★
^^ AUSTRALIA ~ MARTHA’S HOME ^^
The persistent knock on the door got Martha rushing towards it.
“Who keeps pressing the doorbell like a….” Her words were left hanging when she saw Clifford standing there.
“Am sorry for bothering you in the morning. It’s just that am here for Susie, is she in?” Clifford asked.
“No. The last thing I heard of her was that she was going on a trip with you. did something happen?” Martha asked, getting worried.
“She was until this morning. I woke up and found her gone, I thought she will be here” Clifford said, starring in.
“She’s not. You can come check it yourself” Martha said, making way for him and immediately, he went in but it was all to no avail.
“Please, if she calls you and tell you where she is, let me know immediately” Clifford said giving her his card.
He was about to leave when he heard her say.
“Give her time. If Susie goes off grid like this, it means she wants time alone. She will eventually come back”
“Really? I don’t think so” he said.
“Why?” Martha found herself asking.
“Am the reason she left and that’s because she wants to be away from me but don’t worry, I will find her, she’s my wife afterall” He said and turn on his heel, leaving Martha wondering what he meant by wife.
“Where to sir?” Clifford chauffeur ask the moment he got In.
“Take me to the company. I need to talk to someone” he said and it wasn’t until they were on the highway that he read Susie’s letter again.
★ I KNOW THAT I LIED TO YOU AND I KNOW THAT YOU h@ťě ME FOR IT. IF I WERE IN YOUR SHOES I WOULDN’T FORGIVE EITHER. I CAN TAKE YOUR h@ťě AND YOUR WANTING TO GET REVENGE BUT WHAT I WON’T ACCEPT IS YOU BECOMING SOMEONE ELSE. I DON’T WANT YOU BEING SOMEONE YOU ARE NOT ALL BECAUSE OF YOUR HATRED FOR ME. I WANT THE OLD CLIFFORD, THE SWEET GUY WHO ALWAYS MELT MY HEART WITH HIS WORDS, HE’S SLOWLY SLIPPING AWAY TO BE REPLACE BY A HARD MAN AND BEFORE HE VANISH ,I WILL LEAVE. LEAVING IS THE ONLY WAY FOR YOUR HARD HEART TO SOFTEN. SO, TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF CLIFFORD AND I WILL BE HIRING A LAWYER TO HELP GET A DIVORCE AND ALSO, DON’T TRY TO LOOK FOR ME, YOU WON’T BE ABLE TO FIND ME ★
“Who gave you the permission to leave? Once I find you, am going to squeeze your neck” Clifford muttered to himself.
As soon as he got to his office, he rang his private investigator asking for a audience with him.
He ended the call and was about to wait when he notice the letter on his desk.
He picked it up and read it’s content and the letter turns out to be the one Nina asked Kate to write for her.
“What the hell happen to Susie?” Stanley asked, barging into his office.
“I asked you a question? Why are you the only one who return? Where is she?” Stanley asked again and when he didn’t reply, Stanley took the paper from him to read its content.
“So, The truth is finally out” the moment Stanley said that, Clifford turn his gaze on him.
“You knew all along?”
“I did and I kept shut because Nina asked me to just like your grandmother made Susie promise not to tell you the truth” Stanley told her.
“You should have said something! You should have insisted. You all made me doubt her!” Clifford yelled at him.
“No, Clifford. You doubted her and gave her no chance to tell you the truth. When you found out about it, she asked for help from your grandmother and Nina to explain things to you but they told her to get lost just like you did, so don’t come blaming anyone, you should have trusted her!” Stanley yelled.
“Shut up!” Clifford yell in return, hitting Stanley on the face.
Stanley return the punch only be given another by Clifford.
Clifford’s attempt to kick him was easily dodge and in return, he push Clifford which got both of them falling on the floor.
Stanley began hitting Clifford who easily block it and when Clifford manage to get him beneath him, he began punching him too.
Both men kept grunting hard as they rolled on the carpeted floor, hitting and kicking things out of their way.
The door open revealing two security men and Clifford’s secretary.
“Let go of me!” Clifford yelled, a red bruise appearing on his cheek.
“Let go!” Stanley yelled at him too, blood tickling from his nose.
“I think it’s best you take mr Stanley out of the room” Clifford secretary said.
“I won’t leave until I know where Susie is” Stanley said, pulling free and by now Clifford had also pulled himself free.
“Leave us alone” Clifford ordered gruffly and though she tried to refuse, she wasn’t given a chance and so she left with the security men.
“Where did you take Susie?” Stanley asked impatiently.
“She left” Clifford answered, his back turn on him.
“What do you mean by she left? Didn’t you two get married yesterday?” Stanley asked quickly.
“We did but she left this morning. Have been trying to find her but to no avail, if you are really worried about her then try to find her too, please” Clifford added and began to leave the room.
“Where are you going?”
“To see the ones who started this” Clifford replied, walking out of the room.
*****
^^ KNIGHT FAMILY HOME ^^
Nina woke up due the loud voices that were coming from downstairs.
She immediately got out of her bed and went downstairs only to see Clifford and Crystal arguing.
“I can’t believe you would do such a thing!”
“Believe me when I say that I only did it for your own good. She made you smile, something that has been hard for us to achieve and I was greedy and so, I did my best to make her stay by your side”
“By lying that I was sick? Fine, let’s say you were indeed worried about me and made her promise to keep wh@ťěver transpired between you a secret but when I found out the truth, why didn’t you say anything! Why did you make me believe that she has been fooling me when she has always wanted to tell me the truth!” Clifford yelled at her.
“That’s because…”
“We were selfish” Nina said, making them aware of her presence too.
“We didn’t want you to h@ťě us which is why we didn’t say anything. Letting you h@ťě Susie was good, as long as you didn’t h@ťě us” Nina said, starring at Crystal.
“You know, I was only expecting this from grandma, I didn’t expect such an act from you too. Did you know that I hurt her, I hurt her thinking she’s to be blame, I h@ťěd her because she lied to me and did my best to make her life a living hell but have only been hurting an innocent girl. You two have failed me today, you’ve really disappointed me!” He said and left the room in a furious state.
“How on earth did he find out the truth!” Crystal asked, glaring at Nina.
“I also do not know but wh@ťěver way he found out, am happy. Am happy because the truth is finally out ” Nina said.
“Happy that the truth is out? It’s all a disaster and that was why I never wanted to tell him the truth” Crystal yell at him.
“You can never hide something for too long” Nina replied softly.
“You know, he said he read everything from a letter but am begining to see things clearly. You sent that letter to him right?” Crystal asked.
“He had to know the truth” Nina said in return.
“Even after my warning. You went ahead to tell him the truth, your going to regret doing that” Crystal vow softly and left the room.
And a worried Nina dash back upstairs to call her sister.
*****
^^ EVENING ~ CLIFFORD’S CONDO ^^
Clifford walk in looking tired. He spent the whole day going to places he could think of just to look for Susie but she wasn’t there.
He sat on the luxurious sofa, shutting his eyes while thinking of Susie when he heard footsteps.
At first he thought it was Susie but when he saw who it was, his hope diminish.
“Hello Cliffy”
“What are you doing here, Tamara and how on earth did you get in?” Clifford asked.
“I have my ways and besides, who will dare stop me from going into my Fiance home”
“I hope you missed me cause I missed you too” Tamara added, smiling down at him….
➳ TBC ➳💙🤍🧡