An Unexpected Twist of Fate

Hello, thank you for reading one of my stories. You can now find it in physical format on sss under Stary's publication only in Spanish. Remember that Loren and Cameron's story is called: Our Love in the Clouds, and we have Jonas' story, which comes after this one. It's called What If We Make It Come True? Thank you so much and I hope you enjoy it. +++++++++ *This story is registered for copyright, with the number 2106308226154* *ALL RIGHTS RESERVED* I'm just finishing my shift at the hospital when my phone rings. "Hello darling," I answer Andrew cheerfully. "Sweetie, I need you to come to my office, it's urgent," he says angrily. "I'm on my way. Is everything okay?" I ask worriedly. "Just come," he says and hangs up without giving me time to ask anything else. I take off my coat and go into the bathroom to fix my hair. I stare at myself in the mirror for a moment, my eyes look a bit sad. They're green but not light, and today they look much darker than usual. My father says I'm just like my mother who passed away several years ago; I have blonde hair and almond-colored skin, my nose is small, and my lips are a bit full. I notice the dark circles under my eyes and smile, today I feel really exhausted. It's been a very long night and I still had patients throughout the morning. I'm a pediatrician, and I work at Boston Children's Hospital. I love my job, but during this cold season we have many little ones with the flu, everything becomes chaotic, and the nights get longer than usual. I splash some water on my cheeks to freshen up and head to my fiancé, Andrew's office. He's also a doctor. We've been dating for 3 years and are planning our wedding. He proposed a few months ago, and I couldn't say no. He's a good man and I love him. We don't live together because each of us has our own apartment, plus Andrew has a teenage daughter, and although we get along well, she prefers to have her space in her father's apartment. Mica is 15 years old. Her mother and Andrew had her when they were very young and, unfortunately, they had a very bad relationship. Most of the time, they avoid each other, but when they do see each other they always end up arguing. I feel terrible for Mica because even though she doesn't show it, I know she suffers a lot because of her parents' problems. I come out of my thoughts when I reach Andrew's office. I enter, and he's sitting in front of the computer. He just started his shift, so he looks fresh, nothing like me at that moment. He's a very handsome man, tall, slim, with beautiful honey-colored eyes and brown hair. He's always been very serious, but right now I'm worried because, more than serious, he looks very upset. I approach and give him a kiss, but he didn't return. "What's wrong Andrew?" "That's what I want you to tell me." "I don't understand you." "Today I went to get the marriage license." "And what's the problem?" He hands me a paper and when I review it my heart sinks. It's a marriage certificate from 11 years ago. I'm married to a man named Brett Watford. We got married in Las Vegas. I sank into the chair, worried. "This has to be a mistake." "No, it's not. You got married 11 years ago, and I didn't know about it." "But Andrew, I didn't even know about it myself." "Were you in Las Vegas around that time?" I think for a moment. "Yes, I went when I turned 21 with my friends to celebrate and..." Memories come to my mind of my friends and I are celebrating and drinking, drinking too much. I danced with a guy whom I only remember his beautiful green eyes and... no, it couldn't be... we left the nightclub together but... I stand up nervously and start pacing around the office. "Who is he?" Andrew asks angrily. "I have no idea, I don't even remember that I got married." "Izan, we're getting married in 6 months." "I know." "You need to fix this as soon as possible." "I will, Andrew, don't worry." "I can't believe you got so drunk." "I was celebrating with my friends." "But you got to the point of marrying a stranger. I don't even want to imagine what you did with him." I turn to look at him furiously. "I won't let you disrespect me, Andrew. It's one thing to make a mistake and another to treat me like a bad woman. I remind you that you also have a past." I storm off before he can say anything else. Since it's my time to leave, I am going to collect my things from my office and hurry out to the parking lot. I get in the car and immediately call my best friend. "Hi Izan," Bella answers cheerfully. "Bella, I need to talk to you, it's important." "I'm at the office. I just arrived a moment ago." "Can I come over?" "Of course." I drive for several minutes until I reach