Forced Marriage: Escaping Her Monster

It was very chilly and Jerlina just started at the sky turning dark. She just stared at the distance.

She couldn't figure out the dark feeling rising from her heart. It took her some time to realize it was fear. She's been the happiest in her life these past few months and she is now scared that she would lose it all.

She feared if she would lose Joel!

She didn't want to mind Emma's words but without her knowledge, she had started to mind her words. And seeing Gerard has only stirred her fear more.

A call from Jeremy brought her back.

"When are you returning?" Jeremy asked. "It's getting late."

Hearing his soothing voice that was gentle as a mother's embrace, Jerlina felt stupid for worrying about unnecessary things.

He's waiting for me…

She decided not to dwell on this unfounded fear. At the end of the day, she knows that he loves her more than anything. She loves him too. And they are married. Nothing else matters.

But this fear… She felt happy she felt this way. It only shows her how much she is in love with Joel.

"I'll be back soon, Joel. I love you,"

She ended the call.

Jeremy ended the call and the smile that formed on his lips as she said 'I love you' disappeared slowly as he looked in the direction of her company workshop. After finishing his work, he came straight here to pick her up but he was told that she never was here.

He was waiting a bit wondering if she is caught up elsewhere. But since she is not here for a long time, he got scared and called her.

He swore he could hear the sea. He didn't know why she went to the beach when she told him that she'd be at her company. He let out a deep breath looking at his phone.

It's nothing! She probably went for a ride to take her mind off things. She was a little distressed she isn't pregnant…

Jeremy shrugged it off. Although he was a little sad she is resigning to her habit of not relying on him.

Well, a leopard cannot change its spots!

He returned home and she returned after a while.

"Get changed for dinner," he welcomed her with a smooch.

She had a bright smile on her lips and that was enough for him to become happy. She hugged him closer and stayed in his embrace for a good minute and then walked up the stairs.

Jeremy with a smile entered the kitchen to plate up the dinner. As he thought, she is better. He knew she takes drives to clear up her mind at times and if that works for her then he doesn't want her to change her habit.

As he was setting the plates, he received a notification on his phone. It was some images from an unknown number. It is not odd for him to receive these kinds of messages and he downloaded the images.

But seeing the images, his heart skipped a beat. His fingers trembled and he deleted the images immediately and blocked that number.

So she met with that guy. So what?

He sat on the chair rubbing his forehead. He would be lying if he said that he wasn't disturbed by what he saw. Those images were taken in an angle that would put less distance between them and he couldn't see her face while that guy had a face filled with happiness. She probably donned an unimpressed look and that's why there were no pictures of her face. He knew if she smiled even a bit, that image would be among those images sent.

He understood all these and yet he cannot deny that he is upset. The background in the images was unfamiliar and it seemed like the lobby of some building.

I want to kill him!! After what he did to her the other day, he had the nerve to talk to her?

And… Why is she talking to him?

Did she meet with him after telling me that she is going elsewhere? Oh, why did I delete those pictures? Should I recover it and do an investigation?

Ugh!

He felt guilty for thinking this way. He decided to let it go.

Well, meeting with that guy did spoil her mood and made her take a drive to the port. It can't be nothing…

Ah! Why am I reading too much into this? She might talk about it. I cannot be like this…

Jerlina actually was feeling a lot better after getting home. The moment she hugged him and kissed him, she felt all her fear washing away.

Throughout dinner, she was casually talking about the new series in a streaming service that  Shaun said he loved. Jeremy was silently listening to her.

Jerlina helped with the dishes and they sat in front of the television watching some talk show.

"So what happened in your company today?" Jeremy asked.

He was waiting for her to bring up her meeting with Gerard and she seemed to be not bringing it up. She seemed cheery and bright but he started to feel bitter. He couldn't accept that she is trying to hide such an important thing.

Please tell me that you didn't go to your company today…

"Nothing much," Jerlina lied on his thigh. She felt like it.

She already started to imagine surprising him with a present. She didn't know if he would celebrate Valentine's day or not. But he won't be expecting her gift.

Jeremy gulped staring at her side profile.

Even when I ask, she is not telling me.

Jerlina expected that he'd start patting her like he'd  do usually but since he is keeping his hands to himself, she took it on herself to wrap his arm around her.

"They must be crazy busy, right?" He probed.

Come on! Tell me the truth!

"Yeah," Jerlina said without thinking much.

"Rose wanted to get a frame as a present for her parent's wedding anniversary. Shaun is amazing…" she went on talking about it.

She wasn't deliberately trying to hide the fact that she didn't go to the company. She didn't want him to know about her meeting with the designer, after all. And so she tried to steer the topic elsewhere. She didn't even doubt that Jeremy is thinking differently.

"Shall we go to bed?" Jeremy asked, interjecting her.

"Already?" Jerlina checked the time. It was early even for Jeremy to go to bed. But thinking that he might be tired, she agreed.

"You go first. I need to settle the dogs and..," she was speaking but Jeremy went to the bedroom without even looking back.

He must be very tired…

After finishing up the chores, she got to the bedroom. The room was dark and he seemed asleep. Jerlina carefully got in the bed, not wanting to disturb him.

She closed her eyes and as she drifted into sleep, she felt the bed sinking behind her and the next moment, she was flipped and Jeremy got on top of her.

His lips crashed on hers violently.