Second Chance After the Divorce

Chapter 5

Noah

The next morning I woke up in a terrible mood, all thanks to the previous night's brief yet infuriating conversation I had with Tory. Three years ago when I woke up next to Tory, naked and snuggled onto me, I doubted it was an accident. All I remembered was me being heartbroken about Amelia leaving me. We had been dealing with her second miscarriage and then the devastating news that she might never be able to give me a child.

The last few months we were together we had been arguing a lot. Amelia had wanted to consider adoption but I was against it. I didn't know if I could be a good father to a child who wasn't my flesh and blood. Now I know that it was foolish but I was young and immature back then.

Following that, Amelia wanted some space and left for California.

At first, Ron asked me to give her some time but after days when I started to miss her very badly, I had planned to fly to California to convince her to come back. However, that never happened.

I shouldn't have attended that damned party. It was meant to lift my spirits. Tory was being a good friend by being there for me. at least that's what I thought. I should have been more alert of her intentions. She persuaded me to try drugs, saying it would make me forget all the pain. It was something I had never done before.

I had attended numerous parties with Amelia since high school but never once did she allow me to do such things and I am sure if she had been there with me on that particular night, I wouldn't have done it. But she wasn't there and I took the drugs offered to me, thinking it would relieve my pain. But oppositely, everything had gone downhill.

My doubts about Tory intentionally drugging me were confirmed when she slammed the pregnancy stick on my face with a positive result the very next month. I still wanted to go back to Amelia and tell her everything that happened while she was away. I was sure she would be mad at me for cheating on her but I was ready to beg for her forgiveness even if it took years for her. But I wasn't very sure after I learned that I was going to be the father of a child that wasn't hers.

I didn't know how to face Amelia after that.

Soon enough Amelia's lawyer contacted me with the divorce papers and with that came the end of my blissful life. Since then my life has been a hellhole. I hated Tory with everything in me. I refused to visit her even once while she was pregnant but I knew I had to be there for my child. It had committed no crime. So, for the first time in months, I visited Tory in the hospital when I received the news from her father that she was in labor.

After the delivery when Tory saw me, she had a thousand watts smile on her face and hope that I'd finally accepted her. I knew what a conniving woman Tory could be from all the years I have known her. So, I made it very clear to her through my lawyers that I was there only for the child and that I had no intentions of marrying or associating myself with Tory for any other reasons.

However, she had never stopped trying her best to manipulate me into marriage. And she had been using my baby girl as a pawn for her own selfishness.

I had all the means to keep her away from my daughter but my heart didn't let me do it to Lia. As much as I hated Tory, I couldn't do it to her. Lia was as much her daughter as she was mine. Moreover, Lia needed her mother even though Tory was a good example of a bad parent.

At first, I believed that with time she would change her parenting style but even after three years nothing much has changed in her.

"You are still in bed.." Ron said sharply, shaking me out of my dim thoughts.

He was fully dressed for the occasion and why wouldn't he? It was his big day and he had been waiting for this day for his whole life. Amelia might not know this but Ron always had a thing for her little sister. However, with our marriage coming to an end, he took a step back from wanting to date Angela because he was thoughtful enough to foresee what kinds of complications it would bring to their marriage. They had tried to stay away from each other, tried dating other people, Angela had even tried to hate him for being my friend but their love had outgrown everything else. And here they are today. Getting married.

"Just give me ten minutes.." I said, walking into the en suite. I showered and got ready in a black suit dress for the wedding ceremony. I didn't show it openly but I was a bit nervous. Amelia was going to be there again. Even though I had been dying to meet her again and talk to her, I didn't know how to initiate a decent conversation with her.

I mean, after seeing her with another man, I didn't think I had a chance with her anymore but that didn't stop me from having high hopes. I stopped getting dressed to impress anybody but today I did to look good in Amelia's eyes even if the chances of her even noticing were nill.

Ron and Angela had decided on a simple wedding with an evening reception in the City Hall. I was the one to drive the car to the church with Ron where the wedding was to take place.

"f**k, I am so nervous, man.."

I chuckled at my best friend's revelation. I had been there and I know how terrorizing the day could be.

"What if I dropped the ring?"

"Then I will help you pick it up and hand it to you but not before laughing my ass off.." I smirked when he glared at me. "Calm down, Ron. I have been there and I assure you nothing of that sought will happen.."

"I hope not. I don't want to make a big fool out of myself in front of Angie and her family.."

"You won't.." He smiled at me but then I spoke again which made that smile disappear, "because they already know what a big fool you are.."

He lifted his hand high to smack the back of my head but I warned him, "Don't. I have spent hours on that hair.."

"f**k you.." I spat and turned away.

It took us an hour to reach the venue, considering the morning traffic. We were still an hour early before the ceremony began and in all that time, I had to pacify Ron and see that he didn't wet his pants.

"The bride's on her way.." Ron's mother announced excitedly and with happy tears in her eyes. "God, I can't believe my baby boy is getting married today.."

Ron was clearly embarrassed but being the mama's boy he didn't say anything to disappoint his mother. He kissed her before she left us alone once again. Ron and I walked to the altar as we waited for the bride to walk in any moment.

Soon enough the church double doors opened and wedding music started echoing around. Angela's father, my once father-in-law walked her toward Ron. She looked like the beautiful bride she was but that's not who caught my attention and breath. It was her elder sister, Amelia behind her, dressed in a simple yet exquisite grey satin gown that perfectly fit her body. She had minimalistic makeup done, letting her natural beauty shine and the mid-slit of her gown was messing with my brain. God, I had a hard time breathing normally when she looked so ethereally beautiful.

"She's beautiful.." Ron mumbled beside me.

"She's more than beautiful. She's breath-taking.." I agreed.

"That's my wife you are talking about.."

"I am not talking about your wife, you idiot.." I responded to him but didn't take my eyes off Amelia.

"You are screwed, man.."

"Oh that I am for a very long time.."

The wedding music silenced our conversation before the ceremony began and throughout it, I couldn't take my eyes off Amelia.