If Cara had been startled before, now she was completely numb. Jessica and...Chris?! No. It didn't make sense.
She straightened her posture after realizing she'd been standing there with her mouth opened like a log of wood. "Jessica? Chris?" Then she found her courage slowly coming back. Jessica had grabbed the bed spread and covered her body by now. "Jessica? Did he make you do it? Oh my goodness. Why didn't you come to me?" Out of nowhere, tears bursted from Cara's eyes. She had treated Jessica like a younger sister she never had as the lady was four years younger than her. But she was respectful and so damn caring. "Chris? How could you! Did you rape her! You bastard--" the rest of her words never got completed as Cara rushed down towards Chris and began hitting him as hard as she could. "She is only a child, you idiot! Even if you're drunk--how could you!" "Hey, stop this!" Jessica pushed Cara back with all her might. "Are you out of your mind?" "Shut up, Jessica." Anger rested in Cara's eyes. "This is not alright. Get dressed. We're leaving." She knew she was drunk, but now, her eyes were sharper than ever and the sluggishness in her had completely vanished. This was too much of a big news for her to still be drunk. "Stop embarrassing yourself, Cara. I love Chris." Jessica bursted out. Cara did not hear her. Actually, she wished she had not understood her clearly. "Did you hit your head somewhere? Have you lost all your senses that you'll speak to me in this shitty manner?" Cara shot back, but Jessica held her ground. "What are you gonna do? You're gonna kill me? I love Chris, and he loves me back. So what's the big deal with you?" Immediately Jessica spoke up, Cara landed her a big slap, and its impact sent the lady's face turning to the floor. Her jaw clenched as she felt her cheeks burning. "Have you lost your mind, Jessica? What nonsense is this??" Cara snapped. "Okay, stop this--" Chris was saying when he got lucky as his face felt the brush of Cara's palm across his face. If he had not pushed his head back a bit, he too would be feeling the burning face that Jessica felt. He gripped her hand tight as she launched another slap. "Hey, stop this!" "Fuck you, Chris? What the hell is this??" Cara roared out. "How dare you both take me for granted like this!" Jessica scoffed. "You're the one taking yourself for granted." "Excuse you?" Cara revealed the rage in her eyes freely. "It seems you've worn out the thunderous slap just now. Do you need another one?" It still vexed her so much that someone like Jessica would have the nerve to sleep with her husband! And still have the nerves to speak back at her like that. "Why do you act so angry now when this is what you've always wanted?" Jessica ignored her deadly gaze and went on. "You don't love Chris. Every moment we spend together, you use the time to complain about just how immature he acts. How he can never love you the way you want." "You will shut your bloody mouth up right now, Jessica, or else I swear I will--" "You'll what, Cara?" Chris shut back at her, startling her a while. "She's not really telling lies, you know? No matter what I do, I'll just never be enough for you. You complain over every little thing." Cara was highly frustrated that her voice shot high up as she tried to defend herself. She was shouting at the top of her voice now, painful memories seeping through her mind of when she risked it all for Chris. Moments when she gave up on everything she cherished just to be his wife. "I gave it all up for you, you moron! I loved you more than my own fucking happiness that I left my life in the past. My career! Just so you can be happy. Just so you can love me the way I love you." She raged out. "But you took it out on me for so long, Cara. You make me feel bad about myself all the fucking time!" Chris shot back at her. "Chris, you are never around. You head out and come back late at night. And after two days, bam! You're out for a mysterious business trip and won't be back until two weeks later. You're never around, even when we're together. You're always texting and smiling to yourself. I have become boring to you--" "Technically, you've been having all these curves that aren't attractive anymore. Looking older than your age, whereas I'm young and sexy. I mean, you've seen me naked and you even compliment my nice and slender body." Jessica said proudly. Everything was starting to become unbearably painful for Cara now. "So it took you just two years to cheat on me? That's it, you're doing this because I'm no longer as slender as I used to be two years ago??" She was twenty six, same age as Chris was, and he