Five Years Too Late, Ex-husband!

Chapter 4:Yet Another Heartbreak

~ Daisy's POV ~

Humiliated beyond words, I grab my purse and rush towards the exit.

Outside the restaurant, my phone buzzes in my purse and I pull it out with shaky hands.

The buzz is from a notification. A tagged post on social media.

Someone has already uploaded a crying video of me sitting in that restaurant, with the caption:

‘Daisy Sinclair watching her husband propose to another woman LIVE #Karma #TrueLoveWins #PatheticEx’

And the post already has thousands of views with people celebrating my pain in the comments.

I can't see through my tears as I run towards my car after tucking the phone back into my purse. People are staring at me as I run past them, but I don't care anymore.

Let them look. Let them record. Let them post it online for the world to mock me.

Nothing matters anymore.

My hands are trembling so badly that I drop my car keys twice before I manage to unlock the door of my car.

The moment I’m inside, I rest my head on the steering wheel and cry my ears out.

The image of Sebastian on one knee is burned into my brain. The ring. The way he looked at her like she was his entire universe while I'm just... nothing.

Less than nothing.

I press my hand against my stomach, feeling the flatness there, knowing that a tiny life is growing inside me. A life that its own father doesn’t want.

“I'm so sorry,” I whisper to my baby through my tears. “I’m so sorry your father doesn’t want you. But I want you. I swear I want you and I'm going to keep you.”

My phone won’t stop buzzing. Notification after notification. I don't need to look to know what they say. More mockery. More cruelty. More celebrations of my pain.

I just need to get out of here. I need to go somewhere safe. Somewhere I can think. Somewhere peaceful.

My childhood home.

At least there, my mother will hold me in her arms and my father will comfort me. They will assure me that everything is going to be okay. They will help me figure out what to do next and also remind me that I’m worth something even if my husband thinks I’m worthless.

With my mind already made up, I start the car and pull out into road.

The drive to my parents’ house usually takes thirty minutes, but it feels like thirty hours. Every passing second is torture.

But finally, I turn onto the familiar tree-lined street where I grew up.

The sight of my parents’ mansion with its white shutters and lavish green lawn makes fresh tears spill down my cheeks.

I am home. I am safe.

Quickly, I drive into the compound before parking haphazardly in the driveway. Next, I kill the engine and stumble out of the car without bothering to grab my purse.

All I want to do right now is run into my mother’s arms and cry until I can’t cry anymore.

As soon as I reach the front door, I knock three times. “Mom? Dad?”

“Coming!” a cheerful voice calls from upstairs.

That’s not my mother’s voice.

Soon, the door is unlocked.

And instantly, I gasp.

Vanessa.

What is she doing here in my parents’ house?

She is wearing a casual sundress and her hair is pulled back in a messy bun. She looks perfectly at home in my parents’ house. MY PARENTS’ HOUSE!

“Daisy!” Her eyes widen with surprise that looks all fake. “It’s nice seeing you again. What are you doing here?”

What am I doing here?! Did she just ask me that stupid question when I should be the one who is supposed to be asking her that question?

“Vanessa, this is my parents’ house and I have every right to be here, but I can't say the same for you since you don't belong here you home breaker.”

“Excuse me?”

“My husband Sebastian King,” I snap, pushing her aside while I step inside the house. “You know he's married to me and yet you keep perching around him.”

“Well, we both know it's not my fault that Sebastian loves me and not you,” she sighs as if she's innocent. “Anyway, now that you're here—”

“What the hell are you even doing here?” I throw at her angrily.

“Oh, didn't Sebastian tell you? Your parents have been so kind, letting me stay here while I get back on my feet.” She says, stepping into the living room. “They’ve been absolutely wonderful.”

“They let you stay here?!” My voice rises.

“Yes. By the way Daisy, your bedroom is so comfortable and the bed is amazing.”

My bedroom.

She is sleeping in my childhood bedroom!

“You home-wrecking b***h! How dare you destroy my marriage and then come here to my parents' house and—!”

