"Rich Daddy." The phrase reverberated ceaselessly in Jonathan's thoughts. His wife had implanted such erroneous ideas in their daughter's mind, and the rage it incited within him was beyond measure.
The notion that his daughter had been so deeply influenced by her mother's fabrications fueled a fire of frustration and helplessness that he struggled to contain. That night, Jonathan stood at the doorway, gazing at his beautiful daughter as she slept soundly. She had refused to speak to him earlier, their argument still fresh in her mind, and it was only in the early hours of the morning that she finally succumbed to sleep. Jonathan felt a pang of sadness as he watched her peaceful slumber, wishing he could bridge the growing chasm between them. He paced around Hazel's room for a few moments, his heart heavy with turmoil. He leaned down and planted a gentle kiss on her forehead, a small gesture of love and regret, before quietly leaving her to her dreams. Heading toward the living room, Jonathan felt the weight of his emotions pressing down on him. He reached for a bottle of whiskey, his refuge in these dark hours. As he poured himself a generous glass, he hoped that the numbness of intoxication might offer a brief respite from the pain gnawing at his soul. As he gulped down the content from his glass, he mused on the necessary steps he would have to take. Silence engulfed the whole house. He would never harbour a cheating wife, and a cheating wife is never the best motherly for his daughter. Jonathan became more determined to divorce Sarah and gain custody of their daughter but at this moment he was saddled with so much debt that he couldn't even afford the services of a lawyer. He was troubled by everything and couldn't sleep. The next morning after a night of turmoil, Jonathan got up, washed his face and mouth and began preparing breakfast for him and Hazel. Suddenly, he heard the sound of a car breezing into the residence. It was a familiar engine sound. Jonathan made for the window, peeping through the curtains to see who had arrived. Of course, he knew it was his wife. He could recognize the sound of that engine anywhere. It was the car he had gifted her two years ago for their first anniversary. Back then, he wasn't wealthy or affluent. Buying that car had cost him nearly all of his savings, and he had even taken out a loan to make up the difference. Love had driven him to such a grand gesture, proving that it could make people do the most extraordinary things or stupid things. Jonathan expected his wife to get in, he had a few more things to say to her but he wasn't ready for the shock that came next. Opening the door to usher her in, Jonathan met the gaze of a handsome man in a fancy suit opening the door for his wife like a gentleman and helping her into the house. Sarah had the guts to bring her partner to his home? He looked at her, stupefied at her guts but she never returned his gaze. She went right straight to the sofa and leaned her head. “Hello, Mr. Gray. Good morning!" The young man greeted me with a smile. Jonathan eyed him with scorn. “I'm Williams Thompson, Sarah's Attorney" he went on. “What?" Jonathan was shocked Sarah had come with a lawyer. 'What did she mean?' He wondered. However, the question he asked in his mind was soon answered. "This is the agreement we've drafted. Please go through it carefully," the lawyer urged. With a sense of foreboding, Jonathan opened the brown envelope. The bold title, "Divorce Agreement," jumped out at him. As he read through the details, his anger intensified with each clause. The terms laid out were infuriating, a stark reminder of the injustice he felt. Jonathan had not expected his wife to find a lawyer quickly and have a divorce agreement ready. The most annoying part was having such presumptuous terms. Sarah smiled, "Jon, you should know I'm very generous and kind, despite having the ball in my court, I'm still letting you get half of our assets. I'm the kindest woman you would ever see." Sarah's smug smile annoyed Jonathan so much and what annoyed him more was her words. She sounded like she was doing him a favour but in reality, it wasn't. “Generous my foot, you bitch!" He yelled, flinging the brown envelope to the floor. The lawyer didn't flare up but calmly picked up the agreement. "Mr. Gray, there is nothing too excessive here, all the terms written here are very reasonable. You should know that." "The car belongs to Mrs. Sarah, my client, as well as this house." Jonathan laughed jocularly, unable to believe his ears. He walked quietly to the Attorney. "Mr. Williams, I think you have been deceived. This house is mine moreover, I designed and built this house myself, including the damn car you both rode while coming! Sarah, how could you come up with such lies?" He addressed his wife with anger. The lawyer, Williams calmly spoke, "The land and the car belong to your wife. You gave her this land as a pre-marriage gift and the car as an anniversary gift. And they are registered in her name." He pressed on, "There's nothing you can do about it, Mr. Grey. While you claim ownership of the house, you need to understand that it's situated on her land. According to the law, anything built on that land is legally hers. So even if it were possible to remove the house, it would still belong to her. The property is now legally hers." A trace of displeasure crossed Jonathan's face. Despite his wife being the one who cheated, he was the one poised to lose his properties. The injustice of it all gnawed at him. It wasn't fair in the least. In his mind, she didn't deserve a single one of his assets.Jonathan's heart sank as his wife's voice echoed through the spacious living room. She stood in front of him, her lips curling into a mocking smile as she reminded him once again."Don't forget, Jonathan, the land and the house are in my name. A little pre-marriage gift from you, remember? You built this house for me with your own hands."She laughed in a mocking manner.Each word she spoke felt like a dagger twisted into his heart. He had poured his sweat, blood, and love into constructing this home, believing it would be their sanctuary. Now, the very walls that once symbolised their shared dreams seemed to mock him. The thought of his wife living there with her lover was almost too much to bear. It wasn't just about the property; it was about the betrayal, the loss of everything he had worked so hard for.Jonathan laughed so much that tears gathered in his eyes. The lawyer who had already settled himself on the sofa urged him to sign the divorce agreement quickly. "Let's get thi
