." My mind went blank. When Felicia saw that I didn't respond, she lost her temper. "You're being ridiculous!" I started shaking again. Felicia seemed to have forgotten that I also fell into a depression after Elsa disappeared. She was the one who had pushed me to that point just to protect Gordon. Chapter 2 Hugh's POV I was diagnosed with severe depression. The only way I could get any sleep was by swallowing handfuls of pills. Over the past five years, my dosage kept increasing. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Elsa's face. I had no idea where she was or how to find her. Losing her hadn't just broken me. It had devastated my mom too. She blamed herself constantly, believing it was her fault for letting the child out of her sight. Even when she was seriously ill, all she wanted was to see Elsa one more time. But she never got that chance. Felicia had kept the truth from us for five years. It was unbelievably cruel. It felt as though someone had reached into my chest and crushed my heart. The pain was so intense I could barely breathe. Not long after, Felicia brought Elsa back. It was the first time I'd seen my daughter in five years. She still looked like the daughter I remembered, just older. But something had changed in her eyes. When she looked at me, there was nothing but indifference. I stood there in a daze, not knowing what to do. I tried showing her old pictures, hoping they'd bring back some memories. I wanted her to remember how happy we'd once been and how much I loved her. But she remained distant. It seemed she'd only come back out of obligation. Every day, she called Gordon to say good morning and every night to say good night. Sometimes, she'd tell Gordon, "Dad, I want to go home." I couldn't understand how Elsa could feel nothing for me. What hurt most was realizing how cold she could be when my life was on the line. Years of taking antidepressants had left me with severe stomach problems. One day, my stomach suddenly started cramping badly while I was holding the breakfast I'd made for Elsa. A sharp pain tore through me, and I barely had time to react before I collapsed to the floor. The bowl of hot grits fell beside me, scalding my hand red. Elsa just stood there holding her phone, seemingly unsure of what to do. I struggled to call for help, my voice barely a whisper. "Elsa…" The pain became unbearable, and I suddenly vomited blood. But instead of calling an ambulance or helping me, she ran away. Her reaction hurt me more than the physical pain. I stopped trying to call for help and lost consciousness. When I woke up, I was already in the hospital. I could hear shouting outside. Felicia was scolding Elsa. "That's your dad. How could you not even call an ambulance? We've taught you what to do in an emergency. You even helped a classmate call an ambulance last time!" Elsa stood there with swollen, red eyes. Gordon stepped in to defend her. "Stop yelling at her. She just panicked. Kids get scared and don't always know what to do." But Felicia was furious. "No. Elsa, I want to know why you did it." Elsa sobbed. "I don't want to go back to him! If he dies, no one can make me go back anymore! I don't want to leave Dad!" Her words left everyone speechless. Even Felicia had nothing to say. The pain grew so intense it numbed me. I forced a bitter smile. Felicia came back half an hour later, looking helpless. "I already told you. Elsa chose to go on her own. We've always stayed in touch, and she's always loved Gordon. You need to let her go." She paused before adding, "We can have another child. You and the new child will still be family to Elsa, and she'll treat you well too." She kept talking, but I cut her off, "I agree. I'll let her go." Chapter 3 Hugh's POV I knew Elsa hadn't forgotten me. She knew her way around the house just fine. She had simply chosen Gordon over me. The sweet little girl who had once been so close to me was no longer mine. Felicia thought I was angry and tried to smooth things over. "She's still young and doesn't know any better. If she wants to be with Gordon, just let her go. Don't take it to heart." I nodded. "I understand." I didn't want to blame Elsa. I had no strength or confidence left to keep fighting for her, so I would give her whatever she wanted. Felicia's phone lit up, and she softened the moment she read the message. I knew right away it was from Gordon. I checked myself out of the hospital alone. I had surgery for the bleeding in my stomach, and my hand was still wrapped in bandages from the burns. When I got home, I looked around at what used to be such a warm, happy place. For five years, I had cleaned Elsa's room every single day, keeping it exactly as she'd left it. The only thing that kept me going was waiting for her to come home. I had truly believed that she'd been abducted and that she was out there suffering. I'd never imagined that she had chosen to leave me. She hadn't forgotten me. She simply didn't want me. The bond I'd held on to for so long meant nothing to her. She had discarded me so easily. I hired a crew to tear down Elsa's room, along with the last of the illusions I'd been holding on to. Then, I went online and gave away every toy and gift I'd ever bought her to other mothers who needed them. Felicia walked in right as one of the mothers was leaving. She frowned when she saw the empty room. "Are you still mad?" I shook my head. "I just realized there's no point in keeping them. Other people might need them more." I was completely calm, but Felicia still found fault with me. "Elsa loved those toys. Why would you give them away? I already promised I'd bring her back. We could find a balance and