Chapter 7: A bad husband

Andrew pov(Stella's Ed husband):

I was massaging Mary’s leg ,as she ate slices of fruit that the maid had cut up for her. She sat comfortably on the couch, chewing slowly while scrolling through her phone.

I had gotten divorced, and Stella had sent me a video of the CCTV footage of our home, where Mary was bullying her and pretending Stella hit her. I wanted to believe Stella, my ex wife, because I loved her.

But currently, the CCTV footage was out of service, and I had sent someone to get it repaired. I was deep in thought when Mary pushed her leg further toward my groin area. I pushed her leg away gently and looked at her face and she was still on her phone. Maybe she was looking at her phone and did it unknowingly, I thought.

Mary was my first love in high school. Even though she refused to date me, I always took care of her ,because I saw her as a younger sister, maybe one that I could not date.

I took proper care of her and could not let her suffer in the hands of her ex husband who was beating her. That was why I took her in.

I did not think it would lead to a divorce with Stella. I knew Stella was too emotional, and after she lost our child, she lost any sense of reason and jumped to divorce. When we could have had another child ,I did not think the kidnappers would harm her, if I knew I would never put her in harm's way.

After everything that happened, I still wanted her back.

My phone beeped, and I picked it up from the couch beside me. The tech guy had repaired the CCTV footage and sent me the video of what happened on the specific day I requested. I downloaded the footage and played it.

I furrowed my brows, and I watched the screen.

Mary’s face appeared clearly, her voice mischievous and cunning, as she told Stella that she and her bastard child should leave the house, if she valued her life.

Mary's face went white as a ghost ,when she heard her voice.

I immediately pushed Mary’s legs off my lap.

“What is the meaning of this?” I asked Mary, holding the phone out as I replayed the video, as I stared at her, watching her reaction.

Mary gulped, clearly shocked, her fingers holding the plate of fruit for dear life, as she struggled to think of what to say. I stood there silently, watching her every movement.

“I…Andrew, that is manipulated. It must be an AI video. I can assure you that it’s not me. I would never say that to your wife, Stella. I would never do anything that will hurt you or your family after all you have done for me,” Mary said,as tears formed at the corners of her eyes.

She tried to move closer to me, reaching out her hand, but I stood up immediately. She had never acted this way before, she would never speak to someone this rudely. I wondered if the image was actually manipulated, but this was CCTV footage. So what was going on?

Who should I believe?

Stella, my dear wife, who had always treated me with care and only divorced me because of Mary coming here?

Or Mary, my high school first love, whom I treated as a younger sister and don’t want to see her suffer?

My head was filled with confusion, so I decided I needed to clear my thoughts.

“I need to make a call and clear my head. Don’t follow me,” I said, and turned around ,walking away before she could respond.

I walked out to the balcony. I took out my phone and called my father-in-law. I had called him six days ago, and he said he didn’t know where Stella was. He should know by now.

I had tried calling Stella’s last number many times, and it was not connecting. Either she blocked my number or she changed her phone number.

My father-in-law answered the call, and I felt a small sense of relief.

But before I could greet him, I sensed the anger in his voice the moment he spoke.

“Don’t call this number ever again.” he said in annoyance.

“You are divorced from my daughter. You are an evil man,” he shouted angrily.

“You kept a woman at home to bully my pregnant daughter and you call yourself a man? You are a coward. A cheap coward that cannot even give your in-laws any money ,or protect your wife and unborn child,” my father-in-law yelled insults at me.

“Dad, have you spoken to Stella?” I asked, gripping the phone tightly. The only way he would know about the divorce was if he had spoken with Stella.

“Who is your dad?” he asked angrily.

“Did you treat my daughter well? Did you ever call me Dad? Did you ever treat me and my wife well? Why did you suddenly remember me after how you treated my daughter?” he asked me.

“Please, can you tell me where Stella is? We just had a little misunderstanding and she left the house, and now I was sent divorce papers. I can’t even contest the divorce and we got divorced all of a sudden,” I said desperately.

“After bringing a woman home, do you expect my daughter to stay where she is disrespected?” he shouted.

“She respected herself and divorced you ,so you can have the woman all to yourself. Stop calling my number and bothering me and my family. We have no ties any longer.” He announced.

“If you had any human sympathy, you would stop bothering my daughter ,so she would not remember that because of another woman you made her miscarry your child,” he said before ending the call.

I stood frozen on the balcony, as I pulled the phone away from my ear , as I began staring at my dark phone screen, all I wanted to do was protect Mary.

I never thought it would cost me my child.

What should I do now?