the building where Bella has her office. I leave my car in the parking lot and enter in a hurry. "Good morning, Izan." Bella's secretary greets me. "Hi Etsy, is Bella busy?" "No, go in, she's waiting for you." I nod and quickly enter the office. Bella stands up to greet me with a kiss and a hug. "What's wrong? You look pale." I take the paper out of my bag and show it to her. She sits down and starts reading. Bella has been my best friend since we were kids. We're like sisters. She calls my father "dad" because she says she adores him. She lives with her grandmother; her parents abandoned her when she was a baby. She's a very beautiful woman, with brown hair and beautiful blue eyes. She has a lot of personality and always looks impeccable, but what I like most about her is that she doesn't let anyone push her around. She's single because she doesn't tolerate any kind of lies. "Izan, was this date during the trip we took to celebrate your birthday?" "Yes." "Don't tell me it's that blonde guy with green eyes? Who, by the way, was very handsome." "Don't remind me." "How did you discover this?" "It was Andrew." She rolls her eyes; she's never liked Andrew. "How did he react?" "He freaked out. He wants me to fix this as soon as possible. He says there are only 6 months left until the wedding." "We'll have to locate this man." "How? I don't know anything about him. We didn't even ask each other's names when we met in Las Vegas." "Let me see what I can do, and I'll let you know." "Thank you, Bella, I appreciate it." "Haven't you thought that this could be a sign?" "A sign of what?" "That you shouldn't marry that jerk Andrew." "Bella, Andrew is a good man, and he treats me well." "I'm not so sure about that. He's too domineering for my taste. He thinks he's the perfect man, while we all know he's far from it." "I've never understood why you hate him so much." "You deserve the best, and in my opinion, he isn't it." "Well," I sigh, frustrated, "I'm going. I had a very busy night and the last thing I want to do is argue about Andrew." "Yes, you're right. I'm sorry. Go get some rest, you look like you've been hit by a train." "Well, you're not far from the truth. It was a train full of kids with colds." "I can imagine." "Thanks Bella, let me know if you find out anything." "Don't worry, this will be sorted out sooner than you think." "I hope so." I say goodbye to her and her secretary and leave in better spirits. I arrive at the apartment and prepare something quick for breakfast. I'm about to finish when my phone rings. "Hi Dad." "Good morning, daughter." "How are you?" "Good, I'm on my way to work." My father owns a construction company, and it's doing quite well. Luckily, he now only oversees the construction, which keeps him entertained because he doesn't know how to sit still at home. "Izan, my secretary, has a 10-year-old boy and says he's been having some medical issues. Do you think you could examine him?" "Of course, Dad. Tell her to take him to the hospital tonight. I'm on that shift." "Thank you, daughter." "Hey Dad, it seems like you worry too much about your employees, don't you think?" I hear him laugh nervously. "No, daughter, but she was worried, and I told her you were a doctor." "I'm teasing, Dad. Don't worry, I'll examine him." "Thanks, I'll let you rest, and I'll call you later." "Alright, I love you." "I love you too, daughter." We hang up and I smile. My father is a very handsome man. I would be happy if he found a good woman to keep him company. Since Mom passed away, he's dedicated himself only to me and work. I'd like to see him happy again. I try to stay very attentive to him, but sometimes it's very difficult because of my job. I finish breakfast and clear the dishes. I take a quick shower to get rid of the hospital smell and go straight to bed. With how tired I feel, it doesn't take long for me to fall asleep. I wake up very late and feel a terrible headache. I was dreaming about the man who was my husband and I still don't even remember him well. I have a coffee and some pills, and I start getting ready for work. I checked my phone and Andrew still hadn't called. It seems he's very upset. I had a light dinner and went to the hospital. Right when I get there, I have a huge list of my little patients. Luckily, it's nothing more than colds and minor things. I go to my office to have a coffee and then Bella comes in almost out of breath. "Bella, what are you doing here at this hour?" I ask, concerned. "It's almost midnight." "I found him," she says, trying to catch her breath. "What?" "I found your husband." "Well, that's great. Send him the divorce papers as soon as possible." "Izan, you have no idea who