Chapter 5 The Truth
“Ivana, why are you still here? Everyone else has left. You should go too. Don’t worry about me,” said Clarence.
“How could I just leave you behind?”
In the video, Ivana was far too cozy with him. At the end, she looked at him with quiet tenderness.
The moment their eyes met, the tension between them was unmistakable–even through the screen. And just as I expected, they kissed.
A beat later, Clarence pushed her away. “Ivana, I—”
“I know, Clarence,” she interrupted quickly. “I know you’re still technically married to Janelle, but I like you. I hate seeing you suffer like this. She doesn’t even deserve you.”
Just like that, Ivana tore me down. According to her, Clarence’s marriage to me was some kind of tragedy.
For a moment, I thought he might defend me. After all, when we first got together, people always said we were a match made in heaven.
He was the one who pursued me first. I didn’t fall for him right away, but once I did, I was all in.
Bercelfs
SO
completely in love.
the good in me. Now she wants a divorce.”
I had to hand it to Clarence. He really was something else. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have turned into someone who lost But now, as Ivana dragged my name through the dirt, Clarence said something that cut deep.
“Janelle? She’s been stringing me along for years. I paid for everything she eats and uses. Yet, she still can’t se Ivana jumped in without hesitation. “Clarence, she doesn’t see you the way I do. Divorce her and be with me, okay?” She was pouring her heart out in that video. Even I found myself moved by her words. Honestly, if the man she was holding and kissing hadn’t been my husband, I might’ve been rooting for them.
The video ended there. Moments later, Ivana texted me. She wrote, “Janelle, you saw it. Clarence and I are truly in love. Please let him go.”
It wasn’t hard to figure out what had happened between them the night before. With that kind of passion, I had no doubt whatever was meant to occur–or not- did.
So, when Clarence urged me to head to the courthouse that morning, I wasn’t surprised.
There was a time when all of this would’ve shattered me. But not anymore.
I was a woman of action. When I loved Clarence, I gave him everything I had. And when that love wasn’t returned, I didn’t complain. Yet, he played me like a fool.
When I got to the courthouse, Clarence was already irritated from waiting.
“Janelle, I don’t want to be with you anymore. You can drag this out all you want, but I’m not coming back.”
The man
standing before me was terrifying. He was nothing like the bright, hopeful young man I had known back in university.
I remembered the first time I met Clarence. It was at a networking event on campus. As the campus heartthrob, he drew everyone’s attention, yet somehow, he noticed me.
At the time, I was deep in debate with a few club members about a finance–related topic. Later, Clarence told me that intensity was what had drawn him in. We dated for three years and were married for another three. I still couldn’t understand how it all fell apart.
“Clarence, why did you date me back in university?” I asked.
Without hesitation, he replied, “Everyone makes dumb choices when they’re young.”
He blurted those words out without a second thought. I could tell he had long stopped loving me. He would have left me long ago if I hadn’t still been useful in
some way.
But even then, I needed to know the truth. I took a deep breath and asked, “If I weren’t from the Sawyer family, and if we couldn’t help yours, would you have already filed for divorce?”
“Yes.”
I pressed on, “Did you only fall for me because you knew who I was?”
“Yes,” Clarence answered, his gaze sharp.
There was a chill in his expression that made my heart skip a beat.
That was all I needed to hear from him to make me give up on him completely.
