My daughter Demi is 13, and yeah, I know people say this is the age when kids get “difficult,” but what we’re dealing with is way beyond typical teenage mood swings. Recently, my daughter has been coming home from school with red, swollen eyes like she’s been crying, and she just seems so down all the time. I’ve tried talking to her, but she keeps brushing it off with, “Dad, it’s just school stuff!” I know when my kid’s lying, and this was definitely a lie.

But what really threw me was how she started acting toward my wife Nora. They’ve always had the closest bond—my daughter loves her mom more than anyone. So, when my wife asked her what was wrong, and she snapped, “Don’t touch me, don’t talk to me, just leave me alone!” then ran to her room and locked the door, I knew something was seriously off.

The next day, I decided to go to the school and figure out what was really going on.

I couldn’t believe my eyes when I spotted Demi. She was talking to another girl. What surprised me was that the girl resembled her so much. The same dark hair, the same height, and the same facial features. It was like looking at two versions of my daughter.

A car pulled up next to them. The other girl waved to Demi and hopped into the passenger seat. When I glanced at the driver, my heart skipped a beat. It was Todd – a man I hadn’t seen in years.