He Drove Her To The Exam, Left Our Daughter In The Flood Chapter 08

He Drove Her To The Exam, Left Our Daughter In The Flood Chapter 08

Five-year-old Hope was sitting on his shoulders, grinning widely, holding a stuffed bunny he’d

won for her at a carnival.

Back then, he felt nothing in the world was more important than his daughter.

He didn’t know when he had started to change.

Maybe it was the first time Sienna had Madison call him “Dad,” and that little girl had run up

to hug his leg, her voice sweet and bright.

He’d softened, thinking this child needed him too.

Hope grew up; she stopped looking for him, stopped acting spoiled, and when she got a top

grade, she’d just say “it was fine.”

He felt Hope didn’t need him anymore; he took her maturity as evidence that she didn’t need

to be loved.

He didn’t even know when she had become so mature.

Was it after he slapped her? Or after he gave the charm to Madison?

He couldn’t remember.

But not remembering was scarier than remembering.

Arthur went to the rideshare company and handled the paperwork to transfer his taxi license

and thirty percent of his shares into Hope’s name.

This was his entire net worth. After doing this, he couldn’t even afford a plane ticket.

He bought the earliest train ticket.

A coach seat for a twelve-hour ride.

As he boarded, he pulled out that Golden Horseshoe Charm he’d taken back from Sienna.

The red string was nearly unraveled, and the gold thread had turned dull.

He clutched it in his palm, holding it tight all night.

Arthur waited by the flowerbed near my new apartment building for the entire morning.

I saw him when I went out to get groceries.

He was leaning against the edge of the planter, looking much thinner than before. His eyes

were sunken, he had stubble on his face, and there was a deep crease in his trousers from

sitting on the train for so long.

He saw me, stood up, and called out.

“Clara.”

I glanced at him.

“What are you doing here?”

His body wavered, as if he’d been struck.

In nineteen years of marriage, I had never used such a cold tone with him.

“I’m here to sign the divorce papers.” His voice was very raspy. “And I have some things to

give back to Hope.”

I nodded.

“Come on up, then.”

I walked ahead, and he followed.

His pace was slow as he climbed the stairs, stopping every few steps.

Inside, Hope was sitting at the dining table, studying.

She was wearing her St. Sterling hoodie, her hair in a ponytail, focused on the textbook in

front of her.

Hearing the noise, she looked up and saw Arthur.

She didn’t call him “Dad”; she just looked at him quietly, like one looks at an acquaintance

they aren’t very close to.

Arthur pulled something from his pocket and placed it on the table.

It was the Golden Horseshoe Charm.

The red string was nearly falling apart, and the gold thread was badly worn, the once-bright

color now dull.

“This is yours,” he said. “I took it back from Sienna.”

Hope looked down at it.

She didn’t pick it up.

She was already a St. Sterling student; she had long since stopped needing that charm.

Arthur then pulled a file from his bag and placed it next to the agreement.

“The license and thirty percent of the fleet shares. I’ve transferred them to your name. Use it for your education fund.”

He took the divorce agreement from my hand and turned to the last page.

His hand shook as the pen hovered over the signature line.

After signing, he handed the papers back to me.

I took them and stood up, signaling with my eyes that it was time for him to leave.

Arthur stood up. He walked to the door and paused.

“That day in the storm, when you were crying so hard… I thought you were crying about the

SATS.”

He paused for two seconds.

“I only realize now that you were crying for your father.”