Kian never thought he would hear from his ex-wife again, not after everything that had happened. She had walked away six years ago, leaving behind a two-year-old daughter and a husband who had begged her to stay. She disappeared into the world, sending only a yearly postcard and a stuffed animal as reminders that she was still out there, still alive.
“I can’t do this, Kian,” she had said that day, looking at their baby girl, Kylie, as she grabbed her jacket off the coat hook. “But you can.”
Kian didn’t expect her to come back, especially not like this. One day, he received a message that made his stomach twist with unease.
Hey! Remember me? Doctors say I’ll be gone soon. It’s terminal. I just wanted to see you one last time. And Kylie. Please, let me!
The message felt surreal. After everything, Kian had moved on. He was now remarried to Lillian, raising Kylie and their baby boy, Jake. Their life was full of bedtime stories, laughter, and a warmth Kian never thought he’d experience again after his divorce.
But how do you say no to a dying person?
Can you?
Kian found himself agreeing to meet Marissa. She chose the place—a quiet restaurant. When Kian arrived, she was already there, stirring a cup of coffee, her hand steady in a way that didn’t match someone with a supposed terminal illness.
He sat across from her, unsure of what to say. He had so many questions.
“So… how long do you have, Marissa? When did you find out you were this sick? Are you sure about the diagnosis?” he asked.
“It’s stage four. So, maybe months, maybe weeks. Who really knows, Kian? But it’s been hard, you know?”
Kian nodded, feeling an unexpected sympathy. Even though he didn’t care for Marissa anymore, she had once been his wife, and she gave him Kylie—the daughter he loved so much.
“I’m sorry. Truly,” he said.
Marissa reached out for his hand, but Kian instinctively pulled back.
“That’s why I wanted to see you,” she continued, her voice soft. “And Kylie. I need to see her, hold her. Just once…”
Kian hesitated. This is too much, too soon.
“Look, Marissa,” he said, his tone firm. “You do know that Kylie barely remembers you, right? She was two when you left.”
Marissa’s face flickered with disappointment, but she didn’t back down.
“But still, she got my gifts, right? The teddy bears? Doesn’t she know me as the favorite person who sent her toys?”
Kian bit back a bitter laugh. Favorite person? The teddy bears? The ones Kylie never played with?
“She got them,” he said flatly.
“I just… I just want to see her, Kian,” Marissa pressed, her voice pleading. “I want to say goodbye. I carried her, Kian. My body did the work. So I… I get to see her, and I get to say goodbye.”
Kian exhaled. I don’t want her near my daughter, but I can’t say no to this.
“Alright, but you follow my rules. Okay?”
Marissa nodded eagerly.
Kian didn’t realize then that he should have never opened that door to Marissa.
The next day, the doorbell rang, and Kian and Lillian exchanged a glance. They weren’t expecting anyone. Kian had just made ice cream sandwiches with the kids.
“I’ll get it,” Kian said, raising an eyebrow. “But don’t eat anything without me!”
Kylie giggled as Kian went to answer the door. As he opened it, a giant teddy bear blocked his view.
Then came a too-cheerful voice.
“Surprise!”
Kian almost slammed the door in her face.
“What the hell, Marissa?” he hissed.
“I wanted to see Kylie. You said I could,” Marissa beamed, pushing past him and into the house before he could stop her.
Kylie came skipping down the hall, then stopped when she saw Marissa.
“Hi, Kylie! It’s me, your mom!” Marissa said, her voice practically bubbling over with excitement.
Kylie stared at her, then turned to Kian.
“Daddy, who is she?” she asked, her little voice filled with confusion.
Marissa’s face fell, and Kian’s heart clenched—not out of sympathy for her, but because he hated that she was doing this to herself.
Lillian, holding Jake in her arms, stepped in smoothly.
“Kylie, sweetheart, why don’t you finish your coloring? We’ll talk later, okay?”
“But what about our ice cream sandwiches?” Kylie asked, her eyes wide.
“We’ll have them later, sweet girl,” Lillian reassured her.
Kylie nodded and disappeared into her room.
“Kids, right?” Marissa said, forcing a smile.
Kian should have kicked her out right then, but instead, he let her stay for dinner.
