CHAPTER 5

CHAPTER FIVE

The 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 her birthday.

Jonathan's mind shook. If he clearly didn't understand what was happening, then he was a fool to begin with. It was obvious the lawyer, Williams, was the mother's friend who visited their home, the Rich Daddy that Hazel had talked about. No one could feel how much pain he was in right now.

Petrified, Jonathan felt a cold wave of realisation wash over him. The lawyer, standing there with a smug and arrogant expression, was not just a lawyer in profession but he had a profession of stealing people's wives; he was his wife's lover. 

Anger surged within Jonathan, as he clenched his fists, making crackling noises and was ready to punch him. 

Williams, sensing his intention, spoke calmly, "You should know, a man with a tendency for violence has no chance of winning custody. So go on, punch me, I will gladly take it." He chuckled at the end of his words .

Jonathan was angry but he knew the lawyer was right. Withholding his punch, he turned to face his wife, the anger displayed fully on his face as he said, "Do you really think you deserve to raise her? As a mother, you instil bad ideas in your daughter's head. Your kind of lifestyle is also meant to corrupt her. You don't deserve to be raised, in fact you are unfit to be a mother."

His wife, Sarah gave a mocking laugh and said with scorn, "Even if I want to leave her for you, do you think she would choose you? Pathetic!"

Jonathan turned to face his daughter, all the anger that was shown on his face disappeared as he looked at his daughter with a soft, tender and hopeful gaze. He gently asked, "Sweetheart, don't you want to live with Daddy? We can go skating and have fun whenever you want."

However, the response he received was like a dagger that pierced deep in his heart. 

Hazel shook her head as she said without any hint of hesitation, "I want to stay with mommy and rich daddy."

Her words cut deep into him as it left him shocked and in deep pains. His wife had not only betrayed him but had also turned their daughter against him. 

Jonathan stared at his daughter, his vision blurring with tears gathering within his tears, however, he did not cry. He felt like the living room was closing in on him, every piece of furniture a witness to his crumbling world. 

He saw his daughter as the light of his life but at this moment, she was slipping away from him, influenced by the very people he hated. His wife who betrayed him and the smug lawyer. 

He wanted to reach out, to explain things and make her understand, but the innocence in her eyes had been tainted with confusion and manipulation. He had nothing left again once Hazel was gone. Hazel was his reason to keep living and fighting.

The only thoughts that kept flowing through his mind were back when things were different, when everyone was happy. The times where he put his daughter to sleep by reading her bedtime stories, when they danced together, made jokes and laughed together. Those happy memories.

Jonatham turned to his daughter, his heart shattering. “Sweetheart, please, don’t you remember all the good times we had? Remember last year when I took you to that park and we played all sorts of games. When we went camping, remember how I taught you to catch fishes and you were so happy catching your first fish. Don’t you want to stay daddy?”

His daughter’s eyes, once so full of love and trust, now looked at him with confusion. “Mommy says I have to stay with Rich Daddy,” she said simply, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. There was no resistance or hesitation.

Jonathan trembled as he looked at his wife, "Why? Why did you do this? Even as far as turning my daughter against me. Are you this heartless?

Sarah didn't care what he said but rather looked at him with a mocking gaze. "So what if I'm heartless, she didn't choose you."

Of course, Jonathan knew that but the reason she didn't choose him was because of his wife.

"She's my daughter and you know how much I love her.  You can live but do you really have to take her away?" Jonathan pleaded, his voice breaking

Sarah was not moved but simply said in a dismissive tone, "She’s better off with us, with me and her rich daddy.”

Jonathan trembled, despair taking over him. At that moment, the lawyer, Williams stepped forward with documents in his hand, "You need to sign the agreement." He said without any hint of emotion or sympathy. 

Jonathan, who was mentally breaking down, ignored him. His mind was already shattered.

Williams continued, "One thing you should know, the judge is my aunt so whether you sign it or not, it won't matter but in this case, you are bound to be the loser anyway."

After pausing for a moment, Williams leaned closer to Jonathan and said in a quiet voice with a mocking tone underneath, "By the way, your daughter that you really love isn't yours. I'm her real and biological father.”