Heavyhearted, Jessica carelessly leaned on the sofa as her eyes stared into space with a touch of sadness that seemed to originate from somewhere deep within her broken soul. Her eyes are dry but traces of withering tears could still be seen on her cheeks.
After seeing Louis and Anne together, tears had continuously spilled from her eyes until when she ran out of them. From when she first caught sight of them together…to when she slapped Louis…to when dazed, she slowly walked to the car and sped away…to when she arrived home…the tears just wouldn’t stop. Louis’ betrayal was like a knife driving deep into her heart…the fatal strike to an old wound… while the tears that couldn’t seem to stop spilling from her eyes were like the infinitely large pool of blood dripping from that same old wound…. A wound that Jessica knew she would never be able to fully recover from, for it was simply too profound.
Jessica’s faraway gaze had been surveying the house when it suddenly landed on a picture frame that stood on the corner table situated on her left.
Painful disappointment was evident in Jessica’s eyes as she observed the picture of Louis, GiGi and herself; the perfect family picture.
Looking at the sweet smiling Louis in the picture, Jessica felt her blood run cold.
Did she ever know him at all? …this man who had been her husband of three years and half and also the father to her child? This man for whom she went through hell and back just to get him to honestly open up to her…and to their relationship?
Jessica shook her head in confusion as she buried her face in her hands.
How could everything change so fast in the space of only a few hours? How could he kiss her one minute and then turn to hold another woman just a few hours later?
In the past, no matter how many times and how deeply he had hurt her, she would still forgive him. Because deep down inside, she knew that despite everything, she was still the only woman that he had ever truly loved. And as long as he still loves her and she still loves him, Jessica believed that with patience, determination and her faith in their love, she could make their marriage work.
But now………she wasn’t sure anymore.
Perhaps in a twisted way, it was her own fault. She had brought all this heartbreak on herself. She shouldn’t have loved and needed him too much… so much so that the only thought of losing him could easily make her world fall apart in one split second.
Perhaps, Jessica thought, she should have just admitted defeat and let go of him a long time ago.
***************FLASHBACKS*************************
Jessica frustratingly stepped on the accelerator as she sped on the highway. Just earlier, she had had a bitter bickering with Louis in her office. Again, he had used that accusing look to glare at her when he saw that Gallen was adjusting the bracelet on her hand for her.
She didn’t know what was wrong with Louis these days. Lately, he had been unreasonably jealous and incredibly moody. The slightest thing could alarm and irritate him. And because of Louis’ temperamental behavior, they have been having many arguments, so many that Jessica couldn’t even start to count them on her hands…
The ringing sounds of a beeper suddenly interrupted her train of thought.
“I don’t have a beeper, whose beeper could it be? ”, Jessica thought.
Reaching the end of the highway, Jessica pulled near the sidewalk and stopped the car to pick up the forgotten beeper.
As she picked it up, Jessica concluded that Louis must have forgotten it.
Jessica looked at the message displayed on the beeper.
It read: “Honey, let’s meet each other again tonight at your place. And we’ll finish off what we started last time. ”
Jessica’s expression darkened right after she read the first word.
After reading the message, Jessica immediately sped towards home as the usual gentleness in her eyes slowly faded, making place for raging anger to set in.
At Home in Louis and Jessica’s room
Louis was lying on the bed holding a woman of approximately 24 or 25 years old in his arms and having fun teasing her when Jessica suddenly barged in the room only to find her husband lying on their bed naked with another woman who looked like a certified prostitute.
Jessica stared at them both with disbelief.
Both Louis and the woman looked at Jessica when she opened the door. The woman seemed a little scared and surprised at seeing Jessica while Louis’ expression was at first glance, unreadable. But one thing was for sure, seeing Jessica didn’t seem to surprise him much. He gave Jessica a disinterested look and then acting as if she wasn’t there, he turned to the woman beside him and said, with a smile curving at the corner of his lips: “Now, which way would you like to do it?”.
The woman giggled.
Jessica’s blood boiled in anger as her face reddened. For the first time in her life, Jessica forever-present control slipped.
She ran towards Louis and was going to slap him when he caught her hand with his and looked at her with a “who-are-you-to-slap-me” look.
