He loved her.
It wasn't a lie, or a trick or a way to get her back into bed. It was God's truth that in his heart and soul he loved her.
But he was thankful she never said it back, that she pretended he'd never said it. Because after that day, he couldn't stand to look at her.
It wasn't that his love had turned to hate, or that he was angry at her for giving up their little girl.
It was that every time he looked at her, he saw his daughter. He just couldn't live like that.