I Picked up My 5-Year-Old from Kindergarten When She Suddenly Said, ‘Daddy, Why Didn’t the New Daddy Pick Me up like He Usually Does?’

I met Sophia a decade ago and knew right away she was someone special. We married a year later, and five years ago we welcomed our daughter, Lizzy. Life was full and happy—until the day Lizzy casually mentioned a “new daddy” who picked her up from kindergarten and took her to the zoo. It made no sense to me.

When I looked into it, I discovered Sophia’s assistant, Ben, had been collecting Lizzy and bringing her to Sophia’s office. When I went there myself, I found Sophia and Ben kissing. She tried to deny what I’d seen, but in that moment, our marriage was over.

I filed for divorce and sought full custody. The evidence showed Ben had regularly picked up Lizzy with Sophia’s approval. The court awarded me primary custody, and Sophia was granted only supervised visitation. Both she and Ben were later dismissed from her company.

It shattered my heart—I truly loved Sophia—but she betrayed our family and crossed a line by involving our child. Now my focus is on raising Lizzy with love and strength. For her sake, we sometimes sit with Sophia together, but forgiveness hasn’t come. Protecting my daughter always will.