My Ex Wanted Back the Tablet He Gifted Our Daughter – I Had the Perfect Response

​​My Ex-husband Demanded the Tablet He Gifted Our Daughter Back Because of His New Wife – I Agreed, but on One Condition

The challenging aspect was not being a single mother. One of the most challenging aspects was witnessing my daughter repeatedly come to the realisation that her father would perpetually prioritise another else over her. However, when he attempted to return the birthday present that he had given her in order to earn the approval of his new wife, I made the decision that it was time to teach him a lesson.

On occasion, wounds do not heal. The passage of time does not heal them, nor does it cause them to fade into a distant memory. The only thing they do is sit there, unrefined and unattractive, waiting for the smallest touch to cause them to bleed once more.

Willie, my ex-husband, was the wound that I went through. The type of wound that causes a throbbing sensation in the middle of the night, when the silence is so dense that you can hear your own sadness reverberating through places that are empty.

Twelve years of marriage had been more than simply a chapter in my life; they had been a novel that I believed was on its way to a satisfying conclusion. Rather than that, it had been ripped to shreds, the pages had been strewn about, and the story had been cruelly cut off.

“Mom?” When I was in those periods of silence where I was grieving, I would occasionally hear the voice of my daughter Lily. “Are you okay?”

I would force myself to grin, but my smile never quite made it to my eyes. I would swallow hard. Baby, I’m doing good. Never a problem.”

This, however, was a falsehood. On a wound that never ceased bleeding, there was a bandage that was applied.

My marriage to Willie lasted for twelve years, during which time we had a child and a life that I believed we were constructing together. In what seemed like a split second, he vanished from the scene. I was left to patch up the rubble and raise our daughter, who was 10 years old, by myself while he moved on with his brand-new bride.

There were times when I retold our narrative over and over again, wondering where the cracks had first appeared.

When Willie started arriving home late, was it the moment? What happened when his eyes stopped looking at me? At what point did the chats turn into a series of polite but meaningless encounters that were completely hollow?

I adapted my behaviour. I made sure that Lily never experienced the void that her father had left behind by working two jobs on her behalf.

I would gaze in the mirror first thing in the morning and remind myself that I am more than the abandonment he had shown me. I am formidable. I would never allow my daughter to witness me breaking down, and she would never comprehend the extent of the sorrow that threatened to swallow me.

And just as I was beginning to feel like I had really gotten my footing, Willie swooped in with a request that was so self-centred and so gut-wrenchingly it was HIM that I almost smiled.

No, it was not funny at all. It irritated me to no end.

With his phone in his hand, a man Source: Midjourney (in full)

Willie called me out of the blue, and his voice was so annoyingly nonchalant that it made my skin crawl. It seemed as though he was talking about nothing more important than the weather during our conversation.

“What’s up, Judy? Now, let’s talk about the tablet that I presented to Lily on her birthday.

Immediately after he mentioned her name, I felt a tense sensation within me. The calm that had been meticulously established over the course of many years suddenly felt like paper, ready to tear apart at the least provocation.

The direction that this was going was already bothering me. “What about it?”

There was a pause… that deliberate wait that Willie usually employed when he was going to say anything that was intended to manipulate others. I was aware of that delay. My marriage was based on such pauses, and I made it through.

“I need it back.”

After removing the phone from my ear, I glanced at it, certain that I had misunderstood what was being said.

“You WHAT?”

The explanation that he provided was scripted and lacking in substance. This is just… When he stated this, he cleared his throat as if he was aware of how stupid he sounded. “Sarah believes that it was too expensive,” he continued. “We’ve been trying to be more mindful about our spending, and, well, she feels it’s inappropriate for a kid to have such a high-end device when we have financial goals.”

I was completely taken aback by the audacity. What are your financial objectives? Is this coming from a man who has rethought what it means to be financially irresponsible?

A bitter, sarcastic laugh came out of my mouth.

“What are your financial objectives? You haven’t paid a single penny in child support for the past half a year, and now you’re concerned about your financial situation?

Willie let out a sigh like if I were having a difficult time. “Come on, don’t make this a thing.”

