Forced To Love | ✔

Chapter 31

Henry's POV

"Alyssa, do you really believe this shit? I mean come on! This is absurd!", I reasoned with her.

She folded the paper and put it back into her purse quietly. She didn't say a word.

"Do you really believe what's in that letter?", I asked.

She couldn't be stupid to blindly believe what Anna wrote. Bile rised in my throat as I thought about her.

Even after she was gone, she was creating trouble between Alyssa and me.

"I don't know what to believe anymore.", she mumbled.

"Alyssa, I never told her to abort the baby nor did I plan this entire marriage. That's a f**cking lie. Seriously, that's ridiculous. Even you know it by now." I pressed on.

"I know, I have a hard time believing that too.", she agreed.

It felt like a weight had been lifted off my shoulder. I let a huge sigh of relief.

"It's not surprising that she would stoop down low to write a miserable letter like this as a last resort to ruin us. What was she thinking? That we were going to buy into this piece of crap?", I scoffed.

Alyssa smiled weakly but it looked like she was preoccupied with her own thought.

"What is it baby? What's the matter?", I moved to her and held her face in my hands tenderly. She squirmed uncomfortably.

"I...just...I'm confused.", she stuttered. I felt how she was fidgeting in my hold and I let her go.

"So, you still thinking about that letter? Alyssa, that letter is nothing but a bunch of lies. Let's just forget about it and move on.", I was frustrated now. Why did I have to convince her so much for her to believe me over that stupid letter?

"Maybe they are lies. But some of it is true, Henry."

Her words were like daggers that pierced through my very being.

"What do you mean?", I wanted an explaination immediately.

"You have to admit Henry. You have intimidated, controllled and manipulated before. And, you still do it from time to time. I have tried to look past it. But, it's getting out of hand. The way you treat me like a child....no, like a slave that acts according to your bidding. You use fear to make me listen to you. Also, you have an anger issue. Look at this!", she pointed to the photo frame on the floor and then to her wrist that was now red and swollen from my grip.

"You act hot and cold. I don't eveb know what to accept from you anymore. Worst of all, you lied to me then about your relationship with Anna. You never uttered a single word back then. And now, you're still lying to me. You have hired a detective for god knows what and you won't even tell me why? You haven't been exactly honest or open with me." she exploded at me, unleashing her bottled up feelings.

"Is that how you have felt about me all this while? I couldn't hide the hurt in my voice.

She had been surpressing her deep seeded anger for me all this while. It's clear that this letter had brought up those feelings to light.

"Did you abuse Anna?", she demanded.

"No of course not! I didn't lay a finger on her!", I found myself getting irritated with Alyssa.

"She said you couldn't remember much because you were drunk. Was it true? Did you drink alot in the past?", it felt like she was interrogating me and I had enough of it.

"For christ sake! How many f**king times do I have to tell you that nothing in that letter is true! You're going to trust your sister over me now? You're choosing the person who made our lives a living hell over me? You must be out of your freaking mind!", I yelled at her unable to control my flaring temper.

"Yes, maybe I have lost it not because of this letter. Of course, I'm not dumb to believe everything in it. But, it has certainly opened my eyes to how you have been treating me and how I have allowed you to step all over me. I'm not your puppet. I'm your wife. And, you have to start treating me like one. I can't have you disregard my feelings and wishes or have me abide to your every command just to make you happy. What about my happiness, Henry?", she rambled like a train, not able to control the words that came out of her mouth.

"So, you're telling me that I have not kept you happy all this while? All I have done is keep you happy. I have changed Alyssa. You know that. I'm not the Henry I once was when I married you. Yes, I can be controlling. I have always been that way. It's something I can't just decide to throw away. I'm controlling towards you because I care so much about you. I can't stand the thought of losing you...ever. I love you baby. Please I need you to trust me.", I went up to Alyssa and took her hands in mine, forcing her to look up at me.

Her eyes welled up with tears. The struggle was apparent in them as she contemplated over believing me. I had just poured my heart and soul out to her. Yet, she believed Anna over me.

I dropped her hands in defeat.

"You didn't listen to me Alyssa. I told you not to read that letter and look what it has done to us. You met Liam even when I told you not to. Fine, if you don't want to believe me then it's your wish.", I shook my head dejectedly as I took one last look at her before leaving the room.

"Henry!", she called out to me as I rushed out of the room to leave the house.

I didn't want to be here and around Alyssa any minute longer. I heard her small footsteps echoing behind me as she tried to catch up with me.

I slammed the door shut behind me as I entered the lift. I ran my hands over my face in exhaustion.

I finally knew what Alyssa thought about me and I felt miserable.

I needed to get some fresh air. A long drive would help me. I got into the car when my phone beeped.

It was a text...from my detective.

"Hi Henry, meet me in an hour. I have some news. You might want to know about this. I'll text you on where to meet shortly."

Relief and excitement flooded me. I was glad he had finally replied to me after so long. Perhaps, it took alot of effort to get information on Liam. Who knows? I just wanted to know what he had found out about him.

He texted the address shortly after and I entered it into the GPS to guide me to the place.

"Sure, on my way ", I texted back and stepped on the pedal towards my destination.

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