Two Daughters

"Richard is not happy with the turn of the events, but he's willing to make this sacrifice for me. He's even willing to pay for my wedding and let you walk me down the aisle. In any case, I'm willing to cut Mom and Richard out of my life after the wedding if things get too complicated."

I couldn't believe what I was listening.

"Your mother made a good disciple out of you! You care about no one but yourself," I said with my voice full of disappointment. "I'm sorry, Elise. I won't be part of this charade. What you are doing is wrong. It shows you have no morals, no values, no scruples, no conscience."

"Dad I love Roger, I can't lose him!"

"Then confess everything to him. Tell him the truth. See if your love is strong enough to survive; don't build your future on a lie. And regarding us, I don't think our relationship can ever be mended, our values clash."

"Daddy, please!" she was openly crying now. Crocodile tears or genuine ones? I couldn't tell.

"I'm not your Daddy anymore. So stop calling me that! My daughter died the day you exchanged me for a wealthier man with no morals. I won't lie to your fiancé. If you want me to walk you down the aisle I'll do it. But I'll talk with Roger first, and I'll tell him the truth and nothing but the truth."

I stood up, Sabrina did the same.

"One bit of free advice: You are delusional if you think lying to your fiancé will work in the long run. Sooner than later he'll discover that you lied to him."

Elise's face metamorphosed into an expression of pure rage.

"Fuck you, old man! Mom was right about you. You're just a pathetic loser!"

Before I could react, Sabrina slapped Elise on the cheek hard enough to knock her down. By the time my stunned first daughter regained her feet, she found Sabrina standing protectively between herself and me.

"Say one more bad thing about my Daddy and I'll kick your ass back to the hole in the ground you crawled out," Sabrina growled. "Get out of this town, you lying stupid cunt."

Elise turned around and rushed out of the restaurant.

I extended my hand.

"Pay."

She gave me back one of my coins.

"I love you, Dad."

"I love you too, Sabrina."

EPILOGUE

Later, I found out through my mother that Elise had gone ahead with the wedding. No idea who walked her down the aisle.

True to her word, Elise cut Louise and Doctor Dick out of her new life after the wedding. I can only imagine how many new lies Elise had to tell to her new husband to justify her actions. When you are caught in a web of lies and deceit, it invariably affects other parts of your life.

You live under the stress of being discovered. That's what probably made Elise's marriage fail. Roger divorced her two years after the wedding.

Louise wasn't happy to be cut out of her daughter's life. She blamed Doctor Dick for losing her daughter. I guess it isn't funny when the shoe is on the other foot. The situation created a rift between Louise and good ol' Richard and they ended up in divorce.

Doctor Dick was a cheater but he wasn't stupid. Louise had signed a prenup before getting married, so when he dumped her she didn't do well in the divorce.

The last thing I heard through the grapevine was that my ex-wife was working as a nurse again and living in a small apartment.

To be honest, I didn't care.

I couldn't be happier. Today I'm walking Sabrina down the aisle.

But that's another story.

THE END