Feeling the other woman’s eyes looking at her in amusement, Jessica felt her cheeks burn red in embarrassment. Disconcerted, Jessica swallowed back tears and jerked her hand off of Louis’ and ran out of the room.
2 days later at Louis and Jessica’s mansion
Louis was sleeping on the desk in his study room when his ringing cell phone woke him up. Jessica had not been home these past 2 days.
Louis: Hello.
Jessica (her voice is calm): It’s me.
Louis just kept silent, not knowing what to say.
Jessica: I’ve thought about us. I don’t think… (her voice seems to have gotten shakier despite her attempt to keep it still) things have been really working very well between us. So… I took an appointment with Miss Chan (her lawyer). See you in her office next week.
With that, Jessica immediately hung up.
6 days later in Louis and Jessica’s mansion
Louis was sitting on a bar stool as he brought the glass of wine to his lips and drink its content in one go. As soon as he finished with one glass, he would pour himself another glass and again drink it in one go. Louis was the kind of person who would still remain sober even after drinking bottles after bottles of wine.
He always knew what he was doing.
Just then the main door opened and Jessica entered.
Louis just continued drinking without bothering to look in Jessica’s direction.
Jessica walked towards him and sat on the stool in front of him.
Louis (without raising his head to look at her): Don’t worry, I’ll come to Miss Chan’s office tomorrow to sign the papers.
Jessica (ignoring his remark, with patient tenderness): Louis, Stephen told me about your family. (she takes his hands in hers) Why didn’t you tell me? Why did you choose to shut me out like this?
Louis remained silent but judging from his sudden uncomfortable stance, he seemed to be a little bit shaken by what she just said.
Louis looked up at Jessica for a while but then he took his hands off of hers and stood up. He didn’t want to hear what she had to say anymore. What good would it do? She would just walk away from him one day or another, so why bother…
Louis quickly walked out of the bar and passed by Jessica in order to get to the stairs but before he could escape to there, Jessica had stood up and grabbed his elbow and pulled him so that he was facing her.
For a moment, they just stared at each other.
And then, Jessica pulled Louis against herself.
Louis didn’t know why but he didn’t pull away from Jessica. Instead, he just stood there motionless not knowing what to do.
Jessica (tightening the embrace): Let go of the past, Louis. Just let it go. Don’t let these unhappy memories burden your life anymore. Let’s forget everything and start afresh. (she looks up at him, her eyes almost pleading)
Louis’s watery eyes met hers. There was so much truth and so much sincerity in Jessica’s eyes as they transfixed him with tenderness, pleading with him to open himself up to trust. Louis’ protective wall fell down at once as he finally realized the full extent of his wife’s love for him. She still loves him so much even after all that he has done to hurt her.
Louis (he nods as he looks at her with tears in his eyes): I’m sorry Jessica. (he now reaches his hands up and holds her tightly against himself) I’m so sorry.
**********************END OF FLASHBACKS***************************************
The main door suddenly opened as Louis entered the house. Jessica didn’t budge, instead she just continued to emptily stare ahead.
Seeing Jessica like this made Louis’s heart ache.
Jessica (not looking at Louis, her voice is calm and devoid of life): We need some time apart. I’ll be staying with Cecilia.
Louis: If someone has to leave this house, it should be me.
With that he walked up the stairs and to his bedroom to pack his things.
Louis then walked down the stairs only to find Jessica still in the same position melancholically staring into empty space.
With a mixture of guilt and regret twinging in his heart, Louis walked straight to the door and opened it…
Jessica (suddenly standing up): I just want to know why.
Louis (he turns around to look at her): It’s all my fault. I wronged you.
Jessica (taking a deep breath as she looks straight at him): Then it’s over between us.
Louis (staring at her, he utters): I’m sorry. (he then turns back around, walks out of the door and leaves)
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Thanks to everyone for leaving us your comments, we truly appreciate it. It's always a joy to read them! It's late tonight so we are answering all your comments later. Just wanted to let you know that we haven't forgotten you, our dear readers! Hope you enjoyed this chapter! By the way we met both Louis and Jessica in real life, they're both awesome! Louis was soooooo sweet :) So if you happen to hate him in this story PLEASE remember that this is just a story! Ok Bye Bye