Daddy Belongs to Me

My daughter treated me as her rival from the time she could talk. Every time my husband and I went to bed together, she would burst in and pull us apart. "Mommy, you slut!

You're not allowed to seduce my daddy!" At dinner one night my husband gave me half the meat off his own plate, and she climbed out of a secondfloor window onto the roof, crying. "Unless Daddy stays away from Mommy, I'm jumping right now!" Even when I put on makeup, she had to sneer. "An old woman like you.

No matter how you dress up, you'll never beat me." Later my husband cheated. I was afraid a stepmother would mistreat my daughter, so I fought for custody with everything I had.

Instead, my daughter threw acid on me, screaming. "Don't you dare separate me and Daddy.

Daddy belongs to me and nobody else!" The pair of reapers who came for my soul took pity on me and gave me a chance to live my life over.

This time, I gave up custody without a second thought. "From here on, all I want is to be as far away from my daughter as I can get." … Chapter 1 My husband, Bryan, looked startled. "Miranda, what made you change your mind all of a sudden?

You said you'd take her with you if it killed you." Before I could answer, Kaylee came charging in and started hitting and kicking me. "I'm not going anywhere with you!" "We're both women.

You think I don't know what's going on in your head?

You're just jealous that Daddy spoils me!" She threw herself into Bryan's arms and gloated at me over his shoulder. "Nobody is separating me and Daddy.

I'm going to be Daddy's baby girl for the rest of his life!" Kaylee had seen me as a thorn in her side since she was little.

But whatever else she was, she was my own flesh and blood. So in my last life, when I found out Bryan wanted to remarry right away, I dragged it out with him for a long time.

I was willing to give up part of the property as long as I got custody of Kaylee.

Remembering the pain of acid burning through my body, I picked up the settlement papers. "I respect what my daughter wants. Let her live with you." Kaylee froze.

I was about to sign. Then she snatched the papers out from under my hand. "A woman who got dumped, still trying to squeeze money out of Daddy?

Don't you have any shame?" "Daddy, you promised you'd spend all that money on pretty dresses for me!

Don't give that old woman so much." She hung on Bryan's leg, wheedling, saying a failure of a woman like me didn't deserve a cent.

She didn't know Bryan had cheated, and she didn't understand that five hundred thousand dollars should have been mine. Bryan didn't explain any of it.

He just kept working on his image. "What can Daddy say? Daddy's too nice.

He can't bring himself to be that hard on your mommy." "I know it hurts you to see how hard Daddy works for his money.

You really are Daddy's sweetest girl." Watching the two of them feed each other lines, I let out a cold laugh. Kaylee turned out this way, and Bryan was her biggest accomplice.

He never corrected her, indulged her with no limit at all, and let her mind twist further and further. It took some doing, but Bryan finally coaxed Kaylee out of the room.

Then he turned around and lowered his voice at me. "Don't say anything to Kay about the remarriage yet.

I'm afraid she couldn't handle it all at once." "When the time is right, I'll introduce Kay to her new mommy." Kaylee, who knew none of it, was busy soaking up her victory.

She couldn't wait to take my wedding photo down off the wall and stomp up and down on my face. "Yes!

I finally beat my rival!" My heart hardened toward her for good, and all I felt was how pathetic and ridiculous she was.

Once she found out she was about to get a new rival, would she still be laughing? She caught me looking at her. She jeered at me at the top of her lungs.

Chapter 2 "Bet you're so jealous of me. Starting today, Daddy belongs to me and nobody else!" I didn't answer her. I went into the bedroom and packed my things without a word.

After we filed, we still had to wait a full sixty days before a judge would sign.

I was taking the money and not the house, and Bryan was afraid I'd change my mind before then, so we came to an arrangement: I'd go on living here until the decree came through, which gave me a stretch of time to find a place of my own.

When Kaylee saw that I was only carrying my things into the small bedroom, she lost it right there. "Why aren't you taking a suitcase?

Are you planning to keep hanging around here?" "You shameless slut, I knew you wouldn't give up that easy!" Screaming, she threw my things in the trash, then went running to Bryan in tears. "Daddy, why does she still get to live here?" "I hate Mommy.

Make her leave, please…" Bryan tried to explain to her why it took a full sixty days before he and I were really divorced.