keep things stable between the three of us." I almost laughed. That kind of stability would only be possible if I gave in. Felicia was about to argue further when her phone rang. Gordon sounded delighted on the other end, and I could faintly hear Elsa's happy voice in the background. They were a happy family now. I couldn't help but clench my fists. When the call finally ended, Felicia looked somewhat apologetic, but I spoke before she could, "Go ahead. You don't need to worry about me." However, today was our wedding anniversary. Felicia used to drop everything to spend it with me. Perhaps out of guilt, she always treated our anniversary like a huge deal, throwing massive celebrations and pulling out all the stops just to make me happy. Now that things had fallen apart between us, she didn't even bother keeping up appearances. Anyway, it didn't matter anymore. I tore the marked date from the calendar and silently wished them well, the happy family I'd never be part of. I was about to leave when the door suddenly flew open. Felicia suddenly stormed back in, blazing with anger. "Why did you do that?" I stared at her, completely lost. She let out a bitter laugh. "I had no idea you were this calculating. Are you really going to keep pushing Gordon until he kills himself? I've already told you. Elsa chose to leave." Before I could even process what she was saying, Elsa rushed at me and sank her teeth into my arm. She didn't let go until she drew blood. I stood frozen. My arm throbbed, but I barely felt it. Elsa snarled at me, "Why did you do that to Dad? I chose to be his daughter! He was in so much pain. Why couldn't you see that? Why did you have to push him over the edge?" Felicia shoved her phone in front of me. Someone had pretended to be me and posted online, accusing her and Gordon of stealing my child and vowing to make them pay for it. The post had sparked a wave of backlash against them, with Gordon taking the brunt of it. "Are you happy now? You told everyone that Gordon faked his illness to take Elsa. When are you going to understand that Elsa is her own person? She has the right to choose!" Every word cut into me like a knife. I straightened up, locking eyes with her. "I didn't post that. If you don't believe me, call the police." Chapter 4 Hugh's POV But Felicia didn't believe me. She was still angry and convinced that I was being unreasonable. "Gordon didn't want to blow this up or call the cops and make things harder for you. You're just malicious." Then, she added, "Your mom found out the truth before she died. She begged me to let her see Elsa and bring the girl back to you. Thank goodness I didn't listen." Something inside my head seemed to explode. Realizing she'd slipped up, Felicia immediately clamped her mouth shut. I stared at her in disbelief. Betrayal from someone this close cut deeper than anything else. No wonder Mom's condition had suddenly worsened, landing her in the ICU. She'd been so sick she couldn't speak, and she barely had the strength to move her hands. Even in her final moments, she'd kept trying to speak, desperate to tell me the truth. In the end, she died with her eyes still open, full of regret. Tears rolled down my face. Mom was the only family I had left. My chest ached as if it had been cut open. She had devoted her whole life to caring for me, only to spend her last five years consumed by guilt and self-blame. I grabbed Felicia. "Why did you do this? Why do you have to tell her? Why? You made me suffer, and I accepted that. But my mom was innocent. She always treated you like her own daughter!" A flicker of remorse crossed Felicia's face. I thought of how Felicia had always been in poor health and how Mom had looked after her for more than six months. After Elsa was born, Mom continued to be there for Felicia, giving her the maternal love she'd never had. And this was how she repaid my mom. How could she be so cruel? Felicia knew she was in the wrong, but she still refused to back down. She took Elsa and left. She had said I deserved every bit of the pain I was in. After all, I'd caused Gordon pain too. The door slammed shut behind them. Soon, posts twisting the narrative started flooding the Internet. Felicia claimed that our marriage had been over for a long time. She portrayed me as mentally ill and reckless, even accusing me of having hurt Elsa in the past. She said she'd had no choice but to let Gordon raise Elsa to keep her safe and continued to give our daughter her love. Every single word painted me as a terrible husband, a dangerous man who had lost his mind. When Elsa spoke out online too, she sealed my fate. The entire Internet turned against me. One comment read, "And to think we actually believed he loved his daughter and cared about finding her. What a joke!" My phone blew up with calls, and people even started sending me death threats. I had nowhere left to go, so I hid out at Mom's gravesite. I brushed my fingers over her gravestone and said, "Mom, we both misjudged them." Rain was falling when Felicia showed up with an umbrella in her hand. "This will blow over soon. You shouldn't have posted that, so you brought this on yourself. But about your mom… That was my fault. I never meant for her to find out the way she did, and I never meant for it to make her condition worse," she said flatly. I let out a bitter, broken smile. I hadn't betrayed anyone in this relationship. The only person I'd ever let down was my younger self, the guy who had once believed so deeply in love. As for them, I was done. I wanted nothing more to do with them. I pushed Felicia's umbrella away, slowly got to my feet, and walked away on unsteady legs.