Chapter Fourteen: A Broken Man

Chapter fourteen: a broken man.

"What?" Mike said. He waved the letter gently at Pearl, signifying that he did not understand.

"Yes I am filing for a divorce," Pearl said, with a serious look on her face.

Mike chuckled and said "You are joking right? If it is a joke, you got alright? Because it is not funny," . Mike dropped the letter on the couch.

"Mike, you have seven days to sign the paper or the court will take action," Pearl said, with no emotion on her face, signifying that she was serious about the situation the letter gently at Pearl, signifying that he did not understand.

," Mike said, now hurt emotional, his world came crashing on him because apart from his father, he loved his family, Pearl and Roy dearly.

"I am fed up with your attitude! Your secrets! Your lies! I am fed up with you!" Pearl said, shouting and expressing her emotions to Mike angrily.

"I will change, I promise," Mike said, trying to calm Pearl down but she was very angry.

"You will not change! You always say that right from high school!" Pearl said, replying to Mike angrily. Her voice was loud and it surpassed the audio of the television and the rotating sound of the fan.

There was a moment of silence, tears dripped down Pearl's eyes, showing that she is also emotionally hurt and the divorce papers she gave Mike, was not her wish but the only way to escape her emotional prison.

Those words made Mike to reminisce about how he met Pearl in high school, the love they shared but issues they faced.

"Pearl, listen to me, I am sorry for the inconvenience I caused and anything I have ever do to upset you, please forgive me and is there anything I can do to make up for it?" Mike asked, now a broken man, learning that he is about to lose someone precious to him.

Pearl wiped her tears said "okay, I will forgive and take the paper away,". Pearl stood up and folded her hands.

"Thank you, I promise not to…"

"But under one condition," Pearl said, interrupting Mike statement as he tries to apologize.

"What is the condition?" Mike inquiries curiously.

Pearl gasped and said "tell me, (she moved close to Mike and touched his cheeks) tell me those secrets, tell how you truly feel,". Pearl said looking straight into Mike eyes with hopes of resolving their problems.

Mike gasped and look at her and said "umm… I umm.. Do you remember billionaire Andrew?" Mike asked.

"Yeah I remember, you always talk about it when we were in high school but ever since we got married, you never talk about it" Pearl said. Her eyes widened for his confession.

Mike looked down, the calm music from the television played in the background, the rotating sound of the fan backed up the television audio and Mike and Manson stood in the midst of their melodic tunes.

Pearl raised his head gently and said "talk to me," .

Mike gasped and said "he sent my father to jail for something that he did not do and I am seeking against him."

Pearl was shocked and she said "but why? Can't you let it go?"

"I can't do that," Mike said.

"This is crazy, do you know that you endangered our lives, me and Roy, for your stupid! Conquest" Pearl said, moved away from Mike.

"Please understand," Mike said, till feeling broken.

"I can't and is there any other secrets, like work specially?" Pearl asked.

Mike did not say a word, "you still don't want to open up to me right? It's fine just know the game if revenge is a fools game," Pearl said. She picked up the divorce paper and dumped it on Mike's body.

"But only when it is been played by fools, then it becomes a fool's game," Mike replied.

"Alright then, sign the papers," Pearl said and she walked away.

"Pearl, I still love you" Mike said. Pearl turned and looked at him and continued walking away.

Mike held the paper and looked at it and said "I caused all this and I must fix it, for Roy, for Pearl and for my dad,". After saying those words, Mike signed the papers and left the space Pearl to sign.

Mike, now broken, dropped the papers on the couch and he decided to leave the house and go out because of the tension between Pearl and him.

"Dad, where are you going to?" Roy asked, holding his book in his hands and wearing his pajamas, showing that he is ready to go to bed.

Mike turned and looked at him. "Hey, Champ, come here," Mike said, signaling Roy, his son, to come close to him.

Roy walked towards him with tottering steps. When he came close Mike hug him, Roy was confused but he reciprocated.

"Hey, Champ, I am just going out but umm… you won't see me for some days or months, I think? But I want you to be nice to people, stay out of trouble, just stay safe okay? Promise me you will do that?" Mike requested

"Yes I promise but where are you going?" Roy asked again

"I am going to see a friend of mine" Mike said. He gave his son a warm hug and went out of the house.

Manson met Mike at a bar. Before Manson accepted Mike's invite to the bar, Mike was becoming tipsy. Manson asked Mike what was wrong and Mike explained to him what conspired between him and Pearl.

"That is bad, really bad. So what are you going to do now?" Manson asked.

"I don't just know what to do," Mike said. He was about to drink another bottle but Manson stopped him.

"You can come and stay in my place for the meantime until you seek things out," Manson said.

"Thank you very much, bro," Mike said.

"That is what friends are for and you can't come with me drinking like this," Manson said.

"Alright, I will stop," Mike said. He dropped the bottle on the table. The bar attendant turned on the television and police commissioner Reynold was on the news. Mike and Manson listened to the news.

"Citizens of London, as we all know we have a diamond thief in our midst, please let me remind you that there is a million-dollar reward for anyone with valuable information to apprehend this suspect and a message to the suspect, you think you are smart but are not because neither of your family members is, so be careful," police commissioner Reynold said boastfully on the television.

"What a pity, it is like we have a second target," Mike said.