She didn't take in a single word. "I came out of Mommy's stomach.

Nobody knows her better than me." "Mommy just wants these sixty days to seduce you and trick you into getting back together." "Mommy doesn't want the divorce at all.

She's playing hard to get. Don't you dare fall for it." I hadn't expected the divorce to make Kaylee even more hostile toward me. I hit my limit and slapped her. "Shut up.

You don't get to call me Mom." "Soon you and I won't be anything to each other. Don't expect me to keep putting up with you!" I used to treat my daughter like the apple of my eye.

Even when I corrected her, I couldn't bring myself to say anything harsh. Kaylee had never seen me like this.

She burst into loud, frightened sobs and burrowed into Bryan's arms like she was the one being wronged. "Daddy, look.

She finally showed you her real face." "This is what she does to me when nobody's watching.

She's always been jealous of how close you and I are, and she abuses me over nothing…" It wasn't the first time Kaylee had lied about me.

From the time she was four, she had been racking her brain to make up lies to carry to Bryan.

The way she told it, I was a vicious woman with a hair trigger who hit her over anything. And Bryan always took Kaylee's side, no questions asked. "She's a little kid.

How could she possibly lie?" Back then I didn't want to believe that my own daughter saw me as her rival for a man. By the time I believed it, it was far too late.

Looking at Kaylee's pitiful little face, I let out a snort. "Kaylee Ledbetter, you're ten years old and you've already got the poorinnocentme act down.

It's a shame you're not an actress." "Save your energy. Fighting me gets you nowhere.

The one you need to fight is your dad's—" Before I could finish, Bryan slapped a hand over my mouth and dragged me away. "Miranda, what are you doing?

I asked you to keep it quiet." "If you blurt out the remarriage like that, Kay will fall apart." Watching Bryan play the concerned father made me want to throw up. "You didn't worry about her falling apart when you were cheating.

You don't care about your daughter. You care about that phony image of yours." "Never mind.

I can't be bothered with whatever goes on between the two of you." Kaylee would learn the truth sooner or later. All I had to do was sit back and enjoy the show.

But I hadn't counted on this.

To shut down any chance of Bryan and me getting back together, Kaylee spent that time going down the street ringing every neighbor's doorbell. "My mom's been running around with other men, so my dad decided to divorce her." Chapter 3 "But she won't move out.

She keeps hanging all over my dad. Please, y'all, can you help me get her out of the house?" Kaylee's tearful accusations drew a crowd of neighbors.

They stood around our front door, pointing at me. "Who would have thought. Miranda looks so proper, and she's out chasing men." "Her own daughter can't stand her.

That tells you what kind of person she is." In everyone's eyes, I was a failure from top to bottom. A woman with loose morals, dumped by her husband, hated by her own daughter.

My life was a total wipeout. Afraid of what I'd do if I got pushed too far, Bryan actually stepped up and played peacemaker. "It's all a misunderstanding.

Don't listen to a kid talk nonsense. Our family business isn't worth anybody's trouble." Kaylee was beside herself. "Daddy, why are you helping Miranda?

I'm doing this for you!" I had told Kaylee she didn't get to call me Mom.

So she took that inch and ran a mile with it, and started using my first name to my face. "Miranda, see that? You're getting divorced whether you like it or not.

I'm not giving you a chance to back out!" For his own sake, Bryan finally snapped at her. "Grownup business is none of yours.

Quit making trouble and go to your room." Kaylee's eyes went red on the spot. She didn't hold the yelling against Bryan. She put it on me. "It's all Miranda's fault.

If only I didn't have such a horrible mother!" "She's already getting divorced and she's still turning Daddy against me.

That's the first time Daddy has ever been mean to me…" Kaylee's resentment was so sincere that I couldn't stop shaking my head. "Bryan, this is that fine daughter you spoiled." "Wait until that side piece of yours moves in.

You're in for a real treat." I didn't spare Bryan anything. I posted the truth straight to the neighborhood group.

I told all of them the reason for our divorce was that Bryan had cheated.

And anyone who believed Kaylee's garbage and spread filthy rumors about me could expect a letter from my lawyer.

