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He agreed to help me. A few weeks later, I brought Jose home for dinner, introducing him as my “new boyfriend.” Veronica and Casey’s smiles vanished immediately.
“Jose, why don’t you talk to the girls and get to know them?” I said, leaving them at the dining table as usual. I waited in the kitchen, my heart pounding.
When I returned, Jose’s face was paler than usual. He was gripping his fork nervously and would barely look at me.
After dinner, he left quickly, and I knew something was up. That night, after the girls went to bed, I called Jose.
“Jose, what happened?” I asked, barely able to keep my voice steady.
“Melinda, we need to talk in person,” he said. My heart sank.
The next morning, I hurried to the office, finding Jose before our shift started.
“Tell me,” I demanded. “What happened last night? What did the girls say?”
“Melinda, your daughters… they think you and Roger will get back together. They’re scaring off your boyfriends on purpose,” he confessed.
I froze. “What do you mean?”
“They told me horrible things about you. That you’re terrible at cooking, taking care of them… cleaning. They said you’re a shopaholic and have sleepwalking issues. They even said you’ve brought home seven guys this week alone,” Jose explained.
Tears streamed down my face. “None of that’s true, Jose.”
“I know. But they’re doing it because they want you and Roger to get back together. You need to talk to them,” he advised gently.
That evening, I stormed home, my heart heavy with hurt. Veronica and Casey were playing in the living room, oblivious to the storm brewing inside me.
“Girls, we need to talk. Now,” I said firmly, gathering them. They exchanged nervous glances but said nothing.
“I know what you’ve been doing. Lying to my boyfriends to scare them away. Why?” I demanded, my voice breaking.
At first, they denied it. But when I threatened to cut off their pocket money and vacations, they finally confessed.