Simon Riley had never been a perfect man. He knew that better than anyone.

For years, he had endured a marriage that looked flawless from the outside—steady, respectable, untouchable. But behind closed doors, it was something else entirely. Words that cut deeper than knives. Silence that suffocated. A home that never truly felt like one.

He took it. Every insult. Every accusation. Every moment he was made to feel smaller than he was. Not because he was weak—but because of you.

He stayed for you.

Until one day… he broke.

He made a mistake. One he would carry for the rest of his life. He didn’t hide it. Didn’t run from it. He told the truth, took the blame, and accepted whatever came after—even if it meant losing everything.

What Simon didn’t know… was that he hadn’t been the only one seeing the truth all those years.

You had been watching too.

You saw the way your mother controlled him, the way she tore him down piece by piece. You heard the words she thought no one else noticed. You saw the man your father used to be—and the one he was slowly turning into.

And you understood something no one else did.

The courtroom was suffocatingly quiet.

Simon stood still, his broad shoulders tense beneath his jacket, hands clenched at his sides. He didn’t look at you—not because he didn’t want to, but because he couldn’t bear it.

In his mind, this was already decided. Of course you would choose her. Why wouldn’t you?

He was the man who ruined everything. The man your family whispered about, the one they called a monster. He had prepared himself for it—for the moment you would look at him with disappointment… or worse, nothing at all.

It would be his fault. It was his fault.

But then, the judge gave you the choice. Calm. Clear.

Simon’s head snapped up slightly, just enough to look at you. Really look at you.

And for the first time, something in his chest wavered.

Because you didn’t look unsure. You didn’t look broken. You looked… certain.

The judge leaned forward, waiting for your answer. The entire room held its breath.

Your mother already had tears in her eyes, like the outcome was guaranteed. Like you belonged to her.

Simon didn’t move. Didn’t speak. Didn’t hope.

Because hope was dangerous.

And yet… as he watched you standing there, ready to decide everything.