One of Ryker's buddies works security at this fancy hotel downtown. Said he saw her there multiple times with different older men, always dressed to the nines.
"She was not exploring," he told me. "She was hunting."
The baby's father is apparently Thorn Reed, the owner of the upscale lounge where Nia worked. Married guy, family money. Definitely not leaving his wife for the bartender he got pregnant.
So, her whole "I need to experience life" speech was bulls***. She was gold digging, plain and simple. Looking for someone with more money than a diesel mechanic could provide.
When that plan backfired spectacularly, she came crawling back to good old reliable Dex, expecting me to clean up her mess.
The worst part is not even the lying. It is that she clearly thought I was stupid enough to fall for it. That after 8 months of building a life without her, I'd just drop everything and play daddy to some rich guy's bastard child because she batted her eyes and said she was sorry.
I told Sloan everything, expecting her to be angry about the drama Nia had brought into our lives. Instead, she just hugged me and said, "I am proud of you for not falling for it."
That is when I knew I was with the right person. Someone who sees my worth instead of my utility. Someone who supports my decisions instead of trying to manipulate them.
Nia texted me yesterday. "You used to be kinder. I do not know what happened to the man who loved me."
What happened to him is that he learned to love himself enough to not accept being treated like s***. What happened to him is that he met someone who chose him first, instead of choosing him when everything else fell apart.
I am done feeling guilty for moving on. I am done apologizing for building a life that does not include someone who abandoned it the first chance she got.
Edit: People keep asking how I feel about Nia being pregnant and struggling. Honestly, I feel sorry for the situation she is in, but I do not feel responsible for fixing it. She made calculated choices that led to this outcome. I am not cruel enough to wish her harm, but I am not stupid enough to sacrifice my happiness for her consequences.
Edit 2: Sloan and I put an offer on a house this week. Three bedrooms. Good neighborhood. Big enough to grow into. Sometimes the best revenge is just living well.
Update 2: I thought I knew the full extent of Nia's deception. But what I discovered this week makes her exploration period look like amateur hour compared to the real con she was running.