CHAPTER 2

Seeing the evidence right in front of her, Sarah knew she had been caught.

Her eyes were suddenly filled with tears as she tried to cover up the truth.

"Jon, please. I’m sorry. It’s not what you think. Please forgive me."

But Jonathan's resolve was firm. "We’re done, Sarah. I want a divorce, there is nothing you or anybody would say that would change that."

“ What about Hazel? If we get divorce, how do you intend to take care of her?” Sarah was trying to use their daughter to threaten Jonathan.

Just then, his phone rang. It was their daughter, Hazel. Without another word, he turned on his heel and left the hospital, ignoring Emily’s desperate, threatening words.

Jonathan's hands were still shaking as he drove away from the hospital. Sarah's pleas echoed in his mind, but he forced himself to stay firm. She had betrayed him, and he couldn’t forgive her for that.

His phone rang again, breaking his thoughts. It was their daughter, Hazel. "Daddy, when are you coming home?" she asked, her voice bright and cheerful, unaware of the turmoil tearing her family apart.

Jonathan smiled, his daughter was like the sunshine that shone on his life, "Daddy will be home soon, sweetheart." He hung up and drove home.

Reaching home, Jonathan opened the door and was welcomed by his daughter's cheerful voice as she ran over asking, "Daddy, did you get me my birthday present?"

Jonathan gave a forced smile as he tried to get his mind over the incident at the hospital. He opened his bag as he brought out a Barbie doll.

"Here you go Love, happy birthday."

Of course, this had caused him quite a fortune but he didn't mind as long as his daughter was happy. However, not everything in life usually goes as planned.

The joyous expression he had envisaged on his daughter's face was not there, rather there was a look of disappointment.

"I already have a bigger and more expensive one. Mom's friend got it for me." Hazel said with her tiny voice.

Jonathan's expression changed, "Mom's friend? What friend Hazel? Was anybody here with mummy?"

Hazel shrugged, her lack of interest in his questions evident. "It was just some man," she said dismissively. "He had been here for quite a while before the ambulance finally arrived. He comes to meet mommy sometimes"

The thoughts Jonathan wanted to push back rose up again, anger enveloped him slowly as he questioned, "What is his name?"

Hazel shook her head, "I don't know his name but he was very nice. He bought me these. He said I can call him Daddy so he is my second Daddy."

As she said that, she showed her father her new doll and a shiny bracelet.

Jonathan's anger exploded, another man was impaling his wife and showing his daughter love even asking her to call him Daddy. No man could bear that.

He did his best to calm his anger as he questioned Hazel again, "Sweetheart, do you know anything about the man and what did he say?"

His voice was unusually loud no matter how he did his best to control it.

However, Jonathan's raised voice and stern questioning forced Hazel to be upset as she said with tears escaping her little eyes, "I don’t know, Daddy. You’re being mean! I hate you. I like my other Daddy, he is very nice."

Hazel threw the Barbie doll on the ground, leaving the living room feeling aggrieved as she headed to her room slamming the door behind her.

The Barbie doll lay forgotten on the floor, a symbol of the broken family Jonathan now had to face. He sank into a chair, his head in his hands. How had everything gone so wrong so quickly?

First was his wife cheating, second was her lover giving his daughter expensive gifts and buying her love from him.

At this point, he hated his wife Sarah so much and there was no point continuing contemplating about anything. He had made up his divorce her and there was no going back and in no way was he leaving Hazel to her.

A woman who was adulterous was not fit to raise his daughter, he had settled in his mind to take custody of her. He would raise her himself and shower her his love.

The silence in the house was unbearable for Jonathan as he thought about everything that happened today.

He had always been there for his family, he spent quality time with time, though he wasn't rich, he did his best to provide for the family and make sure they had the necessities but yet she cheated on him for no reason.

Jonathan laughed at himself in a mocking manner as he brought out a bottle of alcohol. He poured himself a glass, his eyes glistening with tears.