Chapter 1 Betrayal

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?"