Resisting My Possessive Ex-husband

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 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"?

"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, 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?

"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? What's going on?" 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 was too much for me to bear. Does this mean Susan doesn't love me anymore? How could she think of filing for divorce? Was our love that shallow?

Sebastian looked at me worriedly and asked, "What do you intend to do, Patrick?"

I didn't even know what to say or do. What was the essence of everything I did if the person I did it for doesn't want to be with me anymore?

After a long while, I made up my mind. "I will sign the divorce papers and relieve her of the pain and sorrow I have caused her."

Sebastian looked at me, shocked, and said, "But it isn't fair to you, you started all these things so that you both could have a better life. Why don't you just tell her?"

"Sebastian, Suzy means everything to me. She's the light of my world. I don't want her burdened with the knowledge that it was her illness and our desperate financial situation that pushed me into this mess," I calmly explained to Sebastian.

"I understand your desire to shield her from the harsh reality of the choices you made, but I still think she deserves to know," Sebastian said persistently.

"I know, but I can't bear to see the pain in her eyes or the guilt she would carry if she knew the truth. She deserves better than that.

Suzy had been through a lot. We met many years ago when she came to stay with her grandmother, who lived in my neighborhood.

She lost her parents in a ghastly accident and had to move in with her grandmother. She went through a lot to provide for and take care of the old woman.

She did all manner of menial jobs and barely had time for herself. She almost quit school until I came along and became her friend.

I encouraged her to continue schooling even though I was a dropout. I helped her pay some of her tuition fees and even took care of her grandmother during my free time.

At that time, I was living with my alcoholic mother, who never cared about me. She gave birth to me without even knowing who got her pregnant.

I learned how to fend for myself at the age of 15 and did so many menial jobs to earn a living. I was 18 when my mother died from intoxication.

I never shed a tear after her death because she was never a mother to me. I started living alone and was fending for myself until Susan moved into our neighborhood.

When her grandmother died, she got depressed and heartbroken. It took a while for her to heal from the pain of losing her grandmother.

We started dating, and after she graduated from college, we got married. She worked as a receptionist in a small office while I started a small thrift store.

I suffered a setback when the store was razed down by fire, and Susan had to take care of the bills till I got another job.

The love and adoration I had for Susan would never let me watch her go through pain and guilt.

Sebastian finally conceded and said, Determined. "I know this is incredibly difficult, Patrick. But right now, we need to focus on building a strong defense and clearing your name. I will fight for your innocence and do everything I can to protect you."

I looked at Sebastian with a grateful smile and was glad to have a friend like him.

"Thank you, Sebastian. I don't care how long it takes or how hard it gets. I will also fight to prove my innocence and win back Suzy's trust," I said, determined.

Sebastian nodded to affirm his support for me and said, "That's the spirit, Patrick. We won't give up. We will gather all the evidence we can to uncover the truth and win this case."

"Let me have the divorce papers."

Sebastian brought out a file and handed the divorce papers to me. I slowly opened it and saw Susan's signature on it.

I traced my fingers on her signature as I admired her beautiful handwriting. I couldn't help but notice the dry tears on the divorce papers.

"Suzy must have cried when signing these documents," I sighed painfully.

I took the pen from Sebastian and signed my name on the divorce papers. With each stroke of the pen, my heart seemed to shatter.

I promised her grandmother before she passed away that I would take good care of Suzy and stand by her side. Now, I was breaking that promise by letting her go.

I handed over the divorce papers to Sebastian and whispered softly,

"Wait for me, Suzy. I will clear my name, and when I get out of here and find you, I will never let you go again!"