SHATTERED

╣PROLOGUE╠

Seated in the visitor's room in London's state prison is Mrs Thelma Clifford, she has come to see her husband who has been sentenced to jail for fifteen years for murder. She tapped her fingers on the plastic table in front of her as she waited patiently for him to arrive.
"Thelma!" she raised her head and saw her husband, Logan smiling at her, he was so surprised and happy to see her. He sat down on the chair opposite hers. This was a good time for him to apologise for all what he has done to her and his family.
Thelma starred at her husband, he had grown lean and he looked younger with his long brown hair cut very low.
"Thelma, I am sorry" he reached forward to touch her hand on the table but she flinched, drawing back not wanting to have any contact with him.
"I'm sure you are enjoying your life here?" she said sarcastically.
"I know I have hurt you and our only daughter Ethel... I don't deserve your forgiveness but I want you to find a place in your heart to forgive me, please." he drew in a long breathe as tears welled up in his eyes.
"What were you thinking Logan...when you killed Miss Daphne McCoy?" she said in fury as she clenched her fist.
"It wasn't intentional. I... I was afraid, especially when she told me she was pregnant... I didn't want you to know, so I wanted to keep it a secret and when Daphne refused to get rid of the pregnancy, I just had to do it myself..."
"And then you poisoned her" she shook her head.
"That was the only solution I could think of... now, I regret taking that action." he bowed his head in shame.
"Well,... I didn't come here to hear an apology" she rummaged through her black handbag and brought out a brown envelope. She placed it on the table and gave him a pen.
"What's this?" he looked at her but she looked away. He opened the envelope to bring out the content.
"Thelma!" he swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat "Please, don't do these to me... don't divorce me, I am sorry... I said I am sorry" he pleaded with her.
"Oh please!" she raised her hand to stop him from uttering any word. "I have made up my mind, Logan and it us better this way. Sign it." she said sadly, the tears she had been trying to conceal flowed down her cheeks.
Logan ran his hand through his hair confused. He just had to sign it, there was no other way he could persuade his wife. Wasn't he the one who caused all the calamity that has befallen him? He should have thought twice then before he did what he did, he just had to pay for it. He reluctantly signed the divorce papers and gave it to her.
"I regret the day I ever met you!" she said through gritted teeth. Logan was stunned as she hit the table with her fist angrily.
Standing up, she put the brown envelope in her bag and walked out of the building,she stood at the entrance and looked back to steal a quick glance at him. This was the last time she was going to see him. As much as she hated him, she still wanted him to serve his jail term successfully and come out a changed person. She brought out her handkerchief from her bag and blew her nose in it.
It was a good thing Logan went to confess his crime to the police, that made the court lessen the years he was going to spend in jail. Apart from hurting his family, he had also lost the trust of his company employee. How is life going to be after he gets out of here? He had lost the trust of everyone who had trusted him especially his little daughter, Ethel. What would she think of him if she found out? His soul is shattered into pieces, who could put back this pieces together? Oh! How much he hated his life. He wept.