always made this joke that he would be more happy being with someone younger than he was. Had he really been serious? Jessica smirked, feeling fully elated now as Cara was sulking in pain. Chris heaved in a frustrated sigh. "Look, I know you're drunk. I mean, we all are. Let me get dressed up and take you home. To, you know? Cool off some steam." Chris quickly picked up his scattered cloth and began to get dressed. "And me? Who's taking me home, Chris?" Jessica pouted. Cara shot her an irritated look. "Okay, stop this madness at once! I deserve an apology for this shameless act of yours! Are you insane?" "Calm down, honey--I mean, Cara." Chris stuttered. He had been avoiding this mess but never in his wildest dreams imagined that that moment would be when he would have to deal with his... situation. "Let's just calm down. Come on, I'll drop you home now." "You see, I don't think there's any other way to calm things down." Jessica said slowly, making every word sound suspicious like it was supposed to be some poetic quote. Everyone was staring at her now. "You keep saying things will be calm. That we can sort things out." Jessica went on. "But there's no other way. Because I'm pregnant!" "What!" Chris spat out. "That's enough. I think you're drunk as well. Damn it, who said dating two women would be easy." He muttered to himself and kept on getting dressed. But Cara stared carefully and waited. She knew Jessica could be telling the truth. "Cara can see through me and she must know I'm not lying. You know what your wife has been working on for the past two years now without any success? I did that so easily in just a few months." Jessica said. She stood upright, shoulders straight and chin up. "I am pregnant, Chris. You're going to be a father soon."Cara wished she had been mistaken! Her next move was to slap Jessica so hard that she would have to fall to the ground and beg for mercy. "Not only did you try to steal my husband by having sex with him behind my back, but you became pregnant for him too??" Cara raged out. "You're pregnant? For me?" For a moment, there was a soft feature on Chris's face that made Cara's insides churn. Was he happy that his mistress--no. His wife's best friend who is his mistress was carrying his fucking child!?"It doesn't make any sense." Cara spoke softly to herself. At first, she thought this would just be a case where everybody said they were sorry, and she and Chris could carry on with their supposedly perfect lives. But now...she feared the outcome of her two years of marriage.She was with Chris because she loved him, even more than her best friend, Romeo. Even more than her career. This feeling was back again and she hadn't felt like that since two years ago when she had to say goodbye to
Chris patiently waited throughout the next day after Cara's sudden disappearance before he had begun to dial her parents' numbers. Of course, no one picked up either! It was Sunday evening with Jessica with him. He had called her over knowing he could run mad without someone by his side with Cara missing.Jessica noticed him pacing around as he dialed his phone over and over again. She couldn't take it anymore. "My love?" She called out in a sweet tone. "Can you come over here for a while?"Chris cut the call and dawdled over to her. She nudged him to take a seat, which he did. "I know you're worried about her. She's my best friend after all. But she's not a kid and I'm sure she'll be fine. You called me over for a reason, and now you make me feel all lonely.""Lonely? Oh no, never. I'm sorry, love. I'm just really worried for her, that's all. Her parents won't pick up!" Chris lamented. He was suddenly looking all haggard and unkempt the more Jessica stared at him. Didn't he say
Cara was enjoying that moment but she quickly reminded herself her true purpose for coming. "Listen, Chris. Just cut the crap. I'll be on my way once Jolina is back with my stuff. Bear with me till Tuesday, and you'll never have to see my face again." She said to him with a stern face."You think this is funny, right? That you can bring a complete stranger into our matrimonial home! Because to me, we're not divorced yet."Romeo had been warned by Cara not to say anything all through but that didn't mean he couldn't chuckle from time to time.Chris walked forward to him, "and what has been funny to you?""Well, you talk all about me being in your matrimonial home and yet, this woman just walked out here from your matrimonial room, or am I wrong?" Romeo said in a playing tone. "How dare you!" Chris spat out but Cara quickly stepped between them."Alright, knock it off, Chris! We're done here." Cara said. "I'm being decent here by letting you two enjoy your happy life together. Don't m
