Awake to Deception

Derrick came over and put his arm around us. "Erin, thank you."

I held William tightly and didn't say a word.

Derrick continued, "About Lilly Hickman, I can explain..."

I cut him off. "It's fine. You don't need to explain anything."

He was surprised, and I continued, "I've thought it through. What you said makes sense. I should learn from my mom. Look how carefree she is now."

Derrick and I had fallen in love naturally.

My dad's company was one of the best in the industry. He wanted me to marry a rich man for business interests, but I was not impressed.

Those men were philanderers frequenting bars and clubs even before marriage. I was young and proud, and with my good looks, I couldn't stand the thought of marrying such a playboy.

So, I went against his wishes and chose someone outside our circle. Derrick was handsome and rich. Most importantly, he didn't go to bars or clubs.

He was clean-cut, focused on his career after graduation, and followed his dad's footsteps in business. He was good with people and had a decent family background, though not as wealthy as my dad.

It took me some effort to win him over. My dad initially disapproved of our relationship, but after a few interactions with Derrick, he accepted us. He even introduced some business opportunities to the Wells family.

After meeting Derrick a few times, my mom told me, "He's smart. He knows what he wants and what he needs to do to get it. Dealing with smart people is much easier."

Now I understood why she had kept praising Derrick. He was just like my dad, who worked hard for 30 years to build his wealth.

But like many men, money changed him. When I was ten, he had an affair, and it spiraled out of control. Surprisingly, my mom never divorced him.

I used to think she was weak and disappointing until the same thing happened to me. When I found out about Derrick's affair with his secretary, I insisted on divorcing him.

When my mom tried to stop me, I blurted out, "You think I'm like you, tolerant of such shameful things? Where is your pride?"

My mom was furious, but she fought back the urge to hit me because I was five months pregnant.

When I calmed down, she sighed, "Divorce isn't about pride. Making the best of your life is what matters."

I wasn't impressed, not after putting so much effort into my marriage.

I never let Derrick worry about his daily needs. When he was busy, I went to visit his parents and took care of them.

Even when I was pregnant with twins, struggling with discomfort and sleepless nights, I kept our home in order.

Derrick didn't appreciate it at all. Instead, he cheated with his secretary and even a client.

We fought and argued. I smashed things and even tore up our wedding photos. I threatened to abort our children and ended up in the hospital twice.

His parents were furious and hit him. Humiliated, he lost his patience with me.

He grabbed my flailing arms and said, "Erin Green, listen. I thought we had long agreed on the purpose of our marriage. But now, it seems I overestimated you."