Five months had passed since Evelyn had walked out of David's office, leaving behind the shattered remnants of their marriage. In the time that had elapsed, David had found himself spiralling into a world of regret and introspection, his thoughts consumed by the past that he had so recklessly destroyed.
The days seemed to blur together, each one a painful reminder of what he had lost. His once orderly life, defined by his successful business and the family he had built with Evelyn, now felt like a distant memory—something he could only grasp at through the fog of his guilt.
As David sat alone in his office, the walls that had once echoed with the sound of their shared laughter now seemed to close in on him, suffocating him with the weight of his mistakes. He leaned back in his chair, his eyes drifting to the photograph on his desk—a picture of him and Evelyn, taken on the day Harry was born.
Harry. The thought of his son brought a pang of pain to David's chest. He remembered the day he first held Harry in his arms, the overwhelming surge of love and protectiveness that had coursed through him. It was one of the happiest days of his life—a day that had filled him with a sense of purpose and joy he had never known before.
He could still recall the way Evelyn had looked at him that day, her eyes shining with tears of happiness as she handed him their newborn son. She had been so supportive, so loving, throughout the entire pregnancy and beyond. David had been in awe of her strength, her unwavering belief in him even when he had nothing to offer but dreams and ambitions.
They had started the company together, pouring their hearts and souls into building something they could both be proud of. Evelyn had stood by his side through the long hours, the sleepless nights, the moments of doubt when they wondered if they would ever succeed. She had believed in him when he barely believed in himself, had picked him up when he stumbled, and had celebrated every small victory with him as if it were a monumental achievement.
David could still see the image of Evelyn standing in the small office they had rented when they first started out. It had been nothing more than a tiny room with a single desk and a chair, but to them, it had felt like a kingdom. They had been so full of hope, so determined to make their mark on the world. They had worked side by side, each of them contributing their skills and talents to the fledgling company, building it from the ground up.
Evelyn had always been the steady rock in his life, the one who kept him grounded even when the pressure of success threatened to overwhelm him. She had managed the finances, organized their schedules, and taken care of all the little details that David had often overlooked. Without her, the company would have never gotten off the ground.
And then there were the early years of their marriage—years that had been filled with happiness, with love, with the kind of contentment that David had never thought possible. He remembered their wedding day, the way Evelyn had looked as she walked down the aisle towards him, her smile lighting up the entire room. He had been so in love with her, so grateful to have found someone who understood him, who accepted him for who he was.
They had shared so many dreams, so many plans for the future. They had talked about traveling the world, about expanding their company, about growing old together. They had dreamed of watching Harry grow up, of being there for all the important moments in his life—his first steps, his first words, his first day of school.
But all those dreams had been shattered by his own selfish actions. David had thrown it all away for a fleeting moment of weakness, for an affair that had meant nothing in the grand scheme of things. He had betrayed the woman who had stood by his side through thick and thin, the woman who had given him everything and asked for nothing in return.
Now, as he sat alone in the office that had once been their shared sanctuary, David was haunted by the memories of what could have been. He thought of the day Harry was born, of the way Evelyn had looked at him with such love and trust. He thought of the way they had worked together to build the company, of the long nights spent brainstorming ideas and strategizing for the future.
He thought of all the moments they had shared, all the laughter, all the love, all the dreams that now seemed so far out of reach. And he realized, with a crushing sense of regret, that he had taken it all for granted. He had allowed his ego, his pride, his own selfish desires to destroy the one thing that had truly mattered in his life—his family.
David's thoughts turned to the last five months, to the way Evelyn had distanced herself from him, focusing entirely on Harry and the divorce proceedings. She had been cold, detached, refusing to engage with him beyond the necessary discussions about custody and finances. She had made it clear that there was no going back, that the trust between them had been irreparably broken.
And David couldn't blame her. He had betrayed her in the worst possible way, had shattered the foundation of their marriage with his lies and deceit. He had lost her, and he knew that he had no one to blame but himself.
But the most painful realization of all was that he had lost not just Evelyn, but also the future they had envisioned together. He had lost the chance to be the husband and father he had always wanted to be, to share in the joys and challenges of raising their son together, to grow old with the woman he had once loved more than anything in the world.
As David sat there, staring at the photograph on his desk, he felt the weight of his mistakes pressing down on him, suffocating him with regret. He had thrown away the most important things in his life, and now, all he had left were the memories of what could have been.
He thought about Harry, about the future his son would now face—a future without the stable, loving home that David and Evelyn had once promised him. He thought about the impact his actions would have on Harry, the way his betrayal would shape his son's understanding of love, trust, and relationships.
David felt a surge of guilt wash over him as he realized the full extent of the damage he had caused. He had not only destroyed his marriage, but he had also jeopardized his son's future, his happiness, his sense of security. Harry would grow up in a broken home, torn between two parents who no longer loved each other, who could no longer provide the united front that every child needs.
The thought of what he had done to Harry was almost too much to bear. David had always prided himself on being a good father, on being there for his son no matter what. But now, he had failed him in the most fundamental way. He had failed to protect the family that was supposed to be the cornerstone of Harry's life.
As the months had passed, David had tried to make amends, to be there for Harry as much as possible. He had attended every school event, every soccer game, every parent-teacher conference. He had tried to maintain some semblance of normalcy for his son's sake, to show Harry that he was still loved, that he was still the center of David's world.
But no matter what he did, David couldn't shake the feeling that it wasn't enough. He knew that he could never fully make up for the damage he had caused, that he could never undo the pain and confusion he had inflicted on his son. And that knowledge haunted him, kept him awake at night, gnawing away at his conscience like a relentless tide.
He often found himself lying awake in the early hours of the morning, replaying the events of the past year in his mind, trying to pinpoint the exact moment when everything had gone wrong. Was it the day he had first met Rose? The day he had allowed himself to be tempted by the thrill of something new, something different?
Or was it earlier than that, in the moments when he had taken Evelyn for granted, when he had failed to appreciate the love and support she had always shown him? Had he allowed the pressures of work, the demands of success, to blind him to what really mattered?
David didn't know. All he knew was that he had lost everything that had ever truly mattered to him, and he had no one to blame but himself.
As he sat in his office, surrounded by the remnants of the life he had built with Evelyn, David realized that the only thing he could do now was to try to be the best father he could be to Harry. He couldn't undo the past, couldn't repair the damage he had done to his marriage, but he could still be there for his son, could still try to make a positive impact on Harry's life.
But even as he made this resolve, David knew that it wouldn't be easy. He knew that the road ahead would be filled with challenges, with moments of doubt and pain. He knew that he would have to live with the consequences of his actions for the rest of his life, that he would always carry the weight of his mistakes with him.
But he also knew that he couldn't afford to dwell on the past, couldn't allow himself to be consumed by regret. He had to move forward, for Harry's sake if not for his own. He had to find a way to rebuild his relationship with his son, to be the father that Harry needed him to be.
As David sat in his office, staring at the photograph of his family, he made a silent promise to himself and to Harry. He would do whatever it took to be there for his son, to make sure that Harry knew he was loved, that he was valued, that he was not alone.
It was a small consolation, a glimmer of hope in the midst of the darkness that had engulfed his life. But for David, it was all he had left, and he was determined to hold onto it with everything he had.