Chris’ eyes widened. “What? What nonsense are you spilling from your mouth?”Jessica snorted a laugh. “You might be an Armani but Mr Michael Knowles is Chris’ dad and who do you think he will listen to? A stranger or his own son?”“We'll have to find out, won't we?” Romeo's brow arched. His lips curved into a taunting smirk as he led Cara away from Chris and Jessica. “Let's leave them alone, Carina.”Cara nodded and followed him into the car like a child being led by her father.Jessica's hand formed into a tight grip, her nails digging into her palm as anger swallowed her entire body. “My love,” she tried to keep her voice calm even though she had lost her grip on coolness on the inside. “Your dad will definitely do as you say, right?” Her thin brow twitched skyward.Chris paced about with uncertainty causing his heart to race. “He will! I mean he has to, I am his son after all.”Jessica gripped his hands suddenly and stared into his eyes. “My love, you have to make sure he listens t
The Knowles building was large and extravagantly detailed. Cara felt a choking sensation in her throat as they– she and Romeo– walked into the company.Her hands fiddled together nervously as they walked side by side, her throat tightened and a bead of sweat trickled down her face. Romeo, on the other hand, was all smiles as he walked. Not even an iota of worry was apparent on his face.The handsome young man strolled confidently with his hands in the depth of his pocket and his shoulders and head held up high just like he was the CEO of the company.If he were the CEO, then she was the low and unnoticed staff that was about to get fired for looking at him in the wrong way.But she swallowed her fear and managed to keep her head up.The secretary rose to her feet and gave a deep bow to Romeo as she saw him. “Mr Armani, welcome.” Her brown hair almost touched the floor at the depth of her bow.“Michael Knowles, is he in?” He plainly asked.The secretary seemed to be shuddering or maybe
Mr Knowles swallowed hard. How could such an absurd favor be asked of him? And he wasn't even asking like a favor, he was stating it like he was telling him what he must do!“I am not asking for a favor here.” Romeo stated, as if he had read the man's thoughts.Mr Knowles remembered that his son had called him and told him not to even think about investing in Cara's father's business. His son didn't explain anything to him about their divorce and Romeo. ‘What a fool!’ He cussed. ‘He could have at least mentioned the fact that she had an Armani on her side!’He cleared his throat. “I– I uh understand that Mr Armani–”“I don't think you do.” Romeo cut him off. His voice was stern and firm. He had been sitting in a relaxed position before with one leg on top of the other and his back pressed against the comfortable sofa but he sat up straight and uncrossed his long legs.Mr Knowles seemed to shift back in seat, like there was an infinity around Romeo that kept them from being even a litt
Jessica chewed subconsciously on her nails as she paced back and forth. She paused and stared at Chris who was sitting without uttering any word. He was usually the one pacing about.She walked up to him and sat down next to him. “Why do you think your dad hadn't called to say anything?”He shook his head slowly. “I don't know.” He responded dryly.Jessica grunted. “Ugh, the anxiety is killing me! Why can't we just call him?” She asked with widened eyes. “Huh? What if something has happened already?”“He said he would give me feedback later, remember? So let's just wait.” His tone was just as dry as before.“Wait? Wait! What if something has already happened but he forgot to call you because of work or he can't even call you because he is ashamed he let you down? My love, we have to know! We will never really know if the cat in the box is dead or alive if we don't open it.”“Jessica.” He suddenly turned to look at her. “Do you think Cara is really dating that man, what was his name? S
As much as she insisted that it was okay if she took a bus alone to her parents house, Romeo refused and told her he would drive her himself.“There seems to be more important things than our trip now.” He remarked.She smiled briefly. Her head was lost in a series of thoughts. Why was her father suddenly retiring? She knew the company was not doing well but with enough hard work, they could stop it from going bankrupt.Was he feeling like he was too old for business hassle? All of a sudden? Did her step mother consent to the decision? Why would they think such a decision was a wise one to make?She had so many questions written down in her head to ask them once they arrived there which wouldn't be long anymore.Arriving at their family house, she decided to invite Romeo inside. Since he was intelligent business wise, maybe he could chirp in a few words to back her up.Miranda, her step mother, served both of them tea. “You hardly come home these days. We miss you.” She had a warm smi
