1. I- just lost my wife

It was the most stressful day at work yet, and Manchester just couldn't wait to get back, his weary eyes were a testament to the fatigue and his staggering feet just couldn't wait to reach home.

At least he had a family and a home to return to, but if things don't go as planned anytime soon, a home might just be taken out of the equation.

As he approached the doorstep, Manchester was taken aback by the voice of his one-year-old crying from inside,

"Mel wouldn't leave Nelson crying like that." He thought out loud

His exhaustion suddenly vanished as he rushed to the door. He notices that it is locked and decided to knock on it while calling for his wife.

"Mel?"

When she didn't respond after several calls, Manchester opened his briefcase. Luckily, he always carried the spare key around with him in case of emergencies.

"Nelson, it's okay, baby, Daddy home!" He called out, leaving his briefcase at the doorstep and rushing to the living room.

The child's crying grew louder, and Manchester's anxiety spiked when his gaze fell on Nelson, lying alone in a crib next to the living room couch.

His infant's face was scrunched up in distress, as Manchester scooped him up and cradled him in his arm, hoping to soothe him.

"Where's mommy?" He asked whilst looking around the house and calling out for his wife.

He checked the bedrooms, the kitchen, and even the backyard, but Mel was nowhere to be seen.

"Why the hell would she leave the house without taking Nelson along?" He wondered and looked around the kitchen for Nelson's bottle, an attempt to keep the child busy for a while.

"Who knows how long he's been crying for." He hissed and walked back to where he had dropped his briefcase to take out his phone.

Mel would usually leave him asleep in the crib and walk into the grocery store down the street to get a few things, and she'd always get back as soon as possible. So Manchester didn't want to get too upset yet, hoping that the story was the same.

With a baby in his hand, Manchester called his wife's phone, but the call was disconnected even before it rang. A sense of unease crept over him as he tried her second line but got the same result.

"No? She couldn't have." He muttered. Manchester's heart started to race as the reality hit him hard in the face. She has blocked him.

It felt quite strange to him because they did not disagree recently, and even if they did, he didn't think of Mel to be so hard-hearted, enough to block his line and leave the house without the child. He rushed back to the room to check if her things were still there. But all her things were gone, the entire wardrobe was cleared, and even the makeup drawer was empty.

As if sensing his father's distress, Nelson began to cry, throwing the bottle that he was sucking on to the ground. But Manchester quickly tried to comfort him.

"It's okay, Daddy is here." He whispered, trying to keep his panic at bay.

His mind raced with possibilities. Had Mel been planning this for a while? Was she in trouble? He just didn't know what to believe.

He dialled his mother-in-law's number very quickly, hoping that she might know something, and the phone rang a few times before someone picked up.

"Hello?" A familiar voice answered.

Manchester's heart skipped a beat as he heard Mel's voice from the other side of the line,

"Mel, where are you? What's going on?" He asked, trying to keep his voice as calm as possible.

There was pause on the other end of the line, before Mel spoke up, but hesitantly.

"I'm gone, Manchester," she said,

"I've left you and your son."

Manchester's grip on the phone tightened, and he could have sworn that his heart dropped for a moment.

"What do you mean you've left us? Where are you going?"

"I'm done with the marriage, Manchester!" Mel answered, her voice cold and unyielding,

"I am done with the lies, the broken promises, and the constant stress. I wasn't born to be married to a poor man. Managing is not my thing."

Manchester felt like he had been punched in the guts. His body started to shake slightly as he reflected on the words that came from his wife.

"Lies? Broken promises? What are you talking about, Mel? We've had our ups and downs like any other couple, but I thought we were working through our issues."

"You don't get it, do you?" Mel cut him off,

"Look, keep your child, I won't go with him, but I can't be with you either, so please don't try to call my phone or bother my mother, thank you."

Manchester bit back his tears as the reality dawned on him. Certainly, he may have neglected his family once in a while but for a good cause, it takes a lot of effort from him to keep up with the piles of bills, and his little detective job wasn't yielding so much result.

"Mel, please don't go. We can work through this together. Just come home. Let's talk, please." Manchesters begged, his voice cracking with emotion.

"Don't beg me, Manchester." She snapped, her words were final, and she didn't intend to change her mind.

"I am not coming back. Just have a nice life. You are his father, and I am very sure you can take care of him without issues. I might invite you to my next wedding, if there is any need to."

"Mel, wait, Mel... Mel, damm it!" Manchester tossed his phone on the couch after she had disconnected the call. Never did he imagine coming back home to this. And to make matters worse, Nelson was trapped in this whole situation, a one-year-old who still needed his mother, so Manchester was caught in a web but he couldn't even think of a possible way out at the moment.