Bryan panicked, snatched my phone out of my hand, and deleted the post. When he saw me pick up my bag to go stay at a hotel, he grabbed my arm, nervous. "Miranda, you can't leave.

What if you won't come to the courthouse with me to sign? Where would I find you?" I gave him a cold look and shook him off. "Relax.

I want that decree more than you do." Because nobody on earth wanted to be rid of Kaylee sooner than I did.

The second I was gone, Kaylee texted me a threat. [Don't even think about sneaking back to seduce Daddy.

I'll be watching you!] She burned every photo of me left in the house and made sure to film it for me. I blocked her.

In my last life I fought Bryan over custody for so long that I wore myself down to nothing. This time I let go clean, and I felt lighter all over.

I started working out again, taking care of my face, and I even threw a party to celebrate getting away from that little menace.

The day the sixty days ran out and we went to the courthouse for the decree, I was glowing. I was in better shape than I'd been before the divorce.

Kaylee sized me up, on guard. "Miranda, there's nothing you won't do to win my dad back. You even went and got your face done." "Give it up. Daddy is never coming back.

From now on there's only one baby girl in his world, and that's me!" She hooked her arm through Bryan's, for all the world like a general home from a war she'd won.

And I just kissed the decree and walked out without a backward glance. Chapter 4 I bought a new house quickly, eager to start my new life.

Then, only a few days after the move, in the middle of the night, an officer showed up at my door. "Ms.

Ramsey, how could you leave your daughter out on the street?" "What daughter?" While I was still standing there lost, Kaylee shoved past him and ran into my house, looking around everywhere. "Did Daddy come here?

He didn't come home tonight. You've got him hidden somewhere!" Muttering the whole time, she started yanking open drawers and cabinets.

The house I'd just finished unpacking was a wreck in under a minute. Something in me caught fire.

I grabbed Kaylee by the braid and pushed her back over to the officer. "You think everybody wants Bryan as much as you do? He isn't here.

Get out!" Kaylee flinched, and the tears came instantly. "Officer, look. This is how my mom treats me all the time…" The officer's face hardened. "This is your own daughter.

How can you act like this?" I worked to stay calm and explained it to him. "Her father and I are divorced.

He has custody." "There's no way she got lost on the street alone in the middle of the night. She made a false report to harass me." "I'd suggest you call her father directly.

I'll give you his number." Kaylee didn't believe a word of it. She still thought Bryan was here. "Who else could keep Daddy out all night but you?" I almost told her the truth.

Then I thought about it. Even if I said it, Kaylee wouldn't believe me. She'd more likely go from humiliated to furious and take it out on me all over again.

I swallowed the words, gave the officer Kaylee's address, and had him take her home. The next day the officer told me what she'd said.

Kaylee couldn't get through to her dad and was scared alone in the house. She'd wanted to reach me and found out I'd blocked her number.

She was afraid I wouldn't see her, so this was the way she'd come up with to find me.

The officer swallowed the tenyearold's lies whole, and he had advice for me too. "Your daughter just misses you. No mother and daughter stay mad overnight.

Be good to her from now on." There was nothing I could say. Even if I told them, nobody would believe a daughter had spent years fighting her own mother over a man.

I had no choice but to text Bryan and tell him to bring his new wife home, fast. I got a few quiet days out of it.

Then Kaylee's teacher started calling me like she was collecting a debt. "Kaylee hides in the bathroom every day and won't come out.

She says she'll only go home if you come get her." "Ms. Ramsey, custody or not, she's still your daughter." "Besides, Kaylee turned out this way because the adults got divorced.

You can't just sit back and watch." After the guilt trip, the teacher added that if I did nothing, she'd put the whole thing online and let people decide who was in the wrong.

I was terrified it would touch my job, so I gritted my teeth and went to pick Kaylee up. This time Kaylee was strangely sweet.

She called me Mommy in a syrupy voice, and then, for the first time in her life, she hugged me. "Mommy, I missed you so much." Looking at the teacher's satisfied face, all I could do was smile awkwardly and take her home with my nerves strung tight.

I had barely set her backpack down when Kaylee's face went dark.

Before I could react, she threw the deadbolt on the door. "Daddy hasn't come home for nights on end, and it's all your fault, you homewrecker!" Chapter