Chapter 153: Falling Apart: The Unseen Consequences

Jessie switched off her phone and looked in his direction. She gave him that ferociously intense look tinged with hatred. Every part of her hated him at the moment, and all Jessie wanted to do was approach him and yell at him. She wanted to grab hold of his shirt collar and ask him what she had done wrong for him to even consider ruining her life. Has he always been this cruel? Well, she knew Din Cooper was cruel, but she never imagined that he would destroy someone else's life in order to achieve his goals.

"Jessie." Din waved after noticing her fixed gaze on him. She didn't wave in return. She was staring at him, but she wasn't in the moment. He placed what he was holding on the sofa and walked over to her. "Jessie." He called softly, putting his hand on her shoulder to startle her from her thoughts.

Suddenly gasping in silence, Jessie turned to face him. Her eyes widened. She knew exactly how to keep her cool in front of this man. The man she loves. The man who will become the father of her kids.

"Are you all right?" Din spoke again, and this time she noticed that Din's hand was still on her shoulder.

Jessie removed his hand from her shoulder tenderly. She was beginning to feel uneasy at the idea that he was even in front of her. "I am…" She swallowed. "I-I am fine."

"You are sweating. You are pale." She prevented him from touching her forehead when he raised his hand to do so. She held Din's hand but immediately let go of it as she observed his hand slipping to his side.

"I am fine. I am just tired. I need to get some sleep." She said. She felt bad for disappointing Cedriec, but she has no other option. If she stays next to Din for a few more seconds, she might lash out at him, which wouldn't be good for the family's reputation. She was angrier than usual because of the pregnancy, and she hoped the family wouldn't see that side of her. Not yet. "I am sorry that I have to opt out of the game. I really need this rest." He found it odd that she didn't make eye contact with him.

"All right. if you're that worn out. I recommend retiring to bed. I will come with you."

"No!" She put a stop to him right away. "I'll go by myself. It's important to spend time with your family. It is Christmas Eve."

"But Jessie, you w…"

"I will be fine. You should go on. I will be fine once I have gotten some sleep."

"Are you certain you do not want me to call the doctor? I mean…"

Jessie took a breath, pretended to smile, and then yawned. "I am fine." She whirled around and headed for the stairs.

As Din watched her, he felt lonely. Jessie was behaving strangely. She always loved to cuddle up next to him when she was groggy or hurt, but today she was acting distant. He questioned what might be wrong with her. Jessie will become upset if he chooses to pursue her. He stayed behind and returned to his family's gathering place near the tree.

All of this was revealed to Cedriec before the game began without Jessie.

Jessie entered her room after opening the door. Quickly closing the door, the first tears began to trickle down her cheek. She cried louder as she leaned against the closed door, but she kept her mouth shut to prevent alarming the family by making a sound.

She couldn't wrap her head around anything. She isn't even sure who would want to send her that video in order to sabotage her relationship with Din. Why did they send it now if they had it a long time ago? Why now of all days?

She rose from the floor and made her way to her bed. The first thing she noticed helped her to relax. She reached for the frame that was on the table. With her hand, Jessie made a trace of it. "Daddy has harmed me once more. Why did he treat me like this every time?" She spoke in a whisper. She placed her other hand on her stomach while gazing at it. The tears in her eyes didn't stop. She took her hand away from her stomach, traced the image of her children from the ultrasound, and then carefully put it back in place.

Jessie inhaled, lifted the blanket, and then slid down beneath it. She put her head on the pillow and wrapped the blanket around herself, crying more. She was unable to get the events of that evening out of her head. No matter how hard she tried to get it out of her head, it would not come out.

When Jessie heard a creak at her door, she immediately closed her eyes and pretended to be asleep.

"Jessie." She could hear Bev's voice. Jessie remained in bed, but the blanket was not draped over her face. If she stands at this moment and Bev notices tears in her eyes, she will want to use another justification to argue with Din once more. Jessie was against that. Given that Din will be the father of her children, she believes he deserves to be treated with the same respect that Bev shows her. He deserves that much. "Is she asleep?" When Bev got closer, she noticed that Jessie's eyes were closed.

She sighed and repositioned the blanket so that it properly covered her sister's body. "I'll be back in an hour." She spoke softly as she walked out of the room.

After a slight adjustment, Jessie reached for her phone. She unlocked and looked at the phone number that had sent her the video. On the first ring, the phone she dialed hung up on her. She gave it another go, and this time the call was connected. After patiently waiting for the person to speak, Jessie finally overheard a female voice.

"Hello."

Jessie could tell that the voice was familiar, so she decided to speak. "Hello," she replied, but just as she finished speaking, the phone abruptly disconnected, leaving her speechless.