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Chapter 54. Confronting Michael

I am sitting in that interrogation room and I am waiting for Michael. I am so nervous but I know I have to do this. He walks in the room looking awful, his eyes are bloodshot red, as he was obviously lacking sleep or maybe he was even crying. His hair is messy and his skin is pale but I mustn't be affected from his defeated appearance, because I have to remain strong. They lock the handcuffs on the chair and the detective says that he only allows this because of Mr. Anderson. I don't care, but I make a mental note to myself to remember to thank him.
"Hi sweetheart." He weakly says.
"Michael we need to talk. I am not your sweetheart, nor your baby, not even your friend. What you did to me is unforgivable and you need help to deal with your issues."
"It was Oliver's fault! He filled my head with all those awful lies and I flipped, but I promise you I will regret this for the rest of my life. There were times that I wished I really was dead, but I was too much of a coward to just get me out of my misery."
"Michael, a rational man would first talk to his fiancé and deal this in any other logical way besides the one you chose, but you were too blind by your sickened jealousy to even think clearly. I mean, just look at what happened! Why would you beat up Oliver the first place? Why wasn't I allowed to be friends with him? I had to ask for your permission to breathe and that was suffocating me, but I loved you for everything that was good in you and all the happy moments we shared which made me overlook at all the alerting signs, so for that I do apologize, as I think I could have prevented all these. I should have never come back that first time I left you, as that only kept adding and enlarging our problems, allowing them to evolve into you becoming really mentally unstable. A complete paranoid!"
"Claire, I love you and I always will. Please tell me how to make this right! Do you want me to stay away from you forever? Or do you prefer that I finally find the courage to kill myself? I would if that would mean you'd forgive me! All you need to do is ask."
"Oh my God, listen to yourself. Michael please go back to England and get help. I don't want you to go to jail because I honestly don't think that's going to help you."
"You care for me. I know you do."
"No, I really don't! If you died tomorrow out of a natural cause or even an accident I don't think I would shed a tear as I have no feelings for you, including not even hating you, so I decided that If you admit the truth and tell them that you really did kidnap me, so that I can get restraining orders against you, I won't pursuit the London assault case."
"But baby I didn't kidnap you! I only wanted to apologize and explain my side of the story."
"Michael! You know I was in shock and I didn't follow you on my own free will. I never want to see you and I never want to talk to you again, so I am asking from you to disappear from my life and move on! First you have to admit to yourself that you are dangerous. A man that cannot control his anger and would do such an awful thing to the woman he loves and their unborn child, is definitely not mentally stable therefore a dangerous person. If you do love me, as you claim you do, then that's all I need from you and I'll be able to move on and maybe even be happy again."
"I am a different man now Claire! I swear to you that I am!"
"Michael I honestly don't care! I will keep my word and not press charges, if you admit that you kidnapped me. I am sure it won't cost you as much as the sexual assault which led in the murder of our unborn child."
"I didn't mean to kill her! I swear to you, I wasn't aware of what I was doing. When I saw blood rolling down your legs, I realized what I had done and immediately called an ambulance."
"Yes, only after it was already too late."
"I was so drunk I didn't know what I was doing!"
He collapses. He is crying like a little baby and for a moment I feel sorry for him, but I quickly come around. He destroyed me and I mustn't forget that. I even accepted my part of the blame, so now I am calm with my conscience. Chapter Michael is closed.
I walk out of that room and Alexander runs towards me and wraps his arms around me.
"Are you ok, my love?"
I smile and I assure him I am fine. I tell him everything me and Michael discussed by word, in front of Suzanne.
"If he pleads guilty, it means we won't need to do anything else. We don't even need Oliver's testifying." She explains.
"He didn't tell me if he would. He is a mess and I know I am not to blame, but I honestly feel sorry for him."
"Paul is on his way here. He says he wants to talk to Michael too."
"Really? Suzanne do you think he could help?"
"Well, maybe he could help to convince him into pleading guilty, since you don't want to press charges."
"Ok, let's do this then." I say rubbing my hands, as I feel so awkward that all these people know my traumatic past and all I want is to close that door behind me and never look back.
Upon Paul's arrival, I inform him of my decision not to press charges for London and explain exactly what I want him to try to achieve from his interference with Michael.
"I promise you we'll make it, although I don't agree to this. You should put him to jail for what he did to you Claire, he doesn't deserve your sympathy. Did you forget how you were only a couple of months ago because of him?"
"No Paul I didn't! I am doing this for me as well, as I would be filled with guilt if I was the reason for his life to be ruined, as he ruined mine. Revenge was my never in my thoughts. If he got help, he could deal with all his issues and honestly seeing him suffering like that, only confirms I am doing the right thing."
"You are too good for your own good!" Paul smiles at me and enters the room.
After almost half an hour he comes out smiling and opens his arms for a hug.
"He agreed?" I hopefully ask.
He nods yes, making those cute dimples shine brightly on his face and I fall in his arms, kissing his cheek like a hundred times, saying thank you with every single kiss.
"How did you do it?"
"He is truly devastated. He kept telling me how sorry he was and that he hated himself for causing you all that pain, when I explained how hard it was for you to recover and that you were only at the beginning of this journey out of your depression. I told him in detail of the state you were for so long back in England exactly like you had described it to me and he seemed to be fully aware of what I was saying, when I explained that if you hadn't gotten out of your shock and depression, you would eventually die."
It hurt me so much to hear this, but I was at the same time so relieved that this was over.
"Let's get out of here." I say walking towards the exit.
I look around and I see three men, that I only recently met, selflessly helping me sort this mess out and being supportive of my decision, although they all disagreed with the way I chose to do this. I am so thankful and I know England has nothing else to offer me but painful memories of betrayal and darkness. I will leave all these behind and start fresh. Or better yet, to continue with my new beginning, as I want this closure with Michael to be a part of this new chapter in my life.