I Said “No” To Babysitting Once For A Doctor’s Appointment. My Son’s Response: “The Locks Have Been Updated. Please Don’t Come By Right Now.” So I Came Back A Week Later… With A Realtor To Sell The Very House I BOUGHT FOR THEM.

But there was still a spark of hope that it was all a misunderstanding. That Edward would call. That Laura would apologize.

But the phone remained silent. And I understood that everything had changed. Just because I had dared to say no.

It’s been a week since Edward’s cold message, and I’m still not used to the feeling of being cut off from my own family. My house is completely silent now. No noise of children.

No rushed calls from Laura asking me to watch the kids. But I couldn’t just sit here hugging the pain and filling myself with unanswered questions. I decided to go back to Edward and Laura’s house.

The same one I made the down payment on with a lifetime of sweat. This time, I didn’t go alone. The man with me was in his 50s.

Thin. A faded but well-ironed shirt. Dark glasses that hid his eyes, though I imagined he had seen a lot in his life.

In his hand, he carried an old leather briefcase. Its corners worn. The kind used for important papers.

I had met him two days earlier through an acquaintance in the neighborhood. He didn’t talk much. Just nodded when I briefly told him my story.

Then asked, “Do you want me to come with you?”

I accepted. Not because I trusted him. But because I didn’t know who else to turn to.

The way to Edward’s house was familiar. But today every step felt heavier. My knees still hurt.

But I made the effort. Gripping my purse tightly. When we arrived, I stopped in front of the iron gate, looking at the house I once considered my second home.

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