Chapter 432 Confession
Elizabeth stopped in her tracks. "Michael, Francis is your child. I hope you can be a stable and caring father, not just showing up when you feel like it and disappearing for long periods when you're not in the mood to see him."
She sighed and continued, "He's just a kid. He doesn't understand the role of a father yet. I don't want you to mislead him into thinking that a father is an optional figure. If you truly want to be a good dad, don't give the children hope and then take it away."
Michael hung his head. "I'm sorry, Elizabeth. I was wrong before. I shouldn't have kept the agreement to marry Margaret a secret from you. I shouldn't have left despite your feelings and the children's."
Elizabeth didn't want to look at him. "You've hurt me too many times. I don't want to talk to you. And back in Valoria, I made it clear to you: if you walk away, you won't see me and the children again."
Michael's brow furrowed, a pained expression on his face. "Elizabeth, I had my reasons back then. Samuel had leverage over me and forced me to marry Margaret."
Elizabeth cut him off, heading straight to the front desk to check out.
As the front desk reached for the room key, Michael grabbed Elizabeth's hand and took the key. He told the front desk, "Sorry, we're not checking out just yet."
Before Elizabeth knew it, she was grabbed by him and left for the upstairs room.
Michael led her into the room, pushing her against the door before she could steady herself.
Elizabeth pushed him away. "Michael, talk to me like a civilized person. Don't lay hands on me. I'm not interested in you anymore."
Standing in front of her, Michael said, "I'm sorry, Elizabeth. What I have to say next is personal. I don't want to discuss it out here. I'm afraid someone might overhear."
Arms crossed, Elizabeth said, "Fine, you can talk now."
"Elizabeth, could you accept a mentally ill person as your children's father?"
Elizabeth looked at him incredulously. "Michael, that question doesn't make sense. When we were together, you weren't mentally ill. You seemed normal and even smarter than most. And if you were clearly mentally ill, I wouldn't have fallen in love with you and had three children with you."
Michael frowned. "Then, could you accept a murderer as your husband?"
"Michael, if you have a question, ask it properly. What murderer? Are you trying to tell me you've killed someone?"
Michael looked even more pained. "Elizabeth, to avoid misunderstandings in the future, I've decided to tell you all my secrets."
"I had an illness similar to Eloise's when I was young. My family got me treated, but Eloise didn't receive the same care."
"My father was abusive, and one day, I couldn't take it anymore and... I killed him. My mother protected me by getting a diagnosis that saved me from prison."
"I was young and unsure if I really had a mental illness, but I did have unstable emotions at times. I even took medication for a while."
Elizabeth wasn't too surprised by what he revealed. She had some suspicions.
She never imagined Michael had the same illness as Eloise when he was young. It seemed unbelievable.
Eloise's condition required surgery, but Elizabeth had never seen any scars on Michael's head from such a procedure.
How did his doctor cure him? Was his illness different? Did his family lie to him? But why did his family cheat him? Elizabeth was puzzled.
Michael stepped closer, whispering, "Elizabeth, I'm not afraid of being judged. I just don't want the children and you to face gossip. That's something I can't bear."
Elizabeth scoffed. "Oh, please, Michael. Stop making excuses for your irresponsibility. Am I someone who fears rumors? Maybe in the past. But now, I don't care. When I married you, you were practically a vegetable."
Though her tone was cold, her demeanor softened.
She walked over to the sofa and said, "Michael, you've hidden too much from me. Including Eloise's identity."
"If you had been honest from the start, maybe we wouldn't have had so many misunderstandings, separated for four years, or even divorced. I might have operated on Eloise myself, and Calla wouldn't have come into the picture. None of those things would have happened."
Regret filled Michael's face. "I'm sorry, it's my fault. I was too arrogant. I wanted to keep my secrets, hiding Eloise's identity and my medical history from you. It was my burden alone, but you and the children suffered for it."
"I'm sorry, Elizabeth. I didn't love you enough back then. Now, I love you deeply and don't want to see you hurt."
Elizabeth snorted. "Not see me hurt? Michael, ask yourself, haven't you wronged me enough?"
Michael sat next to Elizabeth on the sofa, his voice hoarse. "Elizabeth, can you give me one last chance?"
Elizabeth closed her eyes, turning away without a response. Her heart was in turmoil.
Michael stood up. "Alright, Elizabeth, I understand."
With that, he walked to the door, opened it, and left in long strides.
Elizabeth opened her eyes, feeling puzzled.
She didn't say anything, did she? How did he understand? What did he think she meant?
What an emotional man!
Rubbing her throbbing forehead, she left the room and went downstairs to check out.
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