Patrick's POV
I 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 making my way to the door.
As I opened the door, two detectives, one male and one female, flashed their badges at me.
"Patrick Gale"? They asked.
"Yes, that's me. Is there a problem, officers?" I asked nervously.
"You are under arrest, Mr. Gale, for drug trafficking and also for the murder of your partner, Mr. Daniel Smith."
My face was drained of color, shock and disbelief washed over me.
"What? No, that can't be... I have no idea about any of these!" I stammered.
"Save it for your statement, Mr. Gale. We have evidence linking you to the crime scene. you need to come with us."
And just like that, I was arrested by the police. I spent two days in the station until Sebastian, my friend and lawyer, who was out of town, finally came to see me.
"Patrick, how are you holding up?"
"I am just tired and confused, Sebastian."
What exactly is going on?" I asked. The police had arrested me but just kept me locked up without even questioning me.
"I just spoke with the prosecutor. The evidence they have against you is strong. They found your fingerprints at the crime scene, and you happen to be the last number Daniel dialed before he died," Sebastian said.
I knew I was guilty of drug trafficking. It was the easiest job Daniel introduced to me, and it paid the bills really well. So, why would I want to hurt him?
"I would never harm Daniel or Sebastian. We were friends! We only talked briefly on the phone that night, and that was it. I was with Rose, the bartender, on the day of the incident. She can testify to that!"
"I am sorry, but Rose is nowhere to be found. The police went to the bar to search for her after you told them you were with her at the time Daniel died, but unfortunately, she disappeared without a trace."
What exactly was going on? How could Rose suddenly disappear? Is this some kind of conspiracy?
"But I didn't do it! I am innocent, Sebastian," I said, hoping that he would believe me.
"I believe you, Patrick, but the evidence they have gathered is compelling. We will fight this in court, but for now, you must prepare yourself for the possibility of remaining in prison until the trial," Sebastian painfully said.
"But why did you decide to engage yourself in drug trafficking, Patrick? This is unlike you to engage in illegal activities," he suddenly asked.
My thoughts wandered off as I recalled and narrated a painful memory that got me entangled in this lifestyle that ruined my life.
"There was a day Suzy got so sick that we had no money to pay for her hospital bills. I felt so useless that I couldn't take good care of her. I went to Daniel, who lent me the money to pay for the hospital bills."
"I lost my job and asked Daniel to help me since he seemed to be living in affluence. He introduced me to the business of selling drugs, and It was paying the bills pretty well. I gradually succumbed to the temptation of living a fun and enjoyable life."
"Why didn't you come to me? You know I will always help!" Sebastian said.
Sebastian and I became close friends when I met him at a cafe where I did a part-time job years ago. He looked distressed and devastated, and I felt the urge to ask him what was wrong.
He confided in me how he was struggling to pay for his school fees. I offered him my salary I received that day, and he was so grateful to me.
He has been my and Susan's close friend ever since and has never hesitated to help whenever I needed him.
"You were out of the country, and I couldn't keep disturbing you for everything; you have done more than enough for me, Sebastian," I said.
Sebastian sighed and said, "Susan needs to hear all these, you need to speak with her. she will understand the intentions behind your actions and will forgive you."
"It won't change the fact that she caught me in bed with Rose. That was my own selfish desire, and besides, I wouldn't want to drag her into this mess, she deserves better."
What would Suzy say if she heard all these? She would definitely be disappointed in me. I hid this part of my life from her because I knew she would never agree to it.
"What about Suzy? How is she doing?" I asked Sebastian. I knew Suzy was going to her late grandparent's home to think about our marriage, and I sent Sebastian to check up on her.
Sebastian looked at me in a weird way and reluctantly told me the worst news of my life.
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
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