Susan's POV
I paced back and forth, clutching my phone tightly. I tried to take deep breaths and steady myself. How could he do this to me?
Hey, my love, how was your day?" Patrick, my husband, suddenly entered with a warm smile on his face.
I wanted to wipe that smile off his face, but I kept calm and told him, "We need to talk, Patrick."
"What's wrong, Suzy? You look upset, what seems to be the problem?" He asked when he finally noticed that I did not welcome him home in the usual manner or smile at the way he shortened my name like I normally would.
"I received a message today. An anonymous message at my place of work"
"Okay, what was the message all about, Suzy?" He asked.
"Pictures, Patrick! Pictures of you with another woman in a bar!" I shouted and locked eyes with him,my voice trembled with hurt and anger.
"Pictures of me with another woman? How is that even possible?" He looked so confused and guileless. If I didn't have evidence, I would have believed him.
I narrowed my eyes at him and threw my phone onto the coffee table, displaying the photos for him to see.
He grabbed the phone, and his face paled and his lips parted as he searched for words that might undo the damage already done.
"Suzy, I can explain. It's not what you think," he said.
"Explain this, Patrick! How could you betray me like this again? You told me it was just once! Why am I seeing pictures of you with the same woman I caught you with before?" I shouted angrily.
He immediately knelt down and begged, "Suzy, I made a terrible mistake. I was too careless and reckless. I didn't know when these pictures were taken. I never meant to hurt you, it was a moment of weakness, please."
"A moment of weakness? How could you do this to us? I often warned you about the amount of time you spent at that bar, but you waved me off, saying I was worrying too much! I did not know you were actually hiding your lover there!" I said, Frustrated, as my voice quivered with a mix of anger and pain.
Patrick stood up and moved closer, reaching out to touch my arm, but I pulled away from him.
"I am sorry, Suzy. I never meant for any of this to happen. Rose is not my lover; please, let me explain," he said desperately.
"Explain? How can you possibly justify this betrayal? These pictures clearly show that you both have been seeing each other for a while now!"
Patrick's eyes were filled with tears, and his voice cracked with remorse as he said,
"I can't fully justify my actions, Suzy. I may have taken those pictures with her in a state of excitement when I went to the bar with my friends, but I swear I only slept with her once. Please, I beg for your forgiveness!"
"I warned you about those guys you recently started hanging out with; can't you see that ever since you started hanging out with them, you have become distant and secretive? What happened to us, Patrick?" I said it sadly, with tears running down my cheeks.
I felt so sad that he could betray our love. What happened to the man I loved? Why did he suddenly change?
Patrick's expression turned guilty; his gaze dropped to the floor, and he said, "I can't blame my friends for my mistakes, Suzy. I made those choices on my own."
"But they played a part, didn't they? They influenced you and introduced you to that disgusting bar where you met that whore, didn't they? Talk to me!"
I hit him on the chest as tears started running down my cheeks. Why was he even defending those pathetic friends of his?
"I never intended for things to turn out this way. I lost sight of what truly mattered, which is you. I promise to do whatever it takes to make it right, Suzy," he said, looking at me pleadingly.
"I need some time and space to heal from this betrayal. I need to figure out what I want and if I can trust you again," I told him.
I had already made up my mind to leave the house and sort out my feelings. I don't even know if I still loved him enough.
"Suzy, please don't leave me. I will do anything to make it right, to earn back your trust," he desperately said as he ran a hand through his hair in frustration.
"I can't be here with you, Patrick. I need time to think about all these things. Staying in this marriage without addressing my feelings won't be fair to either of us." I dried my tears and looked at him, determined to leave.
"I never thought it would come to this. I never wanted to lose you,Suzy. I made a horrible mistake, but I don't want to lose you, Suzy." His eyes were filled with tears as he stared at me sorrowfully.
"Neither did I, Patrick. But we can't ignore the damage that has been done. I need time to heal and to understand if I can bear this betrayal. It hurts so much, Patrick," I softly said as the pain of betrayal gnawed at my heart.
Patrick was the first man I had ever loved, and it hurt me to see him this sad. But I was hurt by his actions, and I really needed a break from this heartbreak.
"I will give you the space you need, Suzy. I will do whatever it takes to make things right, even if it means giving you up temporarily," Patrick said resignedly.
I went inside and dragged out my already-packed boxes. The tears would not stop flowing, but I kept wiping them away.
I needed to get away, seeing Patrick reminded me of the pictures, and it was truly devastating that the man you loved so much would betray you this way.
As I was leaving our apartment, I saw the police car packed downstairs. What were the police doing in this building?
As I was dragging my boxes down the stairs, they were coming up. I had to make room for them to pass. The police hardly came to our neighborhood. It was a decent and humble neighborhood, mostly filled with old men and women.
Patrick and I didn't come from a wealthy background. We worked tirelessly to earn money to make ends meet. We were only able to manage this apartment, which was cheaper and more convenient for us.
As I was leaving, my mind still wandered back to the policemen.
"Who were they looking for?"
Patrick's POVI had always wanted a good life for Suzy, the love of my life. I only wanted to provide the best for her. How did things turn out this way?I became so distracted by making money that I didn't know I was pushing away the very person that mattered most to me.I often hung out with my new friends, and I must confess, they badly influenced my life. When I started hanging out with them at the bar, I became so careless and made the terrible mistake of sleeping with Rose, the bartender.Who sent those pictures to Susan? I couldn't even remember when they were taken. Was it Rose who planned all this? For what purpose exactly? If she wanted money, why didn't she come to me for that?I felt so terrible that Susan had to leave me. I deserved it, though, because I betrayed her trust.I sat on the floor, thinking about my mistakes. Shortly after, there was a loud knock on the front door.The knock came again, louder and more urgent. Who could that be? I hesitated for a moment before
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 w
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