Chapter Eight

Nicole.

“Are you cheating on me, Jack?” I asked one out of many questions troubling me.

There are many but this question tops over every one of them. He promised he wouldn’t cheat and I still expect he wouldn’t even with his ex-girlfriend whom he seems to care about too much.

Slowly I watched as he turned and stared at me.

“What?”

“Are you cheating on me, Jack?” I repeated my question.

I watched as his eyes dimmed as he stared at me,

“Why would you ask that?”

“I don’t know. Why would you think I would ask that all of a sudden?” I threw back.

He looked at me for a while before letting out a sigh, “Is this about the news? Certainly, you aren’t dumb enough to believe everything in it.” I should feel offended by his words.

Yes, the internet isn’t a place to believe certain stories. But his story is different, the way he was staring at her, holding her protectively from those press and helping her into the car. Those things are hard to ignore, anyone foolish enough can tell he’s in love with her.

“I shouldn’t but I can’t help it. You aren’t always around Jack and the few times you are home, you either spend it on your phone or your mom and sister.” I gulped, forcing down the emotions bubbling in my chest.

“The only time you speak to me or touch me is when you want to have sex and that’s that, apart from that you do not act like my husband. I know our marriage wasn’t based on love Jack but you could at least try. We could try to make it work.” I must be fucking stupid to be saying this when he made it known from the start that he would never love me.

Back then I accepted his words because I thought maybe he would change. Maybe he would see the real me for who I am and fall in love with me. I had plans on making him fall for me but guess those didn’t work out when I couldn’t get pregnant.

Jackson wasn’t looking at me anymore, he was staring at the wall behind me like it’s the most interesting thing now.

“I told you from the start that I don’t love you, Mariana. All this, our marriage..” he pointed at the two of us.

“It’s all because of what we want. We both got married to fulfill a clause and it shall remain that way.”

“But you still love her don’t you?” I asked, biting my inner cheek harder to hold the tears back.

He won’t ever fall for me. No matter how hard I try, no one would ever see me for the real me.

“I—“

“Don’t try to bullshit me, Jack. I know how you feel about her, everyone knows how you feel about her. So tell me the truth, do you still love her?” I held my breath as I waited for his answer. It will be hard to hear him admit that he still loves her even after being married to me for three years now.

He closed his eyes and opened them again before speaking, “I love Laura…” I can already hear how my heart is breaking into pieces.

Of course, he was going to admit that, what the hell was I thinking?

“But not the way you’re thinking. Laura is my ex-girlfriend and will remain that way, you are my wife now, and no matter how I react or what anyone says you will still be my wife.” I didn’t stop looking at his eyes.

They say the eyes are the purest part of a human, you can tell when one is telling the truth or telling lies by just staring at the eyes.

Right now Jack's eyes show how truthful he is, he wasn’t lying.

He is not cheating on me.

He is telling the truth and I really need to stop listening to the rumors online.

“Alright,” I said as I rubbed my hands on my lap.

I hope he isn’t saying this because that’s what I would like to hear, I hope he meant them.

He turned to leave again but then glanced at my body. I love the way he looks at me even when I’m always a mess.

“Did you go out?” He asked and I nodded.

“Where?”

“I went out to get something for your mom.” I replied.

He didn’t say anything after that but I knew what was coming and I was expecting it. So it didn’t surprise me when he asked,

“Did you meet up with anyone, Nicole?” He demanded.

I hate the tone he uses anytime he asks that question. He acts like I don’t have the right to meet anybody like I’m his prisoner who doesn't have the right to go out and meet other people, and make friends.

“I….” I licked my lips.

Should I tell him about William and his uncle?

No, I shouldn’t.

“I didn’t meet anyone. I took the flowers, went to the park, and came back home.” I answered.

The way he was looking at me told me what I needed to know, he didn't believe me.

“I hope you are telling the truth, Nicole.” His hand was on the handle when I spoke up again.

“Are you leaving?”

“No, I just want to show Laura around.”

“Bu—“

“I don’t want to abandon my guest, Nicole.” And with that, he’s gone.

Leaving me alone in this quiet room.

I let out a tired sigh, guess it isn’t the right time to tell him about the baby yet.

When will the right time be?

I don’t know but I hope the right time comes.

****

I stared at myself in the mirror, the party had started, and yet I did not feel excited to go downstairs and mingle with dozens of people I do not know.

Just like Jack said his mother went all the way to invite almost every socialite in the country.

The house was parked and more cars kept coming in. This would be a wild night.

I took one last glance at myself, I felt pretty in my lavender dress. It doesn’t have many designs and I fell in love with it at first glance. I haven’t seen Jack after the talk we had, I know he’s downstairs and I will see him but a time like this is when I need my husband by my side to help me down the stairs.

I have to go, if I don’t then the elder demon will have something to talk about.

“You can do this Nikki.” I left the room with a plastered smile on my face, one I have learned to master for years now.

I hope nothing ruins my night.

Oh, how wrong was I to think that?