Pampered After Divorce - Chapter 78: Chapter 78

Molly’s POV
I didn’t know how sharing details about my life would benefit Gianni, but it felt good to have a meaningful conversation with him, reminiscent of old times.
"How could I not remember his name? Benjamin Cloud, also known as Benjie, was a constant annoyance in my life," I explained, noticing the relief in his eyes.
The significance of this information to him puzzled me as he quickly grabbed his phone and whispered, "Thank you for sharing this, Molly."
He appeared to be in a positive mood, so I leaned in slightly and caught a glimpse of the message he typed on his phone before sending it.
‘I want you to look up Benjamin Cloud but keep it confidential. P.S. Gather all details about his life.’
Concerned that he might use this as an excuse to leave, I reminded him, "Aren't you forgetting something?"
He looked puzzled as I continued, "You promised to explain why you left that night."
A flicker of emotion crossed his face, and with a soft gaze, he began to recount the events.
"I received a call from an unknown number claiming to be a doctor, informing me that my father had suffered a heart attack and was hospitalized. It wasn't my intention to disappear, but that night, I was involved in a car accident," he revealed, leaving me stunned.
My suspicions were confirmed, but the lack of communication left me feeling abandoned.
"I held onto hope, but the silence was deafening. Why didn't you reach out to me once you recovered?" I asked, sensing a sudden barrier between us.
"Molly, it's been one step at a time, but since you asked, I'll share," he responded, his eyes reflecting pain.
I was grateful that he was willing to open up to me, despite the lingering doubts from the past.
“I suffered a traumatic brain injury after the accident," he revealed. To the best of my knowledge, approximately half of individuals with a TBI experience a decreased sex drive, while others may experience an increased libido or no change at all.
Between forty to sixty percent of men may experience temporary or permanent erectile dysfunction.
I couldn't help but recall the cold showers he frequently took and the erection I once noticed, making me understand he was in the group with the increased sex drive.
With this revelation I felt that he had endured more than I had, but that was nothing compared to what he disclosed next.
"Someone tried to kill me in the hospital, prompting me to escape before fully recovering. Upon returning home, my family was under attack. The threats were constant, and I didn't want you to be involved."
"Those close to me were being targeted, and contacting you would have put you at risk. I lost many family members and had to make life-altering decisions. When things improved, I tried to locate you, but New York and Chicago were too vast. You vanished without a trace," he concluded, his expression clouded with sadness.
"I suppose that was around the time of my marriage. Would you believe me if I told you that as a housewife, I never left the house?"
His fingers gently brushed my cheek, evoking a rush of emotions. His eyes filled with compassion.
"I'm truly sorry, but I had no choice. Losing you and then finding you alive is preferable to holding on and losing you permanently," he said earnestly, just as his phone rang.
His hand around my cheeks dropped but something strange flickered in his eyes when he answered the call.
Then he stared apologetically at me. "It's urgent. I need to go to my office now and I will make sure Jace is here. Also, I would install a sensory alarm to enable you contact me easily whenever you are in danger."
I nodded in understanding as everything began to fall into place. I had assumed he left me for another woman, but it turned out he had endured significant hardships during that time.
In his eyes, I sensed there was more to the story, but perhaps he was right. Time constraints prevented us from delving further into it.
Nevertheless, I was determined to become stronger. Since he had promised to train me, I was determined not to disappoint him.
Checking the time, I had to go pick up Roger, and due to how he left, I didn’t want to disturb him.
“Jace, it's time for me to go,” I said to the bodyguard who had taken his position after what happened earlier. He replied,
“Yes, ma’am, I’m ready.”
Arriving at Roger’s school, I was surprised when the little boy smiled at me, and I wondered if it was genuine.
However, as soon as we sat in the car, he asked, “Molly, can you take me to the pack? Dad never does, and all the other kids do. It would be our little secret if you do.”
Gianni had warned me to not take Roger to the pack but staring at his innocent face, I couldn’t deny him and instructed Jace, “Just fifteen minutes at the pack, please.”
He was reluctant, but Roger had a way around all of them. “Come on, Jace. I just want to see how things go on there.”
Jace’s gaze softened, and he answered, “Just thirty minutes, and we have to get home before Don does.”
“Agreed,” I confirmed. This was the first time Roger warmed up to me, so I didn’t want to fail him, even if I was being tricked. The fact that Jace was with us also gave me some kind of assurance.
However, it seemed like whenever something good was about to happen, bad people would always destroy it.
Guess who I met at the park?
“Molly, what are you doing here? And let me guess, did you adopt a son to compete with me?”