TOXIC PARENTING

Her Father Wants Something In Return

I won’t give it to him

Claire Franky
3 min readApr 9, 2024

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Photo by Rod Long on Unsplash

I hit the delete button and stared at the blank, judgmental screen once more. I glanced at the clock in the corner of my laptop — 9:30 PM. It had been an hour since I sat down to write and I still hadn’t found the right words.

Frustrated, I leaned back into the large chair and tried to move my feet which were trapped under the considerable weight of my dog. After several nudges, he let out a sleepy growl and doubled down on his position, leaving me with no option but to remain seated in the dimly lit room.

This is why I need a snack bag attached to every chair.

It had been a particularly hard day juggling a substantial workload and a pouty toddler. My body began to ache from the tension it was carrying. I tried to relax and sink further into the chair but something was bothering me. Something I couldn’t put my finger on.

My phone vibrated loudly on the table next to me, making the dog growl once more. I reached for it and studied the screen.

Now I can put my finger on it. Although, I’d rather not.

My child’s sperm donor and my hopefully soon-to-be ex-husband had sent me a message.

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