Helen stood in front of the open wardrobe, her hands trembling as she pulled out clothes and shoved them into a suitcase. Tears streamed down her face, and her chest heaved with sobs.
"How could you do this to me, Henry?" she screamed. "How could you have a child with another woman?"
Henry stood behind her, his hands in his pockets, looking crestfallen.
"Helen, I'm sorry," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "I never meant to hurt you. It was a mistake, a one-night stand, I swear."
"A mistake?" Helen whirled around, her face contorted with anger. "A child is not a mistake, Henry! You have a daughter out there, and you didn't even have the decency to tell me!"
"Helen, please," Henry begged, taking a step towards her. "Let me explain."
"Explain what?" Helen shouted. "That you've been lying to me for years? That you've been keeping secrets from me? That you've been cheating on me?"
"I didn't cheat on you," Henry protested. "It happened before we even met."
"That doesn't make it better!" Helen yelled, zipping up her suitcase. "You should have told me! You should have been honest with me!"
"I know," Henry said, his voice thick with emotion. "I should have, and I'm sorry. Please don't leave, Helen. We can work this out."
Helen shook her head, her eyes blazing with fury. "No, Henry. I can't stay with someone who lies to me. I can't stay with someone who has a child with another woman. I can't stay with someone who doesn't respect me enough, to be honest with me."
She picked up her suitcase and stormed towards the door. Henry followed her, his arms outstretched.
"Helen, please," he begged. "Don't do this. Think of our sons. They need you."
Helen turned around, her face contorted with rage. "Don't you dare bring our sons into this, Henry," she spat. "This is about you and me, and the fact that you betrayed me. Goodbye, Henry. I hope you're happy with your new family."
With that, she stormed out of the house, slamming the door behind her. Henry sank to the ground, his head in his hands, as Helen's curses echoed in his ears.
Henry sat on the edge of his bed, his head in his hands, feeling lower than he had ever felt before. He had lost his wife, his home, and his family, all because of his foolish mistake. He couldn't believe that he had been so stupid, so selfish, to have a child with Bianca. Now, he was paying the price.
Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. Henry groaned, not in the mood for company, but he got up and answered it anyway. To his surprise, he saw Celine and Erickson standing there.
"Do you regret having me?" she said softly, giving him a small smile. "I would take my leave since no one wants me here."
Henry's eyes widened in shock. He wasn't expecting Celine to say those words to him, she is hurt but pretending to be alright after the whole drama. Erickson pulled on a long face, he ran out to catch up with his mother, Helen
"No, not at all. Celine" he whispered, his heart pounding. "I'm so sorry. I didn't know how to tell my wife about you. I never meant to hurt anyone."
Olivia stepped forward and hugged him tightly. "I know, Dad," she said. "It's okay. I'm here for you."
Henry felt a weight lift from his shoulders. He had been carrying this secret around for so long, and now he had someone who knew the truth and still loved him.
Just then, his phone rang. He glanced at the screen and saw that it was Bianca's number. His heart skipped a beat as he answered it.
"Hello?"
"Henry," a weak voice said. "It's me."
"Bianca?" Henry's heart was pounding so hard he could barely breathe. "Are you okay? How do you feel?"
"I'm out of the coma," Bianca said. "The doctors said I'll be okay. I'm so sorry, Henry. I never meant to come back into your life."
"It's okay," Henry said, his eyes filling with tears. "I forgive you."
There was a long pause on the other end of the line, and then Bianca spoke again.
"Henry," she said. "Our daughter is alive. I promise to introduce her to you when we meet. She's Celine… Help me find my daughter."
Henry's heart swelled with love and gratitude. He had lost so much, but now he had a chance to make things right.
"Thank you, Bianca," he said. "Thank you for being conscious, our daughter is right here with me. We will come to pick you up."
He hung up the phone and turned to Celine, who was watching him with concern.
"Dad?" she said. "Is everything okay? Was that mum?"
Henry smiled through his tears. "Yes," he said. "Everything is going to be okay."
A few days later…
Henry's heart was pounding with excitement as he got into his car with his daughter, Celine, beside him. He felt like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders now that he had finally met his daughter and made amends with his lover.
"Where do you want to go?" he asked Celine, his hands shaking slightly as he started the car.
Celine grinned at him, her eyes sparkling with joy. "Anywhere," she said. "I just want to be with you."
Henry felt a lump form in his throat at her words. He had missed so much of her life, but now he had a chance to make up for a lost time.
He put the car into gear and hit the gas pedal, feeling the car surge forward. The wind whipped through his hair, and he felt alive in a way that he hadn't in years.
Celine laughed beside him, her hair blowing in the wind. "Faster, Dad!" she shouted.
Henry grinned and pushed the car even harder, feeling the engine roar as they sped down the highway.
They drove for hours, exploring new roads and taking in the beautiful scenery around them. Henry felt like he was living in a dream, surrounded by the love of his daughter and the freedom of the open road.
As the sun began to set, Henry pulled over to the side of the road and turned off the engine. Celine leaned over and hugged him tightly.
"Thank you for today, Dad," she said, her voice soft. "It's been the best day of my life."
Henry hugged her back, feeling tears prick at the corners of his eyes. "Thank you for coming into my life, Celine," he said. "I'm so grateful to have you."
They sat in silence for a few moments, watching the sunset over the horizon. Henry knew that there were still challenges ahead of them, but for now, he was content to be with his daughter, watching the world go by.