It’s not going to be a thing, is it? Have you ever considered what it may have been like for us to raise our daughter by ourselves? Would you be willing to put in double shifts, save every penny, and make sure that she never feels the absence that you have created?

“She’s my daughter too,” Willie mumbled as a feeble attempt at defending himself.

“Is she?” I responded with a shot. “Because from where I’m standing, you seem to have forgotten that entirely.”

“Don’t be dramatic, Judy.”

Oh, you can be sure that I’m going to make this a thing. It has been months since you made your tablet promise to Lily. In order to purchase the programs, she even put aside some of her own money. Are you under the impression that you can simply retract your decision now, simply because Sarah has changed her mind?

“Judy, she is already my wife. Now, we are able to make decisions together.

I felt my stomach turn because of the way he expressed it, as if our kid were some kind of obligation that could be ignored in comparison to his brand new marriage.

“She is OUR daughter,” I yelled out in a rage. “Not some mistake you left in the past.”

It sounded like he was covering the receiver, as there was a shuffling sound involved. I just need it back, is that good with you? The fact that Lily is in possession of it does not make Sarah feel at ease.

You feel at ease? Oh, what a jest! A crisp sniffle caused me to turn around.

With a firm grasp on the tablet, Lily stood at the doorway, as if it were her only means of survival. Her huge brown eyes, which had witnessed an excessive amount of pain for a ten-year-old, began to well up with tears, and her lip began to tremble.

Yes, that was it. That was the moment when I collapsed. I let out a deep exhalation, attempting to train my voice into a tone that was dangerously quiet.

What do you know, Mr. “That’s fine,” I responded. “You can have Lily’s tablet back.”

Willie exhibited a moment of hesitation, as if he was surprised that I would give in so readily. “Uh… really?”

I grinned, but he was unable to see it on my face. Without a doubt. But there is one stipulation.”

A brief pause transpired. After that, he laughed, demonstrating that he was an idiot. Yes, that’s OK. In any case. Coffee Beanz will be waiting for you tomorrow. “Goodbye”

It’s you, Willie. You have just walked right into a trap, and you are not even aware of it for a moment! It occurred to me.

That night, I spent a lot of time going through all of the financial records that I had. At this point, it was no longer just about a tablet. In addition to demonstrating to my kid that her value is not based on the convenience of another person, this was about maintaining principles and justice.

Every every receipt has a narrative to tell. Rather than merely numbers, sacrifices were made.

Bills related to medical care The clothes that Lily had outgrown faster than I could afford to replace were among the things that I stretched across payment plans, school supplies that were purchased with overtime hours, and other expenses.

I was organising the documents, and I noticed that my fingers were somewhat shaking. It was a tribute to the years that Willie had “forgotten” and walked away, leaving me to bear the full burden of fatherhood. Each paper was a testament to those years.

More importantly, what is it? The log of Lily’s finances, which includes the precise amount that she invested on the tablet in order to install the applications. A thorough accounting by a ten-year-old, each dollar saved from birthday money, assisting neighbours with odd jobs, and her own small sacrifices are all examples of what was accomplished.

Everything was printed by me. Just about every single receipt.

“What are you doing, Mom?” Lily wanted to know, as she observed me with those big eyes that appeared to contain more knowledge than the majority of adults.

I murmured, “Making sure that justice is served, baby,” as I said it.

After that, I sent Willie a text message asking him to meet us at the coffee shop.

In a spooky silence, Lily sat down next to me. Using both hands, she held the tablet in her hands, her fingers clenching the edges of the tablet like a shield. I was aware of that position. The tone was defensive. It was a problem. When Willie would begin one of his manipulative conversations, I would hold myself in the same manner as I did in the past.

“Are you okay, sweetheart?” It was a whisper.

She indicated with a nod, but her eyes conveyed a different message. A whirlwind of feelings was raging through them, and a glimmer of hope could be seen shining through them.

With Sarah following closely behind him, Willie walked in in a pompous manner as he often does. With her arms crossed and her lips pursed, she appeared to be as sour as I had imagined she would be. It seemed as though the very act of being here was beneath her. Her stance conveyed a sense of judgement, and her designer dress screamed privilege over and over again.

