Forced Marriage: Escaping Her Monster

"Anything," Scarlett said seeing the serious but hesitant face of Jerlina.Â

"Thank you... It's... will you please keep what I said before, about me trying to you-know-what as a secret? Please keep it from Bobby too. I know it is too much of me to ask this, but I don't want Emma to know. Bobby will tell Jeremy and Jeremy will tell Emma and she'll laugh at me," Jerlina started mumbling the last sentence.Â

"Got it," Scarlett agreed. Even if he is her husband, she knew she cannot talk about other people's secrets with him.

And Emma... she is vicious, isn't she?

Although Jerlina didn't elaborate, Scarlett understood that Emma's words were very hurtful for Jerlina. It is not news to her that Emma hates Jerlina, but she is holding on to the hate for a decade which was a little surprising for her.

As someone who knows Jerry the longest, her words would mean a lot to Jerry, but when it comes to Emma, he won't listen to her or anyone else. She tried to talk to Bobby about Emma, but for those two who had watched Emma grow up, they can never see that she had turned vicious. They still see her as the naive little girl she used to be.

That is the problem with men who love too much. It is hard for them to fall out of love. It is for the same reason Bobby waited years for her and Jerry is still holding on to his love.Â

"Can I give you a piece of advice to handle Emma?" Scarlett asked and Jerlina nodded curiously. But seeing the little teasing in Scarlett's eyes she guessed where this will lead.

"Pillow talk... "

"Oh, dear!" Jerlina got up shaking her head. "I guessed that you'd-"

"Oh, come on, Jerlina! Next to tears, pillow talk has been the greatest weapon of women for ages. Just give him a nice 'high' and while he is lying half-conscious, keep on telling that Emma is a bad girl. He will believe it," Scarlett hurriedly picked up her bag and Jerlina helped to fold the blanket.

"Unless he snaps at me for talking bad about his dear sister," Jerlina paused seeing Scarlett having a wide grin. "I am not saying I am planning to do it. I will never sleep-"

Scarlett started laughing and Jerlina sighed, "Ugh! I can see you're teasing me," she walked at the front and Scarlett with her long legs reached Jerlina pretty soon.

"So, what if he got mad? Heard about Samson and Delilah? Samson got frustrated with Delilah's nagging. But in the end, he didn't throw her out. He did what she asked of him. Jerlina..."

Jerlina closed her ears with her hands. She, who couldn't even act cute to get what she wanted, can never be a seductress. "I can never be Delilah....La...la...la... I won't listen to stupid advice.....La...la...la... I want to live a long life...La...la...la..." She started to sing.

"Listen, it is not a stupid idea..." Scarlett tried to pull Jerlina's hands. "Cr*p! You're strong! Listen ...I am your senior and I've seen..."

"Baby, I'm just gonna shake, shake, shake, shake, shake...I shake it off..." Jerlina started singing songs now with a chuckle, still closing her ears.

"Wow! Look at this idiot!" Scarlett giggled pinching her cheek and Jerlina smiled without stopping her singing.

Scarlett went to her station and Jerlina with the happy smile stuck to her face, opened the door to Jeremy's office.

Her smile disappeared in a second seeing Jeremy there and his face was grey. Her heart raced thinking what kind of acting did Emma pull on TJ after she ended the call. She would have acted pitiful. She wondered if TJ would shout at her for "hurting" his dear sister. She wanted to run away.

"Good afternoon, sir," she activated her secretarial smile standing close to the door with the door handle still at an accessible distance. She decided to barge out in case he starts screaming.

Jeremy was stunned seeing the smiling woman entering his room. Just some time ago she was sobbing uncontrollably as if she had lost all her hope and now she was bright. He didn't know how Scarlett can do it. He wondered if he should get pointers from her.

He could see her eyelids were a little puffy and as soon as she saw him the fear in her face that washed away the beautiful smile, made him feel down.Â

Is she scared I am going to hurt her?

"Good afternoon," he mirrored her professional attitude. "Get to the store and ask Darren to recheck the items to be delivered to the Delta Constructions. Last time they mentioned that they..."

Jeremy listed the things to be checked and Jerlina took mental notes and left the room in relief. The entire afternoon, she was asked to do menial jobs around the store and the office and she complied with all that heartily.

In the evening, he drove her home. Jerlina couldn't understand why he is silent all the way. She wondered if she will be thrown into the wood chipper in the backyard for committing the sin of talking against the dearest sister.

But the next couple of days went without a hitch. For some reason, he wanted to prepare her food and wanted to eat with him. Jerlina didn't mind that since she felt it would be better to have company while eating. Her body had recovered a lot and she slept better at night.

Although TJ didn't speak much with her, she had Earl to talk to and she didn't feel lonely at home. And in the office, she started talking with everyone and she even accepted an invitation to a barbeque party. She wanted to take baby steps to change her life.

That day, she wanted to take up Scarlett's offer and with Duke and Earl on her sides, walked to Bobby's home. She was told by Charlie that she doesn't have to leave the gates of the Fitzgerald mansion since the fence of the mansion had a gate that would lead to Bobby's home.

Scarlett said she was alone and with the cookies she baked, Jerlina stood in front of the door. As someone who never goes knocking on other people's door just for chatting, her heart pounded. Duke and Earl ran back to their home as if they were just escorting her and their duties ended at the door.

Jerlina took a deep breath and knocked on the door. Scarlett opened the door with a smile and since baby Cia was taking a nap, both of them started chatting. At first, Jerlina was a little awkward but soon she got involved in the chat as Scarlett talked about celebrities and entertainment.

Their chat extended to the kitchen while Scarlett prepared dinner. Wearing an apron and messy hair, Scarlett still looked hot. The baby was seven months old and Jerlina was surprised to see her belly as flat as a board already.Â

Jerlina bent and looked at her muffin-top. Maybe because of the miscarriage, she had accumulated fat around her waist. She usually works on her waist because she doesn't want her belly to stick out more than her b**bs.

Ugh! My belly almost reaches my b**bs. I should start working out.

"Bobby's back," Scarlett said hearing the sound of the truck pulling up.

They heard the door unlock and he went straight to the nursery to check on the baby.

Jerlina was a little ashamed to think so wrong about such a family man in the past. Jerlina decided to leave and stood up, but paused hearing the cheery singing of Bobby.Â

"Kitty, my little p*ssy cat... I thirst for your p*ssy... The baby's dreaming, the moon's shining... There's no one to disturb our-"