Book 4: Acceptance

Tony

I couldn't stay at home. After I saw the pictures of my mom and realized that Ellie was, in fact, my daughter, my entire world collapsed. I couldn't think straight. I couldn't understand what made Chloe keep this huge secret from me for years. How could she live under the same roof as me now, with our daughter, and not tell me the truth, not tell me Ellie was also mine?

I had missed so much. And the worst part was that it wasn't even my choice. I wasn't given one from the start. She had chosen that for me. No matter how hard I tried to find a reasonable explanation as to why Chloe did this to me, I always ended up hitting a dead end. 

There is no excuse, there is no reason… 

Why would she allow someone like Mateo to be around her and Ellie when she could have come to me sooner? Why did she think she could keep such a secret from me? What gave her the right?

I felt overwhelmed with emotions—feelings I didn't want to feel.