Caiden shut his eyes, eradicating every emotion from his body. He refused to allow Kamara to cause him pain. He remarked in a chilly, stern voice, "Believe whatever you want to believe and I'll respect your request to limit our conversation to the kids only. Apart from that, I have nothing further to say to you." Her heart bled at his disdain.

Kamara started to back away, and before she knew it, she was fleeing from Caiden. She sobbed while sitting by the front door, out of his line of sight. The apartment was silent for about thirty minutes.

The circumstances appeared intolerable. Caiden had not felt these kinds of...