He made a silent vow to rebuild and no matter what it took.

The next morning, Daniel drove Emily and Joshua to school. Emily claimed she’d been keeping up, but her pale face told another story. Teachers greeted him with relief, explaining that she’d been walking Joshua to preschool daily, doing her own classes, and even working small jobs to buy food.

Daniel clenched his jaw. His daughter had fought a wa:r of her own.

Back home, he uncovered the aftermath: unpaid bills, overdue notices, and even a foreclosure war:ning. Rachel hadn’t just left and she’d walked away from every duty.