5. A Confession

The tension in the room had reached its breaking point, and it seemed like a confrontation was inevitable. 

"Chase, you can stay." Jada abruptly blurted out.

The room fell silent as Jada's words hung in the air. Leon's grip on her hand loosened slightly, his eyes searching hers for any signs of hesitation. On the other hand, Chase seemed taken aback by her unexpected response. 

Swallowing the lump in her throat, Jada locked eyes with Chase. "I want you here with me," she blurted out, her voice stronger this time despite the lingering uncertainty. "Please,"

"What are you doing now, little butterfly?" Leon asked, his nostril flaring.

"Don't call me that," 

"Call you what?"

"Little butterfly... Something about that name is eerie-"

"But little butterfly-"

"Stop calling me that!!!"

Her sudden scream pierced through the tension-filled room, shattering the uneasy silence that had settled over them. Startled, Leon and Chase turned their attention back to her, their eyes widening in concern.

"Jada, what's wrong?" Leon asked, his voice laced with worry as he reached out to touch her trembling hand. But she yanked her hand back.

"I don't like you. Among you two, I like Chase better. I don't want you here." Jada said with such a casual tone.

Another tense silence ensued as all three stared at her in shock. Then they exchanged glances, each clearly confused by her reaction and shocked by her sudden change in attitude.

"You don't mean that, Jada," Chase uttered as he stepped toward her.

Darting his gaze between them, Leon's face contorted with anger and hurt as he looked at Jada, struggling to find the right words to respond. His grip tightened on her bedrail, his knuckles turning white.

"Jada, please, think about what you're saying," he pleaded, his voice tinged with desperation.

"I can't explain it," she continued. "But when I look at you, Chase, I feel a connection. I feel more safe with you than with him."

Now, closer to her, Chase gently took her hand in his. His touch sent a wave of warmth through her, grounding her in the moment. "Jada, I will do everything in my power to keep you safe," he promised. "You don't have to explain it. Sometimes, our hearts know things that our minds can't comprehend. I'll be by your side every step of the way."

"What is happening?! You are my wife, remember?!" Leon lashed out.

Narrowing her eyes towards him, Jada pouted and said, "No, I don't. But whatever my past self saw in you to fall in love with you, I don't see it now, sorry."

"What? HAHAHA!! You must be kidding me! This isn't funny, Jada." Leon's voice echoed through the room. "I can't believe you're doing this. After everything we've been through, after all the memories we've shared... Jada, please... You can't just throw away everything we have because of a fleeting feeling. We have built a life together. Remember the love we shared, the promises we made?"

"A fleeting feeling is all I have now, and my heart tells me that Chase is the one I should hold onto, not you. After what I heard and saw today, I want to be with him." 

"You want to be with him?"

"Yes."

Her words left Chase staring at her in disbelief, but something else in his eyes was a glimmer of hope masked by a hint of sadness. 

"I want to be with you, Chase, if that's something you like. Do you?" Jada said, looking into his eyes with a soft smile. 

Chase stood there, frozen in place, his heart pounding. The weight of Jada's words hung heavy in the air, causing a wave of conflicting emotions to crash over him. At this moment, with her vulnerable and uncertain, he couldn't deny the surge of hope that swelled within him. It was as if all the stars had aligned, and fate gave him a chance he had never dared to dream of.

"Do you know what you are saying?" Chase asked, his brows furrowing slightly. "Don't you dare repeat it if you don't mean it?"

"Well then, do you want to be with me?... Because I want to be with you." Jada said, her expression dead serious.

A smile tugged at the corner of Chase's lips, revealing a mixture of relief and joy that he couldn't suppress. The room seemed to brighten as he gazed into Jada's eyes, searching for any trace of doubt or hesitation. 

"Yes, Jada," Chase finally answered, his voice steady. "I want to be with you more than anything."

A wave of relief washed over Jada as if a heavy burden had been lifted from her shoulders. It was as if she had been holding her breath, waiting for his response. Now, she could finally exhale, and her smile widened with a slight nod, illuminating the room with warmth.

"Dr. Matthew, I demand that you discharge her," Leon's voice cut through the tender moment, his tone laced with a hint of desperation. "She needs to come home with me, where she belongs. Once she sees our life together, she will remember everything."

Dr. Matthew, who had been silently observing the scene, sighed heavily and adjusted his glasses as he mumbled, "Well-"

"I will be going home today..." Jada said, and Chase's eyes searched her's, confusion in his. "But only with Mr. Aniston-"

"The fuck you are!"  Leon lashed out.

"You are being too loud. I don't feel comfortable with you here. You should leave." 

"The hell!"

Eyes wide open, lips parted, Doctor Matthew stared at Jada, his mind racing to process the sudden turn of events. His gaze shifted from Jada to Leon, then to Chase, taking in the emotions etched on their faces. The room grew smaller for him as tension thickened the air.

"Mrs. Kingsley," Doctor Matthew began cautiously, "I understand this is a difficult situation for you, but Mr. Kingsley is your husband-"

"Well, then, I will file for divorce today." Jada let out. 

The doctor and Leon's eyes popped out, blurting out, "What?"

"I am going to. I refuse to continue to be married to a stranger that I don't care about. Someone that gives me an eerie feeling and chills down my spine," Jada declared firmly. "So please get out, Mr. Kingsley. I don't like you or feel any emotional attachment for you."

The room fell silent as the weight of her words hung in the air. The tension that had filled the room moments before now seemed to escalate as if the atmosphere was crackling with anticipation.

"That's not going to happen," Leon said, crossing his arms and glaring at her.

As Jada was about to argue, Chase suddenly frowned and then walked off, leaving her staring at his back in confusion.

When he reached the door and grabbed the handle, Jada cried out, "Where are you going?! I said I want to be with you, Chase! I want you!"

For a second, he froze in his steps and then turned the knob, walking out of the room without a word.