he is." "No, why? Don't tell me he's a thief or worse, a murderer in prison?" "Nooo." "Then he's a homeless man, and I'll have to support him for life." She bursts into laughter. "On the contrary." "I don't understand you." "Izan, your husband is Brett Watford." "Yes, I know, I saw his name on the certificate." "No, it's 'Brett Watford'" she makes air quotes with her fingers. "The star player of the Denver Broncos." "What? But..." "But, you're the wife of a famous man and also a multimillionaire." I sink into the chair. "This can't be." "Well, it is, and I don't want to make you nervous, but it will be very difficult for us to reach him." "What do you recommend?" "First, go to Denver and try to find him and talk to him. You can reach a good agreement." "What am I going to say? Hi, Brett, remember me? 11 years ago we met, and it seems we drank too much and got married. Do you think you can give me a divorce? It turns out I'm getting married in 6 months." Bella bursts into laughter. "Well, more or less that's what you have to do." "Do you have his address?" "No." "Perfect, I hate sports, and I'll have to sit for 4 hours in the stadium to try to talk to him, listening to how the players brutally hit each other." "Not to mention they're playing to get to the finals and the tickets are extremely expensive." I run my fingers through my hair. "This is incredible. I never drink and the day I do, I make a monumental mistake." "Dad will be happy." "Don't even mention it, he's precisely a Broncos fan." "Ask him to go with you, he'll be delighted." "You're right, I will." "Well, I have to go. I'm exhausted, and my grandmother is waiting for me." "Poor Granny, don't keep her waiting any longer." "I had to tell you everything in person." "Thanks for coming." "Anything you need, don't hesitate to call me." "Yes, I will." We say goodbye and she leaves. I need to ask my boss for a few days off to travel to Denver. I go back to work, and after several hours, my shift finally ends. I go to the office of the hospital director, Andrew's mother, Dr. Pierce. When I enter, she smiles at me. She's an older woman but very understanding. She has always been supportive of our relationship. "Hi Izan, finished your shift?" "Yes Dr. Pierce, but I've come to ask you a favor." "Tell me, what do you need?" "I want to see if you can give me a few days off." "Is something wrong, Izan?" "No, I need to make a trip for a personal matter." "Of course, how about next week?" "Yes, that would be perfect, thank you very much." "Don't worry, I hope you sort everything out." I'm about to leave her office and she stands up. "Izan, is everything okay with Andrew?" "Yes, everything's fine." I leave and go to pick up my bag. I'm about to get in the car when Andrew catches up with me. "Izan..." "What's going on, Andrew?" I answer, a bit frustrated. "My mother told me you asked for a few days off." Wow, she sure was quick. "Yes, for next week." "Can I know why?" "I'm going to start the divorce proceedings and I have to leave town." "You could have told me." "Andrew, I don't want to argue with you. I'm going to fix my mistake so we can continue with the wedding preparations." "Do you want me to go with you?" "No, I'll ask my father." He comes closer and hugs me. "Forgive me, I was very rude to you." "You were." "I went crazy when I found out you were married." "I'll fix that as soon as possible." "Can I come to your apartment?" "I don't think it's a good idea. I'm exhausted, and I'd like to sleep." "Alright, but honey, don't forget that I love you." He leans in to kiss me and I turn my cheek. "See you later, Andrew." I get in the car and go to my apartment. Before getting out, I start searching on my phone for tickets to next week's game. Luckily, I find two in a very good spot, although they cost an arm and a leg. I have no choice; I need to sort this out as soon as possible. When I enter, a delicious aroma comes from the kitchen. "Dad, it smells delicious. What is...?" I'm a bit taken aback to find a woman next to my father in my kitchen. He immediately comes over and hugs me. "Hi, honey. Let me introduce you to my secretary, Yola." She's a woman almost my father's age. She approaches to greet me, a bit embarrassed. "Hello Izan, I hope you don't mind finding me here. Your dad thought it was a good idea to talk to you about my grandson." "Nice to meet you, Yola. Of course, I don't mind you being here. I thought it was your son. You didn't take him to the hospital in the end, did you?" She smiles. "He's my grandson, but I have custody of him. I didn't bring him because I wanted to tell you some things first." "That sounds good, but I'm starving. How about we talk while