Chapter 3 Price of Freedom

Serena’s POV

I lifted my face and looked at Maria. She’s obviously panicking as she tries to caress my shoulder to calm me down. “S-Serena, it might be a mistake. Millie was still shocked and she must’ve mistook that man for her father.”

Slowly, I stood on my feet and gripped the phone in my hand tight. There’s no way my private investigator would make a mistake. Besides, the photo clearly shows my husband’s delighted face while carrying the child.

“Mommy! Does my daddy hate me?”

I immediately carried Millie carefully and caressed her cheeks, wiping her tears. I felt like crying too. My daughter’s tears are my weakness. I don’t wanna see her crying and I’ll make Tyler pay for hurting our daughter.

I sniffed and shook my head. “That’s not daddy.”

“B-But…”

I pressed my lips on her cheek, long but gentle. “That’s not daddy, sweetheart. Daddy is working.”

She looked at me with eyes full of tears although it had stopped rolling down her cheeks. “You’re not lying?”

I shook my head. I am but you shouldn’t know.

Tyler is busy. He’s busy with his old love and he’s refusing to answer my calls because of her. Catherine Smith. Thinking about that name made me taste bitterness. My heart couldn’t accept that his cheating had come this far and what about that little boy? Is that their child?

I can’t believe this! He already cheated and if he already has a child with another woman, why won’t he give me what I want? Why won’t he give my freedom back?

I had a hard time convincing Millie to sleep. She keeps on asking me about her father and up until now, I’m still trying to reach him, not wanting to give up for my daughter’s sake. But Millie has already fallen asleep without even hearing anything from Tyler.

This doesn't seem to be a punishment. For what? For marrying the man I loved? After my one-night stand with Taylor, I even avoided him. I tried so hard to escape from him, but his father found out I was pregnant. His father forced him to marry me, plus Taylor's father believed he had to respect my parents. My parents were good friends with Taylor's parents before they passed away.

I didn't think Taylor would submit to his father, but in the end he came to me, smiling and telling me he could marry me. After my parents died, it was the first time I smiled, and I started looking forward to our married life. After Millie was born, Taylor started talking to me more. He named her, spent more time with us, learned to be a father...it was one of the few happy days we spent together. The night we had sex again, I finally had some hope for our marriage. I started dreaming of his love again, until I found out Taylor was cheating on me with his secretary.

I didn't see them in bed, but Taylor never denied it. Since then, Taylor's arms have always had different women. Even if I didn't see them having sex, I don't believe a man and woman would just be together for simple conversation.

When I saw Catherine's face, my fingers started trembling.. Tyler looked so happy and…content. He'd never looked like that in all the years we'd been married. And neither with his other mistresses. Why? The answer was right beside him. Catherine Smith, the only woman Tyler Walter had loved.

I suddenly realized that perhaps I had been able to tolerate his cheating before only because I subconsciously knew that none of those women posed a threat and I had his love for Millie. But now? I was not sure anymore. When Catherine returned, he would get over us soon, wouldn't he?

I fell asleep on the couch and woke up when I heard the door open. I slowly sat and glanced at the time on my phone. I let out a sarcastic laugh, realizing it was already 3 AM.

“You were so happy about your old love's return that you forgot your own daughter, weren't you?”

He paused when he heard my voice. I smelled the strong scent of alcohol and it made me angrier. While I was busy soothing Millie's broken heart, he was out having fun with his old flame. How shameless! How disgusting!

Tyler looked at me with dark and cold eyes before he threw his coat on the couch. His sleeves were folded up to his elbow and the first two buttons of his dress shirt were open. His hair is messy and his eyes are reddish and sleepy.

I can’t believe this! I was right. He was with her. He spent the night with her and…who knows what they did the whole night.

“What did you say?” He asked violently.

I smirked and pulled myself up as he watched me with hawk-like eyes. He still has the guts to look at me that way. To get mad when he was the one who did me wrong.

“I see your new flavor of the week was a familiar face. Was she good in bed?”

He grabbed my neck and said angrily, "You don't know what you're saying. How dare you compare Catherine to other women?"

I wasn't afraid and laughed sarcastically again. "Why not? Taylor, you're still my husband! What she's doing is no different from a slut!"

His hand tightened around my neck again, but I waited for him, unflinching. My courage grew after I realized I no longer harbored any illusions.

Finally, Taylor sighed and let me go. But I didn't want to live like this anymore. Serena was right, Millie needed a happy mother. With her father having other children, she would be even more neglected.

I immediately threw the divorce papers in his face. "Sign it. You wouldn't want Catherine to be a mistress."

Taylor's gaze was fixed on the divorce papers, his chest heaving. I didn't understand what he was angry about. I thought he needed time to look over the terms, but when I turned around, I heard the sound of papers being torn.

"I said we're not getting divorced! I won't hurt Millie!" he said angrily before trying to leave me.

He had the nerve to say he wouldn't hurt Millie. When Millie was hurt, he was holding the child he had with another woman, yet he said he wouldn't hurt Millie!

I immediately slapped him. "You've done your duty?" I roared angrily. He faced me, his eyes dark. Those brown eyes I used to admire. But now I hated them. I hated the way they looked at me. They were bloodshot. Full of hatred.

"Millie was hurt. I called you several times today, but you didn't answer. How can you say that?" I asked painfully and angrily. "Your daughter was crying for her dad, but you didn't show up for so long. How can you say that? You've been ignoring us, Taylor!"

"Millie was hurt?" he grabbed me and asked urgently.

I immediately broke free from him and said coldly, "Don't pretend to be a good father. You have other children! You're Millie's biggest abuser!"

"Serena, that's not..." Taylor tried to hug me again, but I avoided him. I wiped my tears and said as calmly as I could, "Taylor, just do as I say. You know I'm right, if you really love Millie."

He shook his head so slowly and dangerously. His drunk eyes were never leaving mine as if I’d disappear if he looked away even for a second and it intensifies his anger.

“You’ll have to kill me first, Serena. Only then you can be free.”