After a tense day of deep reflection, painfully aware that he was still obsessively in love with her and that they must talk things out, he went back to Anthonia hesitantly with dread constricting his chest. When he arrived at her grand new condominium, one of the luxuries he had generously acquired for her, his steps were heavy and slow, as though he was bearing an unbearable burden. He reached her door and she was already waiting for him, ready to finally put the quarrel to rest.
He opened his mouth to speak but she cut him off before he could say anything.
“Listen,” She said firmly, her voice taking on an authoritative tone that was almost soothing in its familiarity,
“I know this isn’t what either one of us planned for but now that we know the truth we have to figure out what to do.” She paused and looked at him thoughtfully.
Frederick felt himself soften at these words and found himself nodding slowly in agreement. Perhaps there was still a way for them both to be happy despite their current circumstances? He looked at her intently as he spoke, his voice full of sincerity and longing.
“We can still be together. Stay here in America and we’ll be fine. We can even relocate to any country you want.” he said softly. “Just promise me that you’ll always stay true to me.”
Anthonia simply continued her words,
“My husband has missed me greatly and I don’t think it’s fair for me to abandon my children just because I love someone else now. Also we have agreed to call a truce last time I visited.”
Frederick stared at her in a mixture of emotions. He felt betrayed and confused but he also understood why she hadn’t been completely honest with him about her marriage.
“You should have told me sooner,” he said softly. “It could have helped somehow.”
She shook her head sadly. “I’m sorry, Fred,” she replied, “but I wanted to make sure this was something that could work before I shared everything with you. My husband is a good man and now I don’t want to leave him or my children behind.”
He nodded slowly in understanding, his heart heavy with the knowledge that they couldn’t be together like he had initially planned. He wanted her all for himself. He wished he could turn back the hands of time and had met her right before she got married and had children. But he knew it was all a wish, it doesn’t solve anything.
“But what about us?” he asked, wanting desperately for there to be an answer to this question. “Can we still find a way to be together?”
Anthonia sighed and looked up at him with a sad smile on her face. “I think no,” she replied softly.
“My husband wants me back with them in London. I can’t continue to stay here and you can’t possibly come to meet me there. It would be disastrous.” She paused for a moment as if trying to find the right words before continuing on hesitantly,
“I think you should go back to your wife and kids as well. It’s the only best thing we can do.”
***
Frederick was devastated and left in shambles when Anthonia said her final goodbye and left for the United Kingdom. He had never connected with someone on such a deep level before, it broke his heart to think of what could have been. No matter how much he wanted to keep clinging to hope. Despair took hold over him, yet he knew what he must do, he knew that he had to make his way back to Octavia.
With haste, he made his way back to his wife, aching with remorse and guilt, ready to beg her for mercy and plead with her to grant him another opportunity.
When Octavia saw him she felt overwhelmed with emotions – relief, anger but also sorrow. She had been hoping for Frederick to come back for a long time, but she was hurt that he had risked destroying their marriage in the first place.
He quickly got down on one knee and looked up at his wife with tears streaming down his face.
“I am so sorry,” he said, “for everything I have put you through.” His voice trembled as he spoke, desperate to make things right between them again.
Octavia gazed at her husband, her heart filled with compassion and understanding.
“I understand your apology will never be enough to make up for what you did, Frederick. But if you assure me this will never occur again and that you are truly committed to making things right between us, then I will forgive you.”
He took a deep breath and searched Octavia’s eyes imploringly as he whispered the words “I promise.”
He clung onto the hope that she would accept his apology and embrace him again.
Octavia smiled sadly as she reached out and helped Frederick off the ground, pulling him into a comforting embrace. She knew that it wouldn’t be easy to trust him again or forget what had happened, but if they both put in the effort then perhaps there was still a chance of healing their broken marriage.
He wrapped his arms around her and held her close, his heart beating hard in his chest. He felt a surge of relief wash over him, giving him hope that perhaps they could rebuild their shattered relationship from the broken fragments that remained. His grip on her tightened, desperate to not let go and lose her again.
After a week of emotional and difficult conversations, Octavia finally agreed to come back home with Frederick. She demanded that he pledge an oath to stay devoted to their marriage-never to wander from his vow again.
He solemnly swore on his life to be faithful and loyal only to her, and he immediately severed all communication with Anthonia. He cut her off on all social media platforms. He swore it was a permanent arrangement and made it clear that he was no longer interested in any kind of relationship outside of their marriage. He backed up his words with actions that displayed a new dedication to his wife and children.
To show his wife just how committed he was, he created unforgettable experiences for their family. Weekends were spent exploring new places, bonding and discovering a renewed intimacy between them all. There was also a point of duty to eat meals as a family every night, to eliminate any distractions from their quality time together.
Although forgiving Frederick was painful for Octavia, she eventually managed to forgive his betrayal and accept his apology. Through this, they both learned the power of loyalty; knowing it could never be compromised-no matter what love or desire may tempt them with.
Frederick underwent a trial by fire as he strove to prove to his wife that he would never again make a decision that threatened the stability of their marriage.
He persevered to demonstrate his commitment to rebuilding their trust through consistent, reassuring actions, making one difficult choice after another in order to prove his worthiness.
Although Octavia had been initially hesitant to forgive him, he eventually convinced her of his sincerity, allowing them both to reconcile and move forward in harmony.