Over the next week, Marissa met with Kylie at the park a few times. They didn’t tell Kylie about the cancer, not when she barely even recognized Marissa as her mother. There was no need for that kind of explanation.
But then, Marissa dropped another bombshell.
“The doctors reassessed my condition,” she said, grabbing Kian’s arm with dramatic flair. “It’s a miracle, Kian! There’s a chance I can live!”
Kian blinked slowly. What?
“Wow, that’s… that’s great,” he managed to say, not sure what else to say.
“It’s not that simple,” Marissa continued. “I can recover, but it all depends on the medication. There’s a new trial the doctor wants me on. But it’s expensive.”
Kian didn’t like the sound of where this was going.
“How much?” he asked.
“$20,000,” she said, her tone casual, like it was just another request.
Kian froze. That’s a lot of money, Marissa.
“I know,” she sighed. “But Kian, please…”
Her eyes flickered toward Lillian, knowing exactly how to manipulate her.
Lillian turned to Kian, her voice soft. “I feel bad for Marissa. Maybe we can…”
Kian was torn. He didn’t want to believe this woman, but there was a part of him that felt bad for her.
So they considered it. But it would turn out to be the biggest mistake of their lives.
That night, Kylie walked into their room, clutching one of the teddy bears Marissa had given her. She looked serious, far too serious for an eight-year-old.
“Daddy,” Kylie said quietly, “she’s lying.”
Kian sat up, his stomach sinking. “What do you mean, sweet pea?”
“This bear talks,” Kylie said. “With her voice.”
Kian blinked in disbelief. “What?”
Kylie pressed the bear’s stomach, and a distorted voice crackled to life. “I’ll get the money soon! And you owe me a drink!”
The air left Kian’s lungs as he grabbed the bear, quickly discovering a tiny hidden recorder inside. When he rewound it, Marissa’s voice filled the room.
“Yeah, I told Kian that it was stage four. And he totally bought it. He was practically crying at the restaurant. Twenty grand just for some fake tears.”
Lillian sat up, horrified, while Kylie looked at Kian with wide eyes, her little face filled with betrayal and understanding.
Marissa had been on the phone, gloating about her scam. She hadn’t meant for Kian to hear this—especially not when it was his daughter who was handed the confession.
“I told you, she’s not my mom,” Kylie said quietly.
“You did, sweetheart. And you were right,” Kian said, his voice full of gratitude for his sharp little girl.
The next day, Kian sent Marissa a message.
I have the money. Come and get it.
Marissa showed up thirty minutes later, all smiles. Kylie handed her an envelope, thick with cash.
Marissa’s eyes lit up. “Oh, thank you, my dearest girl! It’s so kind of you! This means so much…”
Kian cut her off, holding up his hand.
“Before you open it,” he said, “we have something for you to listen to.”
He pressed play on the recorder.
Marissa froze as her own voice filled the room.
“Yeah, I told Kian that it was stage four. And he totally bought it. He was practically crying at the restaurant. Twenty grand just for some fake tears.”
Marissa’s face went ghostly pale.
“That’s not me!” she stammered, her hands shaking. “Someone must have doctored that…”
She ripped open the envelope, only to find $20,000 in Monopoly money.
Kylie’s idea. “If she is fake sick, then let’s give her fake money.”
Marissa’s face twisted in fury. “You can’t do this to me!”
“You did this to yourself, Marissa,” Lillian said, her voice cold as steel. “And why did you give our child a teddy bear with a recording? What was on it before?”
Marissa stared at them for a moment before speaking, her voice shaking.
“It was a recording of me telling her I’m her true mother. I guess I accidentally recorded over it.”
“You’re pathetic,” Kian said, his tone final. “Now, get out. Leave our lives forever.”
As Marissa stormed off, slamming the door behind her, Kian turned to Kylie.
“You saved us, and you saved our money,” he said, his voice full of pride.
“She didn’t deserve it, Daddy,” Kylie replied, her voice full of determination. “Didn’t you say we have to earn and deserve money?”
And she was right.
Kian had always taught her that lesson, ever since she was old enough to understand the value of hard work.
Marissa didn’t deserve to be part of their family. She didn’t deserve to be in Kylie’s life.
Their true family was right here under this roof. And no scam, no matter how elaborate, could ever change that.
