“You know how much she loves playing hide and seek. Just now, she begged me to play with her. I was busy handling the guests and couldn’t find her in time. Who could’ve guessed she’d go and lock herself in a dog cage? That child has such an imagination…”
Milford staggered back a step, more stunned by my rage than the shove itself. He didn’t apologize. He didn’t even look at Enid. Instead, he turned to Malissa—like she was the one who needed comforting.
Malissa dabbed fake tears with a silk handkerchief, her voice trembling just enough to sound fragile. “Milo… she’s just making a scene. I know Enid’s upset, but blaming me for something like this? You really think I’d hurt a little girl?”
Milford looked torn for half a second—just half. Then his jaw tightened.
“This isn’t the time or place for this,” he snapped. “Lori, if you want to talk, we’ll talk later. But right now, Lisa and I are celebrating the birth of our son. Don’t ruin that for us.”
I stared at him, dumbfounded. He just watched as Enid stood there, shaking, her cheek already red and swelling. His daughter. And he chose her. Again.