“How could you do this to me, Lily? Why did you have to lie to me? Why did you make me believe in you, only to deceive me? You broke my heart after making me fall deeply in love with your lies. You left me like I was some toy you grew tired of, and then you let another man raise my children.
You kept my children from me. Now, it’s time for me to take them back. No one will touch my children, Lily Davis. Whether you like it or not, I’m taking them to Alabama, and no one can stop me. Remember, the way you kept them from me, I’ll make you feel the same pain. You ruined my life!”
“Arlo, please listen to me,” I begged, my voice trembling. “I can’t let you take the children from me. I’ll go insane if they’re gone.”
“Why, Lily? Did you think about how you kept them away from me? Why did you hide your pregnancy from me? How could you let another man claim my children as his own? If anyone—especially Nick —comes near my kids again, I swear I’ll kill him,” Arlo said, his voice laced with fury.
“ Nick isn’t my man, Arlo! I’ve never been with another man. I’ve never loved anyone the way I love you!” I shouted, tears streaming down my face.
“What the f*** are you saying, Lily? That you love me? Do you even remember the words you told me? You made me feel like a fool in the streets when you told me I was just your toy, that you only used me for fun. I held on to the hope that you were joking, that you didn’t mean any of it, but in the end, everything you said turned out to be true.”
I shook my head vehemently, the weight of his words crushing me. “Let me explain, Arlo,” I said, tears spilling from my eyes.
I closed my eyes, the memories of the past five years flooding back. They were wounds I had tried to bury, but now they were raw again. Guilt and regret consumed me as I gathered the courage to speak.
“None of what I said to you back then was true. None of it,” I repeated, my voice breaking as sobs wracked my body.
Arlo stepped closer, grabbed me by both arms, and shook me. “What’s the truth, Lily? Or are you just going to tell me another lie? How long will you keep lying to me? How long?” he asked, his tears falling as he closed his eyes, unable to look at me.
I couldn’t meet his gaze either, the pain in his questions too much to bear. He released my arms slowly, then dropped to his knees, holding onto my trembling legs.
“Arlo, please listen to me,” I pleaded.
“Why, Lily? Did I fail you in some way? Why would you choose another man over me? You know how much I loved you. Since the day you showed me what real love felt like, I gave up everything just to be with you. But what did you do to me?” he asked, his voice softening, full of heartbreak.
“You didn’t fail me, Arlo. Sometimes, people lie for the greater good. Not all lies are evil. I lied because I loved you, and I couldn’t bear the thought of something bad happening to you. I chose to lie because I thought it would keep you safe,” I said, my voice shaking.
“God knows how much I love you, Arlo. Yes, the name I gave you when we first met was a lie, but my heart was true. I hid my real identity because I was running away from my grandfather, just like you fought against your family’s expectations. My grandfather wanted to force me to marry another man, and I was terrified he would find me.
“When I met you, you became everything to me. You made me feel things I had never experienced before. I loved you, Arlo, and I still do. I wanted to tell you the truth, but my grandfather found me.
He threatened to hurt you and to take my mother away from me if I didn’t leave you and go with him. I had no choice, Arlo. I left because I couldn’t bear the thought of you being harmed because of me.”
Arlo shook his head in disbelief. “None of what you’re saying makes sense, Lily,” he said, his voice cold.
“Please, let me finish before you judge me,” I said desperately.
