The Second Marriage Chance

Philip

I missed Sarah’s presence in our villa-that’s what I was certain of.

While I was conversing with Ethan over the phone in the library, Sarah was taking a bath in our room. All her clothes were still neatly arranged, ensuring she wouldn’t encounter any inconvenience.

Ethan began his explanation, “I conducted a small investigation into Dr. Morgan. I needed to apply some pressure to get him to talk… Last year, Mr. Amir Benner took Sarah to Dr. Morgan’s clinic in Dubai for a check-up. Months later, Dr. Morgan received two offers-one from Mr. Benner’s girlfriend, Jessica Woods, and the other from Serena Blake.

“Dr. Morgan opted to accept Serena Blake’s offer to manipulate Sarah’s medication… Your ex-wife was grappling with panic attacks and severe depression. Yet, Dr. Morgan erroneously diagnosed her with a heart condition. It appears Sarah may have become reliant on the medication. It would be advisable for you to bring her to my clinic tomorrow. I’ll arrange for her to meet with a specialist there.”

I gripped the phone tightly, struggling to comprehend how Sarah ended up in this situation. “Why is she battling depression? Could our marriage somehow be contributing to it? I recall we had a disagreement, and then she requested a divorce…”

That night weighed heavily on me. It felt as though Sarah had reached a breaking point in our relationship.

“Is that when you found her at Serenity Pines with another man? Is that when Sarah fell ill?”

I pressed my fingers firmly against my temples, feeling the weight of our tumultuous three-year relationship bearing down on me like a suffocating blanket. I honed my skills at work, relentlessly pursuing the coveted position of president, desperate to prove my worth.

“Could her depression stem from wanting to end things with me?” I pondered aloud. “Jane mentioned Sarah declining a university offer in London, giving it to my sister, only to forego enrollment herself. Sarah was a brilliant student; she might have harbored significant regrets about her decision.”

As I lack medical expertise, I present the various possibilities to Ethan.

“True, it’s plausible that her relationship with you, starting so young and then facing the pressures of Serenity Pines, may have contributed,” Ethan offered. “But upon further investigation, that wasn’t the primary cause.”

My muscles tensed. “If not that, then what?”

“Sarah was pregnant,” Ethan disclosed.

“What?!” Shock pulsed through me, eyes widening in disbelief.

“Dr. Morgan confirmed it, and I uncovered medical records indicating Sarah underwent an abortion last year here in Highland Hills. And then, Amir Benner paid her a visit in the hospital ward.” Ethan’s next words sent a shockwave through me. “Philip, I believe Amir may have impregnated Sarah… Dr. Morgan echoed the same suspicion.”

I slammed the telephone handset down, my frustration boiling over as I scanned the villa for Sarah. Words cannot convey the storm raging within me. I am consumed by a fury so intense that it blinds me. Darkness encroaches on my vision, a suffocating pressure grips my chest, and rational thought flees in the face of my seething rage.

“Sarah!” My voice reverberated through Serenity Pines, but she was outside, locked in a heated exchange with Alex, insisting on leaving.

“Let me go! I’m not staying here! Take me to the hotel!” Sarah’s words fueled my rage, and I gripped her arms tightly, my teeth clenched, seeing through her facade of lies.

“Where do you think you’re going?” My tone was sharp, and my eyes narrowed with icy resolve.

She faltered at my demeanor. “Philip, I-”

She attempted to explain herself, but I cut her off, dragging her back into the house and up the staircase. It was reminiscent of the time I caught her with another man.

“No! Philip! You’re hurting me!” Her voice trembled with fear.

But I turned a blind eye to her pleas, heedless of whatever explanations she might offer.

In that instant, it felt like I had cast aside every shred of my sanity, hurling it out the window into the abyss of my fury.

“Philip! What are you doing? It hurts!” she shouted, tears pooling in her eyes.

I shoved her into the closet room, her feet slipping on the shiny wooden floor, fear etched on her face.

“How could you?” I trembled with anger, and she recoiled, bewildered by my words.

I gave everything to Sarah! Now I understand why she wanted a divorce. Amir got her pregnant, and to save face, she terminated the baby!

“You’ll stay here until you understand what you’ve done!” With a heavy heart, I closed the door and secured it with a lock.

“No, no, please! Philip!” Her desperate pleas echoed through the villa. “It’s dark in here, Philip! Please, let me out!”

I descended to the kitchen, drowning out her cries with alcohol.

“Aaah!” I screamed, hurling the glass against the wall after downing the amber liquid.

I considered wiping clean the slate of her cheating, brushing aside the betrayal that marred our third anniversary. Yet, the bitter truth remains: Sarah’s deceit has inflicted wounds upon our marriage that cannot be easily healed.

I callously commanded Alex to ensure Sarah remained confined within Serenity Pines Estate before callously driving off. Even though I noticed my assistant seemed worried, I selfishly went to the usual bar where Ethan and I usually go.

An hour slipped away in Ethan’s company before Alex’s frantic call, saying something happened to Sarah.

***

Sarah

In the days following my reunion with Philip, I sensed a shift in our dynamic. Our conversations stretched longer than they had in our marriage, and an undercurrent of sexual tension simmered beneath the surface. However, I quickly understood that any apparent difference in him was just something I imagined.

The darkness enveloped the closet room, its shadows casting uncertainty over my surroundings. With the light switch situated outside in the bedroom, I found myself adrift, unable to find solace or assurance in the darkness.

Anguish seized my heart as tears streamed down my cheeks unchecked. It was as if Philip had transported me back to a time when he was still my husband, a time when I felt unable to voice my desires, haunted by the fear of his potential reactions.

Earlier, I witnessed the anger etched on his face simply because I expressed my desire to depart from Serenity Pines. In the dimly lit room, voices echoed, sending shivers down my spine.

“Philip wished your baby to die!” My mother-in-law’s voice pierced the silence.

“Ahhhh!” Escaped my lips, a primal cry of anguish.

“Sarah… You’re utterly pitiful,” Megan’s voice followed, punctuated by mocking laughter.

Amidst all the noise, I heard a baby crying. “Mommy…”

“Ahhhh!” My cry joined the chorus as tears streamed uncontrollably down my cheeks, unable to contain the depths of my sorrow. I curled into myself, clutching my knees as the weight of despair pressed down upon me.

My chest felt like it was being crushed, struggling against invisible hands tightening around my lungs. Panic clawed at me as I gasped for air, but it was like trying to grasp smoke. This wasn’t like before, when I could reign in the chaos within me.

This was a tidal wave of helplessness crashing over me.

“H-help,” the word escaped my lips in a strangled plea, barely audible even to myself.

It felt like I was sinking deep into the ocean, the pressure building up with every moment. I reached out for air, longing for relief from the overwhelming darkness.

‘I need air! I need-‘

As the door swung open, a flood of blinding light poured into the room, searing my eyes with intensity.

“Madam Sarah!” Their voices reached me, but their faces blurred.

As darkness surrounded me, I saw Alex and Josh one last time, but their faces were fading away…