The Divorcee's Redemption

57: Pathetic

"Please..."

Trent collapsed on the bench again. He took a pill from his pocket and swallowed it immediately, "It's to keep me calm... I... I have palpitations when I'm under too much stress."

"What...? Are you alright?" I sat next to him again.

"Yeah... Chelsea, look... I'm not trying to hurt you or anyone. I admit, I've loved you once. To be honest, I thought that we could run away and I was prepared to take care of your baby like my own. But the freeze changed everything. We were young and stupid... And I convinced you that infidelity wasn't so terrible... It has left such a devastating impact on your marriage, and I'm so sorry. I really am!" He panted.

"Calm down, Trent... You're scaring me..."

He stared at the river and finally began breathing slower. Once he cleared his throat, he turned to me again with moist eyes.

"I won't lie... I hated Mr.Xander for the way he treated you. But I didn't have it in me to go against him. When you guys returned, I noticed something. Mr.Xander wasn't the only one who changed, you changed as well. You both have changed over the years. To be honest, growing together is what love is all about. I don't think that if we were together, that would have happened. I was happy for you," he chuckled, "But I did take many years to get over you."

"W-why are you telling me all this?" I looked away from him.

"When I heard the news of the divorce, I wanted to come face to face and tell you these things... But... I was um... I was having a bad time and I couldn't leave my... Uh... My daughter," he sighed.

"You have a daughter? That's wonderful."

"Two girls, actually..." He gave me a weak smile, "Older one turned fifteen recently... Younger is twelve."

"Ah... And you're married?" I grinned.

"Well, my wife um... She's sick. Mentally ill. She was arrested many years back for stabbing a man. He died during the ordeal, and she was transferred to a psychiatric ward. I take care of the girls..."

I gasped, "I'm so sorry... I didn't know... How is... um, how is everything now?"

He rubbed the back of his neck, "She doesn't remember that she has a family. The doctors said that it was least likely for her to recover. I'm over it now though... I think we fell out of love at one point. It's just that my kids will have to grow up without a mother... And that's hard... But my uh... Mom and sister are helping out. So it's fine."

"Trent." I squeezed his hand, "After Leo hurt you that day, you never called. I wish you'd keep in touch."

He chuckled, "I don't think that I would have gotten over you that way. But don't worry. Everyone eventually moves on from sad things, it's just the way it is. I think I'm blessed to have two wonderful girls. They are very smart, you know."

"Really?"

"Yeah, top of their class and everything. Beats me." He laughed, "They are also obsessed with football and they often tell me about Gary Wilson. He's their role model. In his interviews, he's said many times how Mr.Xander helped him. Even though everyone finds it hard to believe, I was pretty sure that he changed after being with you. That's a great thing."

I felt something tug at my heart.

Now that he mentioned the things that Leo had done... I felt terrible for telling him to rot in hell. Maybe I shouldn't have gone that far.

"Since Lucy's my princess, it makes you my Queen. The only one."

Those were probably the nicest words that he had ever told me.