CHAPTER FIVEThe atmosphere in the living room was tensed up as Jonathan stood across his wife and Williams, the lawyer. Hazel's appearance had halted the argument.Jonathan looked at his daughter, small and innocent. He knew discussing about divorce in front of his daughter could have an emotional impact on her and hurt her. He was unwilling to do that. So he took a deep breath and reached out to his daughter. He opened his arms, ready to comfort her with a hug but before he could move, she looked at him, then looked at Williams the lawyer and finally her gaze settled on her mother.There was a moment of hesitation on Hazel's face, but then, to Jonathan's surprise, his daughter ran towards the lawyer, wrapping her small arms around his legs. "Daddy!" she cried out, her voice filled with joy. Hazel remembered this uncle who often came to her house, he would buy her many toys and her mother told her to call him "Daddy". She also didn't forget he got her the expensive Barbie doll for h
Jonathan had never felt such a potent mix of shock and rage. Upon hearing the news, his vision darkened, and his knees threatened to give way. Williams' arrogant expression only ignited his fury. In a moment of anger, Jonathan stepped forward, punching Williams to the ground, as he clasped his neck and tightened his grip around it. William gasped and tried to grab Jonathan's hands off, but Jonathan's strength, born of sheer wrath, overpowered him. Just when it seemed like Jonathan might snuff the life out of Williams, a sharp pain exploded at the back of his head. His wife, Sarah shattered a flower vase against his head, causing his grip to slacken as he fell to the side, dazed. Williams gasped for air, as he looked at Jonathan with fear. He had just escaped a life and death moment.It did not take long for the police to arrive and they quickly handcuffed Jonathan. His wife accused him of internationally harming Williams and nearly committing murder. Of course, this was expected
Jonathan was taken aback and surprised to see the old man. He recognized the old man instantly—Butler Solomon, the head steward of the Powerful Gray family from the capital. Memories flooded back of a time when he was the young master of the Gray family, living a life of privilege and expectation.After greeting Jonathan, Butler Solomon's eyes scanned the room, his expression one of barely concealed displeasure. He moved with a dignified grace, each step echoing in the hushed station. His displeased expression made the police chief as beads of sweat started forming on the police chief's brow, hastily speaking, his voice shaky with nervousness. "We are already done, we will release him now."If the police chief knew Jonathan had such connections, he would never have kept Jonathan here. It was better to offend Williams than to offend Jonathan who had such powerful connections."Let's go," Butler Solomon said simply, his tone brooking no argument as he led Jonathan outside the cell.Outs
Jonathan's father gestured to the doctors to step out. Once they did, they shut the door behind them. The room was still as silence eroded it like a virus.Jonathan sat across from his father but said nothing. His father looked at him with a soft and gentle expression. This was something he had never seen before.Jonathan's father took a deep breath, his voice trembled as he spoke."Son!" He paused and continued after taking another deep breath, "I have made many mistakes in my life. I haven't been a good father to you. I've been distant and harsh. I'm sorry for everything. I want you to know, I have always loved you. I'm sorry I'm saying this now."Jonathan felt a lump form in his throat. He was overwhelmed with a myriad of emotions. He had longed to hear these words. Hearing them being spoken now untied a knot that had been in his heart for so long.Silence engulfed the room again. After a short while, Jonathan spoke up, "I forgive you, Dad. I never heard it against you. I just want
Jonathan's father asking him this really surprised him. Three years ago, it had been a warm evening when Jonathan had last seen Precious. She had stood on the balcony of her family’s residence , her delicate frame silhouetted against the fading light, her eyes filled with a mix of hope and sorrow. Precious was a real epitome of beauty, she was smart and intelligent and she had been his fiancée, chosen not just by the will of their families but by the undeniable current of fate. Jonathan and Precious had grown up together, they shared the same elite circle, wealth, tradition and expectation. When it was time to fulfil that expectation, Jonathan chose a rebellious path and ran away. He ran away not just from Previous but from the life whom he saw as a cage. He wanted to make his own choices. Of course, he found what he wanted, a life of freedom, passion and a life lived on his own terms. However, deep within him, guilt ate him up. He had left Precious to bear the brunt of their enga
Just at that moment, Jonathan remembered who she was. No wonder, she felt familiar. The woman was a former colleague known at the office for her striking beauty. Despite the fact that she kept a low profile, she had a soft voice and was well mannered which made her very popular.Though they had both worked in the same company for years, Jonathan and her had never been close. He had always maintained a respectful distance from women being mindful of his marriage. His ex wife was harsh so he made it a point to avoid being close to any female colleague. Another thing that made him make such a decision was the love he had for her as such he wouldn't want to do anything to make her sad or angry.However, today was different. He didn't need to keep his distance from other women and he couldn't also just leave his former colleague who was in trouble. He was not a saint but he also had a heart. Without hesitation, Jonathan got closer and threw his foot forward striking the man's side, sendi
The manager’s words had barely left his mouth when Jonathan stepped forward and delivered a stinging slap across his face. The sharp slap echoed in the office, silencing the manager and leaving him stunned. The security guards, witnessing the audacity of the act, tensed up, ready to spring into action. But before they could make a move, Jonathan fixed them with a cold, piercing glare making them shudder. His eyes, hard as steel, communicated a silent but unmistakable threat—any attempt to intervene would be met with severe consequences.The security guards hesitated, exchanging uncertain glances, unsure whether to risk confronting this formidable figure. This was the first time someone had dared act arrogantly in Blue Net Group and also made them feel a little fear.Jonathan didn't pay attention to any of them and reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. Calmly, he dialed a number, bringing the phone to his ear with an air of complete confidence.“Get him on the line,” Jona