Chapter 143 THE UNOPENED GIFT

Chapter 143 THE UNOPENED GIFT
Godiva's POV

There was urgency in Ben's voice as he hurried toward us.

“Oh God, what's wrong with Dad?” Jerald cried out, finally letting go of me.

“Baby!” Mama exclaimed the second I swung the door open.

“Anyway, I left home in a hurry, so I'll be returning now that my mum is back,” I explained to Jerald. After giving him a quick hug, I waved at Mrs. Young before leaving the Youngs' mansion.

My journey home was surprisingly exciting. I never imagined I would miss Mavic City this much.

The moment I stepped into the house, I found Mama and Mrs. Job seated nervously, deep in discussion, so I hurried over to them.

“Mama!” I squealed, throwing my arms around Mama and Mrs. Job in a hug so tight it almost suffocated them.

“Alright, let go,” Mama managed to gasp, patting my hands repeatedly.

“My bad,” I giggled, loosening my embrace.

“My baby, how was it being away from home?” Mrs. Job asked warmly, taking my hand and leading me to the couch.

“Definitely one of the best experiences ever. I never even felt homesick for a second,” I teased with a mischievous giggle.

“Wow, that's definitely not painful to hear,” Mama remarked dryly, narrowing her eyes at me.

“Don't mind her, Mama. She couldn't stop talking about how much she missed home,” Dina exposed with a triumphant grin.

“Shut up,” I warned, hurling a throw pillow at her.

“So, why were you summoned to the Youngs'?” Dina pressed eagerly, settling cross-legged on the floor right in front of me.

“Say please,” I bargained, laughing at the impatience written all over her face.

“Pleaseeee,” Mama, Dina, and Mrs. Job chorused at the same time, making all of us burst into laughter.

“What the hell? You people love gossip. Jeez,” I laughed, shaking my head in disbelief.

“Whatever,” Mama muttered, pretending to look offended.

“Well... I was called over for an investigation,” I revealed, taking a deep breath.

“What investigation?” Mama demanded sharply, springing to her feet.

“Easy, Mama. It's not that serious,” I soothed, gently pulling her back into her seat.

Once Mama calmed down and everyone settled in, I told them everything. I explained how Jerald had been abused as a child by Aunt Min, how it shaped his flirtatious personality, how Mrs. Young eventually found out, and how Aunt Min's arrest became the reason I was summoned.

As I spoke, Mama and Mrs. Job nodded sympathetically, while Dina never stopped glaring at me. I already knew exactly what was going through her head.

“You little snitch... and you never told me?” Dina accused, folding her arms dramatically.

Before I could defend myself, Mrs. Job came to my rescue.

“That's a deeply personal part of someone's life,” she reasoned calmly. “You can't expect her to share something like that with just anyone. That would betray Jerald's trust.”

“Thanks, Mrs. Job,” I chimed in gratefully.

“I know, Mum,” Dina sighed, “but I'm not just anyone. I'm her twin sister.”

“I know, Di,” Mrs. Job acknowledged gently, “but don't forget even Jerald's own brother didn't know about it.”

“In all this,” Mama spoke thoughtfully after a brief silence, “there's only one thing I see.”

“And what's that?” Dina asked, genuinely puzzled.

“Love,” Mama answered softly. “You only reveal a wound that deep to someone you truly love.”

“Wow, love doctor!” Mrs. Job exclaimed with a teasing smile. “I've never seen you admit there's love outside my marriage. This is definitely a welcome change.”

“That's very sweet, Ma'am,” Dina cooed, beaming from ear to ear.

I couldn't bring myself to say anything but one thing was certain. Mama had just completely accepted Jerald.

The realization alone sent warmth rushing to my cheeks, and I could feel myself blushing uncontrollably.

Suddenly, my phone rang, shattering the beautiful moment.

“Who the hell is ruining this moment?” I grumbled, fishing my phone out to check the caller.

“It's Slosh,” I whispered to Dina before excusing myself and heading toward my room, with Dina trailing closely behind.

“Hey, Slosh,” I greeted sweetly over the phone, forcing enthusiasm into my voice.

“Hey, baby. I guess I called at the perfect time since you've been ghosting me,” Slosh purred flirtatiously.

For the first time, his tone unsettled me.

Looking back, I realized he'd probably sounded like this all along. I'd simply been too careless to notice.

“Hello... are you still there?” he asked after my prolonged silence.

“Oh... yes. My bad,” I replied, snapping back to reality. “I really wasn't ghosting you. I've just been off the grid with everyone.”

“Sure?” he questioned skeptically.

“Yes,” I answered, though even I could hear the uncertainty in my voice.

“So, how was your journey back?” Slosh asked casually.

“My journey?” I echoed, frowning. “I don't remember telling you I was traveling.”

“You know news travels faster than an airplane,” he chuckled, brushing the question aside.

I let it slide, but deep down I knew exactly where he'd gotten the information. It was Lis, his partner.

“I can't wait to see you in school on Monday, my queen,” he crooned before blowing a kiss through the phone.

“Yeah...” I muttered awkwardly, disguising my discomfort before ending the call.

“Eww,” I groaned dramatically, pretending I was about to throw up.

“I guess you've finally found your soulmate,” Dina teased between uncontrollable fits of laughter.

“Don't ever say that again,” I warned, swinging playfully at her thigh. She skipped out of reach, laughing even harder.

“Can't wait to see you on Monday, my queen,” Dina mimicked in Slosh's voice, sending herself into another laughing fit as I chased her around the room.

“Hold on, Div!” Dina called suddenly, stopping in her tracks. “You asked me to remind you to check the gift Jerald gave you at the beach.”

“Damn, yeah! I completely forgot,” I exclaimed, rushing toward my wardrobe where I had carefully kept the gift.

“Alright,” Dina declared excitedly, throwing herself onto the bed. “Let's get this unboxing started.”

I should have been excited, should have been eager to see what was inside. Instead, I was nervous.

The moment I held the box, my heart began pounding violently against my chest.

“Di...” I murmured, staring at it. “Why am I so scared to open this?”

“Open the Goddamn box and stop asking me weird questions,” Dina groaned impatiently, rolling her eyes.