“Destroy your marriage?” she clutches her chest as if I just stabbed her with my words but I can see the silent mockery in her eyes. “Daisy, I didn’t mean to destroy anything. Sebastian and I are in love. We’ve always been in love.”

“Get out,” I snap, taking an angry step towards her. “Get out of this house right now!”

“But your parents invited me—”

“I DON'T CARE!” I'm screaming now, my hands grabbing her wrist and dragging her towards the door. “You don’t belong here! Get out before I—”

"Daisy Elizabeth Sinclair!"

My mother's voice stops me in my tracks. I turn around to see both my parents standing in the doorway to the kitchen. My father’s face is as hard as stone, his arms crossed over his chest.

And my mother? She looks even worse. Her eyes are blazing with anger, and her arms are crossed over her chest too.

“Mom, Dad, thank God you’re here,” I breathe out in relief despite their angry faces. “Vanessa is—”

My mother moves so fast that before I can finish speaking, her palm slaps my face. Hard. So hard that I stumble and nearly fall to the ground.

W-what's happening?

My hand flies to my burning cheek and I lift my face, the slap stunning me into silence, shock, and confusion as I stare at my mother.

She has never hit me before. Never. Not once in my entire life.

“How dare you speak to Vanessa that way?!” She hisses furiously.

“Mom, she… she's destroying my marriage. She—”

“Enough!” My father shuts me up. “Daisy, we’ve had enough of your drama.”

“Drama? What are you saying? Vanessa came back and Sebastian is leaving me for her! He proposed to her on live television today! He told the whole world he is divorcing me!”

“And he is right to do so.” My mother says coldly, her words instantly hitting me harder than her slap.

“What?”

“You heard me clearly, and now you will apologize to Vanessa for your rude behavior,” she orders.

I must be in a nightmare. This can’t be real. My parents can’t be taking her side!

But I'm not giving up.

“Mom, Dad, I'm not going to apologize to her. Can't you see that she is manipulating all of you?! She’s trying to steal my life, my husband, and she's—”

“Your husband?” My father scoffs. “Sebastian was never truly yours, Daisy. Everyone knows he has always loved Vanessa. You trapped him into marrying you.”

“Trapped him? Where is all this coming from? I didn't trap Sebastian! We got married because—”

“Because Vanessa was gone and he needed someone, but now Vanessa is back and it's time for you to wake up from your delusions Daisy.”

“Mum—”

“Don't act dumb and stop bringing disgrace to this family.”

“Disgrace?! But everything that's happening is not my fault. I'm your daughter! Can't you see that I'm the one who's being disgraced?!”

“What we see is a selfish, ungrateful woman who refuses to accept reality,” my father says coldly. “Vanessa is a good woman. A kind woman. She has been through hell and instead of showing her compassion, you were screaming at her and treating her like garbage!”

“She's not who you think she is!” I plead desperately. “She's sly and manipulative and—”

My mother slaps me again, whipping my head to the side. “That’s enough you ingrate! Don't you ever badmouth Vanessa again!”

“Y-you hit me because her?”

“And I will do it again if you continue being a brat. I have had enough of your shenanigans. Vanessa has done nothing but try to be kind to you.”

“Kind?” I laugh bitterly. “She made me serve food at a party that should have been my own birthday party! She humiliated me in front of everyone and she's trying to take my husband!”

"Sebastian was her boyfriend first," my mother snaps. "If anyone stole someone else's man, it's you. Now apologize to Vanessa!”

“I can't believe this.” Hot tears stream down my already-burning cheek as I back away from them. I can't believe my own parents are doing this to me.

“Daisy, apologize right now.” My father warns.

“No.” I shake my head, still retreating backwards. Behind my parents, Vanessa is standing there with her head bowed like she's the real victim here.

But when she lifts her eyes and meets mine, I see a smile on her face.

Damn her! She's enjoying this.

“Mum, dad, you need to believe me. I don't understand what's happening here but Vanessa can't be tru—”

“Vanessa is staying and that's final,” my mum cuts me off coldly. “As for you, you deserve all the bad things happening to you. All of them.”