After my parents divorced, my relationship with my dad became important to me. I loved him so much. He called me every day when I was staying with Mum. I never called him. Whenever I saw Dad's smiling face on my phone, I felt everything would be okay. I treasured my phone because of this. I still do, to my partner's amusement. I never know when Dad might call. He knows my story.

With Dad no longer living with us, I began to appreciate for the first time what Dad did for me. The house was always messy, and I always ate meals alone. The hardest part was stepping up. I was an only child, so I had nobody to share my pain with.

Dad moved into a small two-bedroom apartment. It was all he could afford. It wasn't nice. I wish he could have lived somewhere nicer. I didn't mind. I only thought he deserved so much better for his hard work.

Mum was always out. She told me she was working, but I was sure Mum was dating somebody. I hated that she put somebody before me when she used to make me her everything.

I had to step up. I was cleaning the house, or it would never be clean. I cooked dinners for Mum and me, but she often ate before she came home. In comparison, Dad's apartment was spotless.

Once Mum and Dad's divorce was finalised, Mum became angry, then she suddenly calmed down. Then, an excitement came over her. It was like everything she ever wanted was given to her.

It was then that I met Mark, and everything made sense.

"Emily, I've invited a friend for dinner, I want you to meet," Mum said one morning before school. Mum looked so happy.

That evening, Mum made an extra effort to dress up. Mum expected me to do the same, but Mum was disappointed with my effort. I was too on edge. Something felt wrong.

Mark was an average man who clearly had a high opinion of himself. He was well-dressed. His car in the driveway was flashy. Mark was a man who expected people to be impressed with his possessions and status.

"Emily, this is Mark," Mum told me happily, hanging off his arm.

"Hi," I said unenthusiastically.

"It's great to finally meet you, Emily! Your mum talks about you all the time," Mark exclaimed with a smile that gave me the ick. I don't know if you know what I mean. Mark was the kind of guy who made your skin crawl. He was successful and had everything that should make you admire him. It was the way he was showing off his success that made me not like him.

Mark made every one of my senses stand on end.

It didn't help that he was about ten years older than Mum. He looked good, but his hair was greying. Dad was so much better than Mark.

Mum, though, had fallen for him. Dinner was excruciating. I was barely a teenager, and I could see through him. It was cringey how Mum would laugh at all his unfunny jokes. When I failed to laugh, Mum would say,

"Emily is too young to understand your jokes."

I understood them just fine. They weren't funny, that's all.

At the end of the evening, the reason why Mum was angry about Dad giving me a mobile phone became apparent. Mark gave me a brand-new iPhone.

"Your mum's and my numbers are already on there," Mark told me confidently.

"Thank you, but I already have a phone," I said politely, handing Mark's gift back.

Mark looked offended.

"Emily!" Mum snapped. "Don't be so ungrateful! It's a very generous gift."

I knew what a bribe was, but I was too young to link the word and what the iPhone meant. I did understand that the iPhone came with the expectation that I would accept Mark into my life.

"I like Dad's phone better," I explained. It was obvious Mark didn't like that explanation.

Mum was panicking.

"You can have two phones, one to talk to your dad and one for everything else."

"No, I only want the one dad gave me," I insisted.

"That was very ungrateful of you!" Mum was so angry after Mark had left. "Mark tried so hard to get to know you, but you were so rude to him."

Mum's whole attitude brought out of me what was playing on my mind while Mark was there.

"Did you cheat on Dad with Mark?" I asked bluntly out of the blue.

Mum's face briefly went pale. She didn't think I would ever work it out. Her initial reaction was all I needed to know, but she tried to explain it away rationally anyway, by lying.

"I suppose you were always going to ask that question, considering how quickly I moved on. I understand why you're asking, and I get why. No, I didn't cheat on your dad with Mark. I started dating Mark after your dad and I separated. You have to understand that Mark makes me feel alive and seen in a way your dad could never make me feel. Your dad isn't a bad man. I promise you I will never say a bad word about him. He is a good father, but he could no longer give me what I needed in a relationship, emotionally. One day you will understand. Please give Mark a chance. You won't regret it."

Mum's explanation had so many holes in it that it wasn't believable. When I went to bed, I called Dad and got the truth.