Greg believed he and Natalie had successfully navigated co-parenting—until a late-night phone call shattered that illusion with unexpected news.
They had been together for five years before deciding to part ways, a conclusion they both sensed was inevitable, even if they never voiced it. They met young—perhaps too young—and as time passed, the initial excitement faded, leaving them to gradually stop trying. There were no dramatic fights, just a quiet acknowledgment that they might not be meant for each other forever.
Now, they lived in different states and led separate lives, with only their three-year-old son, Oliver, connecting them. Oliver was everything to Greg. He got to see him during the holidays, which was something, but it never felt like enough.
Determined to keep things amicable, Greg and Natalie agreed to avoid lawyers and contentious custody battles. They wanted to spare Oliver from growing up in a tense environment. Every evening, Natalie would video call Greg, allowing him to say goodnight to Oliver. This ritual brought him joy, seeing his son’s face light up and hearing him say, “Night, Daddy,” made life feel a little less broken.
Everything seemed to be going well until that fateful call.
“Greg!” Natalie’s voice was frantic, not at all like her usual calm demeanor. “Our son’s gone!”
“What do you mean, gone?” he asked, stunned.
“Oliver is dead!” she screamed, the words piercing through him.
He couldn’t comprehend it. “What? How?”
Through her sobs, Natalie struggled to explain. “He’s… he’s just gone. Oh my God, Greg…”
Greg sank to the floor, overwhelmed by her words. This couldn’t be real. Not Oliver. Not his boy.
“I’m coming right now,” he managed to say, scrambling to his feet.
“No,” she choked out. “Don’t. We already had the ceremony. He’s… been buried.”
“Buried?” he whispered, feeling the world collapse around him.
After hanging up, he was devastated. He stared at his phone, desperately wanting to call her back for answers. His heart raced with questions. He hit the call button before he could stop himself.
“Greg,” Natalie answered, her voice barely a whisper.
“What the hell, Natalie?” he demanded, his voice breaking. “Why didn’t you tell me anything? If something happened to Oliver—if he was sick or hurt—you should’ve called me!”
“I—I couldn’t,” she stammered, fear evident in her tone.
“You couldn’t?” he shot back, pacing. “I’m his father! I should’ve been there. What happened? Yesterday, he was fine!”
“It all happened so fast,” she sobbed, her words tumbling out in a mess. “I didn’t know how to—”
“How to what, Natalie? How to tell me our son is dead?” His voice cracked, a mix of anger and sorrow crashing over him. “Do you even understand how that feels?”
“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I didn’t want to do this over the phone.”
“Then when were you going to tell me?” he pressed.
“Sorry’s not enough, Natalie. Not this time.” He bit his lip, fighting back the scream building inside him. “Why didn’t anyone else call me?”
Even if she was too consumed by grief to think clearly, why hadn’t her parents or even Mike—her new husband—reached out? He hated Mike for stepping into his role in Oliver’s life, but he still should’ve called.
The next day, while packing, his phone rang. Mike’s name flashed on the screen, and Greg’s jaw tightened as he answered.
“Mike,” he said, zipping his suitcase. “I’m on my way. I’ll be there tonight.”
“Wait, Greg,” Mike’s voice was soft, hesitant, making Greg stop in his tracks.
“What is it?” he asked, bracing for bad news.
After a pause, Mike’s words shook him to his core. “Natalie… she’s lost her mind, man. She made all of this up. Oliver’s alive.”
Greg’s heart raced. “What?” he whispered, struggling to process it.
“Natalie made it all up,” Mike repeated, disbelief in his voice. “Oliver’s fine. He’s with her parents right now.”
For a moment, Greg was speechless, emotions flooding through him—anger, confusion, relief. His son was alive. He had spent the night mourning him, and now it was all a lie.
“She… she lied?” he asked, his voice barely a whisper.
“Yes,” Mike sighed. “She’s been talking about how she didn’t want you in her life anymore. I didn’t believe she’d go this far, but she thought if you believed Oliver was dead, you’d stay away for good.”
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