After my ex-husband Tom left me for another woman, I never thought I’d heal. But then I met Eric — kind, steady, and everything my heart needed. We were finally moving in together when Tom showed up at my door, looking worn and desperate.

He told me the woman he left me for had died, and he now had a little girl, Ava. “I can’t do this alone,” he pleaded. I hesitated, but when I met Ava, my heart softened. She was sweet, innocent, and quickly attached to me.

But something about Tom’s eagerness unsettled me. One night, while he was out, I found legal documents in his office. The truth hit me hard: he needed me because Ava’s inheritance required a guardian partner. It wasn’t about love or trust — it was about money.

Heartbroken, I said a painful goodbye to Ava, promising she’d always be special to me. Then I rushed back to Eric, terrified I’d lost him. But when I arrived, there he was — standing in the rain, holding white roses, waiting for me. In that moment, I knew I hadn’t lost everything.