Jessica swallowed. She did not know how to respond to the words she had just heard. Everything they said was true and it was not in her intention to cause any trouble but the deed had already been done. With all the damage she had caused, she stood and spoke with her full chest. "The Armani will not break off a deal with a good company like us for something so little and irrelevant." Chris arched a brow at his wife. "Little and irrelevant? Little and irrelevant? You think something as large as this will not cause any issue? That spoilt son of a b*tch is the main face of the Armani family, you really think that he won't do anything?""I want us to stop arguing and find a way to settle this now!" Michael yelled out loud. They all fell quiet at his voice. Neither of them had an idea on how to fix the problem on ground. "I know what to do." Chris said in a soft and composed voice. All eyes fell on him as he spoke and he continued. Turning to face his wife, Chris started, "Jessica has
Cara found it hard to understand the words that she had just heard even though it was simple spoken English. She sat with pricked ears, "I'm sorry, I don't... I don't seem to understand... What do you mean by... I mean I can't--""Calm down, take a deep breathe." Romeo said to her. "If you are feeling this excited then just imagine how happy I am. I couldn't believe my own ears when I heard the words from the doctor." Cara sat up straight in the bed. "But I... I was told that I could not have kids.""Were you?" Romeo asked with an arched brow. "We don't really know who had issues between you and your ex husband, now did we? But you accepted the blame because your ex husband always claimed to be fine."Cara understood what he was trying to say but at the same time, she had to stop and think properly about it. Her brain refused to work properly though no matter how hard she tried to make it. "Miss Smith," the man in white called her name. "I want to let you know that from the series
A groan escaped her mouth as she tried to open her eyes, a brain crushing headache hit her so hard that she thought she would pass out again. In a second, it disappeared like it was never there. She managed to open her eyes and sit up. Looking around, she was met by the white of a hospital room. She tried to remember what had happened before it all blacked out. "--it's possible that she wakes up now-- oh, Miss Smith! Right on time." A man in a white coat said as he walked in. Right next to the man were a set of green eyes she recognized. "Cara, you're awake." Romeo said, he walked over towards her bed and sat down next to her. Taking her hand in his, he continued. "How are you feeling?" She looked confusedly around. "What happened? Where-- I mean, like what happened after the event? Why am I here?" "You passed out." Romeo responded. "But don't worry, no press was around to cover it or else your former friend and ex husband would have found a way to make it tomorrow's headline." H
"What in the name of the heavens is going on here?!" Sarah yelled out as she rushed towards the scene. Jessica, once frozen and lost in the mystery of Romeo's eyes, now sprung awake and back to her senses. She snatched her hand from him and stumbled backwards. "She-- she was-- she said that--" every single attempt at forming a sensible sentence was futile as Jessica spoke. She stopped and shook her head to clear her sense of reasoning. "She said something so preposterous! How can she say something as insulting as that and not come with proof?" Cara opened her mouth to speak but Romeo's mellow voice cut her off ever so softly. "My woman would never tell a lie just because." He did not look at her as he spoke but she felt a cold shiver run down her spine... In a good way. His voice grew hard in an instant. "I hope the Knowles family acknowledges this as a sign of disrespect to the Armani family and are ready to face the consequences of this action?" His attention was fixed on the