we have breakfast?" She and my father smile. The three of us set the table. As we start eating, I find I really like Yola. Now I understand my father's interest in helping her. "Well, tell me a bit. " What's going on with your grandson?" She turns a bit red. "My daughter is in jail. She was on the wrong path and I feel it has affected him a lot. Lately, he's been very rebellious and doesn't want to go to school." "Wow, this whole situation must be really difficult for him." "Yes, it is, and the truth is I've been getting on for years and I don't know what to do. My daughter had him very young and has never been responsible. She and her boyfriend have been involved in drug-related things, and honestly, I prefer to keep myself and my grandson away from their problems. That's why we moved here to Boston a few months ago, but I feel that instead of helping him, I'm doing more harm than good." "Well Yola, in that case, there's not much I can do, but I can recommend a psychologist who works at the same hospital as me. I think he could provide some kind of therapy and help your grandson in some way." "Thank you so much, Izan. I'm really sorry to bother you, but I feel desperate." I take her hand and give it an affectionate squeeze. "You don't have to thank me. Besides, I imagine you prepared this breakfast, didn't you?" "Daughter!" "Dad! I know your cooking perfectly well, and although you cook deliciously, this was undoubtedly prize-worthy." My dad lets out a huge laugh. "I agree." I start to clear the plates and Yola stops me. "I'll do it, Izan." "No Yola, don't bother." "It's no bother, sweetie. Besides, you gave me hope for my grandson." She goes into the kitchen and my father keeps looking at her. "You seem quite taken with her, Dad." "Daughter, I hope you don't mind that we came without warning." "No Dad, you know, I don't mind. Besides, you have the right to be happy and Yola seems very nice." "I'm glad, daughter. Thank you very much." I approach and give him a kiss. "I have to tell you something that you might not like." "If I'm going to be a grandfather, I'll be happy." "No Dad, it's not that, at least not for now." "Then what is it?" "Well Dad, it turns out that Andrew was processing everything for the wedding and I just found out that I'm married." My dad turns a bit pale. "But daughter, how did that happen?" "Do you remember when I went to Las Vegas to celebrate my birthday?" "Of course, I certainly remember." I turn a bit red from the embarrassment I feel with my father. "It seems I drank too much and ended up married." My dad lets out a huge laugh that leaves me a bit bewildered. "Dad, I expected all kinds of reactions from you, except this one." He wipes his eyes from the tears he shed from laughing. "Daughter, I can't believe it. You've always been so level-headed and have never drunk to the point of losing control." "Well, it seems I did, and I lost control completely, as well as my single status." "Daughter, you've been married for 11 years, and I'm only finding out about it now." "Don't worry Dad, I just found out too." "And what are we going to do? I can't imagine how Andrew must feel about this." "He's furious, but Bella told me where my husband lives and I have to travel to ask him for a divorce." "Gosh, sweetheart, I still can't believe this of you." "I'm sorry Dad, I'm dying of embarrassment." He takes my hand and gives it a kiss. "We all make mistakes. This is your first time making one. You don't have to be ashamed." "Thank you Dad, now I want to ask you a favor." "Anything, daughter." "Would you accompany me on this trip?" "Of course, I'll go with you everywhere." "Next week we're going to Denver." My dad is surprised. "So, my son-in-law is from Denver." "That's not all Dad, does the name Brett Watford ring a bell?" "Of course, daughter, he's the quarterback for the Broncos. But what does that have to do with anything?" "Well, he's your son-in-law." My father stands up from the table, astonished. "Are you kidding me?" "No Dad, I would never joke about something like this." "I can't believe it." "Me neither." "Pinch me." "Dad!" "I'm sorry, sweetie. Just imagine finding out overnight that you're the father-in-law of a celebrity, and none other than the star quarterback of my favorite team." "I've bought tickets for next week's game. I need to see if I can talk to him." "I can't believe Brett Watford is my son-in-law. I even have his jersey. I'll bring it for him to autograph." "Dad!" "Don't worry, honey. I promise I'll ask him after you talk to him, so, I don't interrupt. I feel bad for Andrew, but for some reason I feel excited." Oh my God, this trip is going to be more interesting than I imagined.