Patrick's POV
"Talk to me, Sebastian, you are scaring me. Did something happen to her? I hope she is fine?" I asked worriedly, anxious to know why Sebastian was reluctant to talk.
"Concerning Susan… I went to see her, and she filed for divorce. I am sorry, Patrick." Sebastian finally confessed.
"What! No, Suzy can't do that to me! I thought she said she needed some time alone! What happened? Did she find out about all these?"
My eyes welled up with tears, and my heart broke at the thought of losing Susan. The worst thing I feared was finally happening.
"I don't think Susan knows, I spoke with her, and she seemed ignorant of what was happening. She only handed the divorce papers to me and told me to give them to you. I wanted to tell her you were in prison, but I remembered you warned me not to," Sebastian explained.
"I don't want her to know, Sebastian, she has been through so much lately." I said as I slumped back in my chair, a mix of defeat and frustration etched on my face.
This was too much for me to bear. Does this mean Susan doesn't love me anymore? How could she think of filing for divorce? Was our love that shallow?
Sebastian looked at me worriedly and asked, "What do you intend to do, Patrick?"
I didn't even know what to say or do. What was the essence of everything I did if the person I did it for doesn't want to be with me anymore?
After a long while, I made up my mind. "I will sign the divorce papers and relieve her of the pain and sorrow I have caused her."
Sebastian looked at me, shocked, and said, "But it isn't fair to you, you started all these things so that you both could have a better life. Why don't you just tell her?"
"Sebastian, Suzy means everything to me. She's the light of my world. I don't want her burdened with the knowledge that it was her illness and our desperate financial situation that pushed me into this mess," I calmly explained to Sebastian.
"I understand your desire to shield her from the harsh reality of the choices you made, but I still think she deserves to know," Sebastian said persistently.
"I know, but I can't bear to see the pain in her eyes or the guilt she would carry if she knew the truth. She deserves better than that.
Suzy had been through a lot. We met many years ago when she came to stay with her grandmother, who lived in my neighborhood.
She lost her parents in a ghastly accident and had to move in with her grandmother. She went through a lot to provide for and take care of the old woman.
She did all manner of menial jobs and barely had time for herself. She almost quit school until I came along and became her friend.
I encouraged her to continue schooling even though I was a dropout. I helped her pay some of her tuition fees and even took care of her grandmother during my free time.
At that time, I was living with my alcoholic mother, who never cared about me. She gave birth to me without even knowing who got her pregnant.
I learned how to fend for myself at the age of 15 and did so many menial jobs to earn a living. I was 18 when my mother died from intoxication.
I never shed a tear after her death because she was never a mother to me. I started living alone and was fending for myself until Susan moved into our neighborhood.
When her grandmother died, she got depressed and heartbroken. It took a while for her to heal from the pain of losing her grandmother.
We started dating, and after she graduated from college, we got married. She worked as a receptionist in a small office while I started a small thrift store close to our neighborhood.
I suffered a setback when the store was razed down by fire, and Susan had to take care of the bills till I got another thing done.
The love and adoration I had for Susan would never let me watch her go through pain and guilt.
Sebastian finally conceded and said, Determined. "I know this is incredibly difficult, Patrick. But right now, we need to focus on building a strong defense and clearing your name. I will fight for your innocence and do everything I can to protect you."
I looked at Sebastian with a grateful smile and was glad to have a friend like him.
"Thank you, Sebastian. I don't care how long it takes or how hard it gets. I will also fight to prove my innocence and win back Suzy's trust," I said, determined.
Sebastian nodded to affirm his support for me and said, "That's the spirit, Patrick. We won't give up. We will gather all the evidence we can to uncover the truth and win this case."
"Let me have the divorce papers."
Sebastian brought out a file and handed the divorce papers to me. I slowly opened it and saw Susan's signature on it.
I traced my fingers on her signature as I admired her beautiful handwriting. I couldn't help but notice the dry tears on the divorce papers.
"Suzy must have cried when signing these documents," I sighed painfully.
I took the pen from Sebastian and signed my name on the divorce papers. With each stroke of the pen, my heart seemed to shatter.
I promised her grandmother before she passed away that I would take good care of Suzy and stand by her side. Now, I was breaking that promise by letting her go.
I handed over the divorce papers to Sebastian and whispered softly, "Wait for me, Suzy. I will clear my name, and when I get out of here and find you, I will never let you go again!"