"Oh dear!" Jessica suddenly screamed, placing a hand on her forehead and acting like she was in distress and was about to pass out. A princess in distress. "How long will I have to put up with this?" She cried out. All eyes were now fixed on the catastrophic show that she was putting on. Murmurs followed without a second's pause. "What is going on?" "Is there a fight between the former couple?" "Is something going on between Mr Knowles' son and his ex wife?" Jessica pretended like she was heartbroken even though she was a woman without a heart. "How long will I live in the shadows of Cara Smith?!" She demanded firmly, letting her voice overshadow the murmurs of the onlooking crowd. She walked towards her husband and stood in front of him. No one expected the next cause of action, not even Chris, until a loud and resounding slap landed on his face.Gasps erupted in the hall, from Cara as well. Meanwhile Romeo just stared in awe. Chris growled angrily. "What the f*ck did you just
Cara stared at Sarah's reaction and realized that something was wrong. She knew the woman quite well, after all that was her mother in-law for years. Obviously, Jessica had something against her and was making her dance to her will. It even became more glaring when Sarah unwillingly wrapped her arms around Jessica and gave her soft pats on her back. People applauded the obvious fake act of love just because. No one was interested in the family problem they were having although they did not mind gossiping about them. "What do you think is going on between those two?" Romeo asked as he leaned in closer to Cara, keeping his voice to a whisper loud enough for only her to hear. She was surprised that he had even noticed it but then again, Romeo had proved to be a man of keen sight. She turned to move closer to him and responded. "I did not think you would notice. It is obvious that Jessica has something against her mother-in -law, that is if the Jessica I know is still in there, then
All eyes were fixed on Cara and Romeo yet the two walked without a care of the world. Cara would not lie that a part of her was feeling nervous but she managed to keep it from showing. Thanks to the man she had right next to her, anything seemed possible and nothing seemed impossible. She walked with her hand wrapped around his, keeping each other close no matter what. Romeo on the other hand was not worried a single bit, it was not the first time for him attending such a gathering and it was definitely not the first he would have all eyes focused on him. He had gotten used to having so much attention on him and being in the spotlight from a very young age thanks to the family he hailed from. It was his strength and weakness. Mr Knowles rushed from the stage and hurried towards Romeo. "Mr Armani! I didn't know you would be the one attending the event." Romeo gave him a gentle smile. "It is a pleasure to see you too Mr Knowles. Is my presence not gracing enough?" He let his b
Guests had already begun to arrive and Jessica personally went to greet them in her inciting dress. People stared, men with interest and women with disapproval, but Jessica cared less about those judgy eyes that were fixed on her. She did what she did in her sane mind so she owned the dress like a queen, telling herself how much she slayed. Chris on the other hand found himself staring at her curves, once again, he was being lured towards her. Whenever they stood together to greet a guest, he could touch her body sensually, caressing her and feeling her curves. Jessica didn't fight it, she allowed it willingly. When the party was all over, she knew he would come to her and only then would she shut him out. “Thank you for coming,” Michael smiled widely as he greeted the vvip of the events. He was nervously on the lookout for the Armani representatives, usually Tori Armani and her husband, Marcus. But he managed to keep his anxiety from showing on his face as he said hello to his f
Jessica stared contentedly at the image in the mirror before her. Looking back at her was a sexy woman dressed in a red rather sexually provoking red armless dress that revealed more than enough skin. Her bare leg up to her thigh was out in the open and so were most of her breast and cleavage. The back and front– save for the bust area– of the dress was plain see through net with floral patterns and the length flowed all the way to the ground. It had beautifully wavy designs and would have been perfect for a night with her husband alone rather than a night with her husband and several prestigious guests as well. Her black six inch heels shone perfectly, a color to match her purse and silver accessories designed her neck and ear. Her mother in law walked in, dressed decently in a mid length white gown that was neither too free nor too tight. Her hair was packed into a perfect ponytail and she had decided on pearls for jewelry. She stared surprisedly at her daughter in law, her jaw