Living a Lie

by softgentle

Based off the BBC mini series of Breathless Otto has had enough of caring for other people and having no control over his life. He is beginning to say no those around him instead of doing what is expected of him. Angela, now divorced, is focusing on her work. What will they do now they are both free?

So a new type of thing for me, for those of you who are familiar with the BBC miniseries of breathless welcome to what I think should have been continuation. However, if you're not aware of this series; the show was about a group of staff in a hospital and by the end it is established that unhappily married man is in love with a woman whose husband has not contacted her for several months...maybe years its not really clear. But I loved this pairing because there's a sense of forbidden love and I have been obsessed with that kind of theme since I started writing fanfictions. Enjoy and please review to let me know what you guys think!

Otto had spent the last few weeks coming to terms with the idea that he would be raising another mans child, once again. Elizabeth had decided that even thought the pregnancy was the result of a reckless decision that ultimately backfired; she wanted to continue with the pregnancy as she believed that it wasn't the fault of the child for its existence. Otto felt strongly that the pregnancy should be terminated but the stubbornness of Elizabeth meant that he would be expected to partake in the growth of this child.

After spending a few weeks working with Angela to secure a discreet divorce from Joe, he decided that living a lie with Elizabeth would no longer make him content. If she wished to continue with the pregnancy then she would have to deal with the consequences lf that decision alone. A divorce is what he needed as well. Truly he had never been with a woman, or been in love before Angela, and even though he was in his early thirties he would begin to make his own decisions.

Meetings with Angela were frequent but always in public places as to avoid any temptation. It irritated them both because they could not simply hold hands whenever they wanted. Otto had even admitted to Angela that he wished he could run away from everything that had happened to him over the last 15 years. He had made some truly stupid mistakes and had done the gentlemanly thing of taking care of Elizabeth but now he had to make some decisions that would make him feel as though he would be living for himself and not to protect others. He had made his mind up to file for a divorce not long after Angela's had been finalised. He could see the relief on her face and he wanted a sense of that. She had only been married for around 2 years and the strain on her was so noticeable, so you can imagine how relieved she was to know that a mistake she had made before she had known what kind of consequences that one decision made.

Otto and Angela had made some regretful decisions when they were younger and now they wanted to be free. The only issue that faced them from being happy was Elizabeth's reluctance to accept Otto's decision for a divorce.

'What about this child Otto?' Elizabeth asked calmly, with her hands on her flat abdomen. 'This child is Thomas' sibling and our child.'

'No Elizabeth,' Otto spoke with determination. Elizabeth knew it well and she realised that he had taken a great deal of time planning everything he wanted to tell her. 'That child is the result of your reckless decisions that ultimately led to pregnancy. You should have told me when he contacted us and I could have dealt with it, keeping you and your son safe at the same time. instead you decided sleeping with that man was the answer to the problem but in fact it only made things worse.'

'You promised to always keep me and our son safe'

'No, I promised to keep you and YOUR son safe Elizabeth. He was never my son, but I took him on as my own because I knew that it was the right thing to do at the time. I will admit I care for him as if he were my own but the truth is...I have not responsibility regarding him.' Otto was now leaning against the cabinet with his folded. He looked up to Elizabeth through his eyelashes and continued. "I cannot go on living like this Elizabeth and we both know why. And anyway, even after the divorce is finalised you will have a decent amount granted to you from me through the law and personally as well. I would not allow you to fall without any means of support."

"How can you do this to me Otto?" Elizabeth was now begging. "Do the last 12 years mean nothing to you at all? Have you not learnt to love me as you thought you would after all this time?"

"No," was the response she received.