“Alright, let’s —” This is the tablet that Willie reached for.

Over the course of the table, I moved a substantial stack of papers. Like a knife, the sound of papers being shuffled cut through the background noise that was present in the cafe.

He blinked. “What’s this?”

“Oh, just a little breakdown of everything you owe Lily,” I said sweetly. “You can have the tablet back… right after you reimburse her for the money she spent on it.”

Willie took a deep breath. The smugness drained away, replaced by something between shock and embarrassment.

Sarah’s eyes contracted in concentration. “This is unnecessary.”

“Is it?” I sat back and crossed my arms across my chest. “Because, from where I am seated, you are attempting to educate my daughter that presents may be taken away if another person decides that they do not approve of them. It is NOT the way that life operates.

Lily’s hold on the tablet became slightly more firm. I could see her holding her breath, waiting.

Willie glanced at the receipts, then at Lily, who was staring at the table, her small fingers gripping the tablet even tighter.

His jaw clenched. “Judy, come on —”

“No, YOU come on,” I cut him off. “This isn’t about money. This is about you bending over backward to please your wife at the expense of your own child. So either pay Lily back, pay me back… or leave the tablet where it belongs.”

Sarah glanced at him anxiously, like she was waiting for him to put me in my place. But this wasn’t her battlefield. This was about a father and his daughter.

For a long, anxious minute, Willie said nothing. Then, eventually, he breathed, stroking his face, defeat carved into every line.

“Fine. The foolish tablet should be kept.”

After he pushed his chair back, he rushed out of the room, and Sarah followed him out with a huff.

With her eyes wide open, Lily turned to face me. “I get to keep it?”

I smiled as I removed a stray hair from her face and brushed it away. “Of course, doughnut, baby. That right was always yours.”

Willie sent me a text message a few days later, and my phone rang with the message:

“You made me look bad in front of Sarah.”

It was a pitiful attempt to make me feel bad, and the message lingered there the whole time. You? In a guilty mood? Having been emotionally abandoned for a number of years?

Following a brief period of time spent staring at the message, I smirked. I did not fail to recognise the irony. For as long as he could remember, Willie had been more concerned with looks than with substance.

“Buddy, you did that all on your own.” My answer was succinct and definitive; there was no opportunity for bargaining or manipulation in my presentation.

In the evening, Lily and I were both sitting on the couch together. Even though her fingers were moving quickly across the screen of the tablet, I could see that her thoughts were elsewhere. There are times when youngsters bear more on their shoulders than they ought to.

A startling question came out of her mouth, “Mom?” Her tone was gentle and apprehensive. “Do you think Dad really loves me?”

It was as if the question had struck me in the gut. What are some ways that you might communicate to a child the difficulties of failed adulthood? In what way can you safeguard her heart without causing her to lose her spirit?

As I did so, I inhaled deeply. To put it simply, dear, love is not just about words. Acts are what matter here. Regarding the act of turning up. And with regard to being present.”

Her eyes were disengaged as she nodded. “He doesn’t show up much.”

“I know,” I murmured as I drew her in closer to me. However, that is upon him. It’s not on you.”

They allowed Lily to retain her iPad. But what’s more essential is that she picked up something much more significant:

Simply put, a present is a gift.

For something that is rightfully yours, no one should ever make you feel guilty about it.

And if someone is trying to manipulate you, you should not give in to their influence.

In the later hours of that day, while she was snuggled up on the couch with her tablet, she looked at me and said, “Thank you for standing up for me, Mom.”

First, I kissed her on the forehead, and then I wrapped my arm around her. More than just a gesture of comfort, the gesture was. It was a promise and a vow that we would face whatever life threw at us together, regardless of what it was.

“Always, sweetheart,” I whispered to her voice. “Always.”

Due to the fact that this is what true parents do.

They do more than just protect. They are empowering. More than just love, they are. They demonstrate their affection. And there are moments when love appears to be like putting a line in the sand and not allowing anyone to let anyone cross it.