Susan's POVFive years later..."Finish your breakfast, sweetie, you don't want to be late for school, do you? And you know we can't skip meals, especially when you have to see your doctor later," I said, urging Isabella, my daughter, to eat."Darling, can you help me get Isabella's lunch pack? I left it on the kitchen counter," I said to George, my husband."Right away, honey," he answered.I looked at him and smiled softly. I was so lucky to have gotten married to a caring and peaceful man like him. He was always attentive, loving, and understanding."And here you go, honey," George said, handing me the lunch pack I had packed earlier for our daughter."Thank you, darling, don't forget that Isabella has her doctor's appointment with Dr. Georgina right after school today," I reminded him."Ah, that's right! Thanks for reminding me, honey.""You are welcome, darling.""Alright, sweetie, time to go to school. Be a good girl, okay? I love you." I kissed Isabella on the cheek, and she gi
Susan's POVI was overwhelmed with mixed emotions when I saw Patrick. I was at a loss as to what to say or do. The pain and agony from five years ago suddenly flashed in my mind, and I flared up."What do you want, Patrick, and how did you find me?""Suzy, it's nice to...""Don't call me Suzy, I don't go by that name anymore. Call me Susan, and you still haven't answered my question!" I questioned.Patrick was the only one I knew who called me 'Suzy'. When I met new friends and they tried shortening my name to 'suzy', I warned them against it because it reminded me of Patrick.Okay, Susan, please hear me out. I know I am the last person you want to see, but can we talk? There are a lot of things we need to discuss," he said."We have nothing to talk about, Patrick. Please leave this instant and never come back!" I shouted angrily."Susan, I am truly sorry for what I did to you and for destroying the love and trust we once shared, but give me the chance to talk with you," he requested
Patrick's POVI sat at a bar, thinking about Susan, and my drink remained untouched. Sebastian entered the bar and sat beside me."Patrick, how did it go? Did you see Susan? What did she say?""She wants nothing to do with me. She made it clear that she had moved on." I said it disappointedly."I understand how heartbreaking it must be. I am sorry, man. But you know, I told you it wouldn't be so easy. I informed you she was already married with a child," Sebastian said.When I was in prison, I asked Sebastian to make inquiries for me about Suzy. He informed me that Suzy was nowhere to be found.With his limited resources, he couldn't trace her whereabouts until two years later, when he spotted her in the city, but she was already married with a child."I won't give up on Suzy, Sebastian. I will do whatever it takes to win her back."Sebastian placed a comforting hand on my shoulder and encouraged me. He knew how much I missed her and how I longed to be with her when I was in prison.I
Patrick's POVI couldn't believe my ears. What did Sebastian just say?"Are you serious, Sebastian? Is Susan's child really my daughter? I have a child with Susan?" I asked to be sure of what I just heard."Yes, you know I wouldn't joke with something as serious as this.""I have a daughter? Susan and I have a child together!" My eyes were filled with tears of joy that my love for Susan had yielded a child, our very own child."Yes, Patrick, you have an adorable daughter; she's really cute and beautiful.""I want to see her, Sebastian. I can't believe I missed five years of her life! I want to know more about her.I have always dreamed of having a child with Susan. It was a dream come true, and it hurt me that I was not there or told when she was born."You need to calm down, Patrick. I understand how you feel, but we can't just storm over to Susan's and demand to see Isabella just like that," Sebastian said."Five years! Five years of not knowing I had a child How could Susan keep su
Susan's POVI moved across the room to check myself in the mirror. I looked stunning in the elegant red dress and black heels George bought for me for the dinner party.He was also sharply dressed in a black tuxedo, and he looked so handsome. He adjusted his tie, checked his wretched watch, and said to me."Susan, we need to leave soon. The guests will be arriving shortly."I know, George, I am almost ready. Isabella's nanny should be here any minute from now to take care of her."The doorbell rang, and George quickly opened the door to reveal Mrs. Nancy, Isabella's warm-hearted nanny in her late 40s."Good evening, Mr. and Mrs. Grey." Mrs. Nancy greeted her politely."Welcome, Mrs. Nancy. Isabella is in her room; please take good care of her." I said."Don't worry, Mr. and Mrs. Grey, Isabella will have a wonderful evening with me," Mrs. Nancy said.Mrs. Nancy was highly recommended by the hospital where Isabella was born and diagnosed with autism. We trusted her to take good care of
George's POVHow did he get out of prison? When was he acquitted? How did he become the billionaire CEO of Royal Empire Estates?These were the thoughts in my head as I took Susan back home. She kept looking at me, scared of how I would react, but she didn't know that I knew more than she thought I knew.We were both silent on our way home, and I couldn't help but recall five years ago when I met Susan in a remote town very far from the city. She just suffered a heartbreak, and I was there to offer her comfort.I knew she was pregnant when she arrived in town, and she was so devastated that it affected her health.I took care of her, got drugs and medications for her, and offered to be her friend. She was a bit hesitant due to the betrayal she felt from her broken marriage, but I was there to provide solace for her.She had a difficult pregnancy due to her mental health. At one point, she suffered from anorexia and depression. She wouldn't eat and would always shut herself out of the
Susan's POVEven though Patrick had more wealth compared to George, George managed to hire competent lawyers, which I was glad for. I reached out to Patrick after the party, urging me to stay away from our lives but he remained adamant. He felt cheated that I hid Isabella's existence from him. What did he expect me to do? To look for him and tell him I was pregnant? If he didn't cheat, we would have still been together!On the day of the first court hearing, Patrick arrived with a team of highly skilled attorneys, and I must admit, they were quite impressive.They practically painted Patrick as a saint who got drunk, made the mistake of cheating on his wife but wasn't given a chance to redeem himself.One thing I found confusing was why they refused to disclose where Patrick had been all these five years. Even when our lawyer probed, his lawyer evaded the question and gave excuses which the Judge surprisingly accepted.They even made it seem like I was the villainess who deprived P
George's POVWhen I got back home from work, I noticed Susan humming happily. She was cooking in the kitchen and seemed so happy.I slowly went closer to the kitchen until I heard Isabella's tiny voice also coming from the kitchen, "I like my second daddy, mummy.""You do? That's great. I am glad the visit went well. Do you like the toys he bought you?"I peered closer and saw Isabella nodding her head. When she sighted me, she pointed her hand at me and said, "Daddy."Susan turned and saw me standing at the doorway."Oh darling, you are here, welcome back. How was your day?"She left what she was doing and came closer to give me a kiss. I retreated a few steps back, invading her kiss."What's wrong?" She asked, confused by my actions."Was Patrick's visit the reason why you are humming so happily? You love the fact that he came here?" I said angrily."What are you talking about, darling? You knew he was going to come today." I stared at her and noticed the beautiful dress she was pu