What Next For Her?

I entered the passenger seat, barely acknowledging Uncle Pete holding the car door for me. 

I was drained in every way possible. My head hurt, I felt like I was hit by a truck transporting tons of brick. 

And I would not stop crying.

Uncle Pete climbed in beside me. It was late already. I had no idea how long I'd stayed on the floor in that garden crying my eyes out. 

But when I'd realized my phone was ringing, I had seen it was late. 

Uncle Pete had been the one calling because he'd been worried about me. 

"He doesn't want me." I divulged amidst pains gnawing through my broken heart. 

"You'll be fine, Hailey. Let's just get you home and cleaned up." He patted my shoulder and then started the car.

"Where's home now?" I asked, sniffling as more tears fell.

"It's wherever you want it to be." Came his wide reply.

He passed me a comforting smile and drove me back to the Johnson's mansion. Like one who had seen a ghost, I got down from the vehicle and trudged into the house.

"I don't have to ask. It's written all over your face how it went." Martha mocked, a chuckle escaping her. 

She was in the living room with her son when I walked in. How come they were still there since I left?

I bowed my head in shame, remembering how I had left the house earlier on. How stupid could I have been? Christian had humiliated me more than enough. 

I was supposed to be angry and vengeful but I couldn't. I was too heartbroken and depressed to find space for anger to grow. 

I was defeated, despaired and downtrodden. I was powerless against everything that was happening. Or had happened .

"Don't start, Martha. Don't add to her pain." Uncle Pete admonished.

"Hailey." Jared called.

I raised my face to his, pausing in my tracks on my way to the room assigned to me.

"So we're getting married, aren't we?" 

I could not believe my ears. What kind of an inconsiderate person was this guy?!

"Jared." Uncle Pete's tone held slight warning.

"What?" He turned to his uncle as though he was clueless or in this case, insensitive. "Her meeting with her husband obviously didn't go well, else, she'll not be back here. Why waste time?"

"You keep giving me more reasons why it's a bad idea to marry you." I threw at him.

"Hey, remember who brought us to this point." His eyes flashed, his tone conveyed irritation.

"Are you blaming me? Are you now happy that you have ruined my marriage?!" I retorted.

"Don't raise your voice at my son, you low life!" Martha joined in. "You should even be grateful for the luck you have. You keep landing men who are rich. You should have stayed with your husband rather than be a golddigger."

"Don't insult me!" I lashed back, ready to combust with pent up anger I could not tell where it had materialized from.

"You better be prepared to marry my son and end this mess you put him into." Martha spat.

"I won't! His company can collapse for all I care! I won't!" 

Whether it was the fact that Christian had just divorced and ruined me. Or the fact that I had to face such awful people, I had no idea which but I crumbled to the floor in tears.

"You both have done enough!" Uncle Pete's serious tone was unmistakable. "You should do better, Jared." He came to me.

"What did I do, uncle? She's the one at fault and I'm the one you're blaming?! What the hell?!" He sounded very aggravated.

"She's pregnant for God's sake! Consider her well being." He muttered profanities underneath his breath as he helped me up.

I wearily allowed him pull me up. I was too nice. Too kind. Too soft. But that was how I'd been raised. I'd never been raised with violence or in a hostile environment. 

When both my parents were alive, it was always a happy, serene home. I'd been loved and sheltered. No one told me I was going to experience people like this somewhere along the journey of life.

Especially not with the man I married. Used to marry. Christian had betrayed my trust and made me look stupid. He had done the worst to me yet I still somehow felt it was my fault.

Or maybe he was this way. I'd just never taken time to know it. I had fallen deep for him and now, I was finding it hard to get out. 

That was it! That was the answer! The pain I was feeling so excruciatingly. I was still in love with my ex-husband. Despite the wrong he'd done, I was in love with him. 

And it was just my bad luck he was not going to love me back, not anymore. No, I didn't think he had ever loved me.

He had said I had helped him acquire his dream of becoming a millionaire. I had no problem helping him achieve that goal but the way he'd gone about it was betraying and hurtful. 

He had taken it all and I had willingly given it to him without a second thought. I had trusted him. I was an emotional person, very easy to love and trust people.

Was there a better way to do it? To stop loving so deep? 

Needing some kind of comfort, my arms went round uncle Pete as more sobs escaped my throat and tears streamed down my face. 

"It's okay." He consoled me, letting me hold him. "You'll be fine."

I shook my head because I didn't believe it. The pain was just too much. Christian had been my first everything. First kiss. First sex. 

When I said I had grown up sheltered, that had included missing out on a regular teenage girl life. Dad had been scared — and overly protective — after mom's death to let me socialize.

"You should go up and rest." Uncle Pete held me at arm's length, kindness and sympathy in his eyes. 

I nodded. From my peripheral vision, I noticed Jared and Martha watching both of us. 

I ignored them, left uncle Pete and climbed upstairs to my room.

"Jared, that is not the way to treat a woman."

I heard Uncle Pete began to grill Jared as I disappeared from their sight.

Arguments followed but I could no longer distinguish the three voices nor could I hear the exact words being used. 

And I could feel panic grow amidst pain and other emotions. Panic that came with the thought of marrying Jared Johnson, the guy that was the cause of my predicament.

I didn't want to marry him, but if push came to shove — as it had apparently become  — did I have a choice?