Susan's POV
Five 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 giggled.
"What about me? You haven't kissed me yet," George said grumpily.
"Don't be such a big baby,you know I love you too!" I said as I strode forward to George, who leaned forward and puckered his lips at me. I laughed and planted a quick kiss on his lips.
"I love you more, honey! And I always need to be reminded how much you love me! Don't forget to always tell me!"
I rolled my eyes in a playful manner and said to him, "Such a big baby, I definitely have two babies in the house."
"And I happen to be your number one baby," George said teasingly.
"Oh, come on, darling, You need to take Isabella to school! She's going to be late for school."
If I continued talking with George, Isabella would definitely be late for school.
"Alright! I am leaving now, Oh! Lest I forget, there will be a dinner party with some business associates later this night. I need you to come with me, honey," George said.
"Darling, you know how I feel about these events. They are always so formal, and I never really fit in."
George always made me go to his boring dinner parties, and I wasn't quite used to the etiquette and mannerisms of such elite gatherings.
"I understand, honey, but this time will be different. My new business partner will be there, and I want to introduce you to him. You know you are my lucky charm; please, honey." George pleaded.
"Alright, I will go with you. What will you ever do without me?" Susan playfully added.
"Absolutely nothing, you are my savior, without you, my life is meaningless!" He said it cheekily.
"Hmmm, such a charmer!"
"Only for you, honey,no one else but you!"
"Alright, I am leaving, please don't overwork yourself. I wouldn't want my beautiful wife to look tired and stressed when I get back from work," George said.
"If only you allowed me to work, I wouldn't feel so bored and unproductive at home. I have skills and talents to contribute beyond taking care of the house," I said, pouting.
After we got married two years ago, George made me quit my job, stating that he could provide comfortably for me and our daughter. I hated being a full-time wife, but I had to concede.
"No, my wife is not going to work and stress herself when I am capable of taking good care of her," he said resolutely.
"But…."
He reached out, hugged me, and said, "I know you want to work, honey, but I don't want you to stress yourself. We agreed that it's best for you to take care of Isabella and the house. I need you, Isabella needs you too," he said lovingly.
I sighed, feeling torn between my desire to work and George's concern for my well-being. "I understand your intentions, darling, but sometimes I just want to be able to pursue my passions and contribute to our family. I don't want to be a liability to you."
"If you don't want to be a liability, then always come to every dinner party with me. You are always my lucky charm, and I won't hesitate to show the world how much I adore my wife," George said playfully, lightening up the mood.
"You are definitely a charmer!" I smiled at him.
As we were about to head towards the car, the loud honk of the car horn startled us both.
"That must be Isabella! She's telling us she will be late for school if we keep standing here! Hurry darling!" I said to George.
"Isabella will definitely damage my car horn one day! She's definitely getting impatient these days," George said before rushing off to the car.
"Have a great day, darling."
"You too, honey."
George drove off with Isabella while I went back to the house to tidy up the kitchen. George had told me to get a maid, but I refused.
What was the use of hiring a maid when I was always at home? One of the reasons I conceded to George was because Isabella was autistic and needed all the care and attention.
I slowly reminisced about the time I gave birth to Isabella. I had just gone through a long and difficult labor and was happy to finally have my child in her arms.
The doctors later discovered that Isabella was born autistic, which caused me great worry.
I remembered the sleepless night spent searching for information about autism and trying to comprehend the implications it held for Isabella's future.
Fear gripped my heart, and I often found myself overwhelmed with doubts and concerns. But through it all, there was George, who offered support and a shoulder to lean on when things got tough.
I recalled the moments when I felt overwhelmed and physically and emotionally drained. George would step in without hesitation, caring for Isabella and giving me the rest I needed.
I quickly adjusted my mood and tried to round up what I was doing in the kitchen. I didn't know when my mind had wandered off again to past memories I kept locked away in my heart.
I was heading back to the room when I heard the bell ring. George must have forgotten something again. So typical of him!
"And what else did you…?"
"Hello, Suzy"
Time seemed to freeze as I locked eyes with the man I thought I would never see again.
I saw Patrick, my Ex-husband.
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
Susan's POVI curled up on the bed and pulled the duvet tightly around me. How could George behave this way?It was the first time I had witnessed such an intense display of anger from him. He seemed like a completely different person, unrecognizable.The way he had angrily pointed accusatory fingers at me and torn my dress had left me feeling miserable.George had always possessed an impeccable memory. He was quite good at remembering things, especially those related to me. Initially, I found it endearing that he paid such close attention to the details of our life together, but now, it felt unsettling. He wasn't even this meticulous when it came to Isabella."Mommy?" Isabella called out."Yes, sweetie, I am right here," I replied, quickly wiping away my tears.I sat up and saw her making her way toward me. I smiled as she attempted to climb onto the bed, which was a bit too high for her.I helped her up and pulled her close to me. She gazed at me for a moment and then inquired, "Wh