’ve been raising my 9-year-old daughter, Lily, alone since my wife, Kate, passed away. Lately, Lily had been acting distant and cold, even rummaging through my things. Then, while doing laundry, I found a crumpled note in her backpack that read, “I’m your real dad. Meet me behind the school, last Monday of September.” I was shaken, confused, and decided to follow Lily after school.
When I trailed her, she walked to the back of the school and met Jeff, a former coworker who had recently been fired. He claimed to be Lily’s real father and said Kate wanted her to know the truth. Furious, I confronted Jeff, but he insisted Lily deserved to hear it. After investigating Jeff, I discovered he was a liar with a history of manipulation and had been fired for falsifying information.
Relieved, I sat down with Lily, reassured her, and promised I’d always be her dad. Later, the police informed me that Jeff had been arrested for stalking another family. Despite the emotional toll, Lily and I would face the future together.
