Anna smiled at Katharine before she shook her head, “I'm serious, Aunt Katharine, he’s treating me right.” She knew that even if Jack wasn’t treating her right she wouldn't have to worry herself about it because she had never expected something good from him, so the fact that he didn’t would only confirm her doubts about him. But this time, she was telling the truth, he treated her right like she had never expected in her life even though it was only a few days after their wedding, but she could say they lived them well.
“You don’t have to hesitate in telling me or Willa whenever he does something to you, okay? I’ll give him an earful and Willa, well, we all know what Willa is capable of.” They chuckled at the same time and a maid walked into the room. “Can you please pass over my phone to me?” She asked, and both Anna and the maid walked toward the phone. It was Anna that handed her the phone and she smiled appreciatively at her, “I need to call the event planner to know the progress we’re making.” Anna could only smile because she knew what event she was talking about. But she wondered if that was possible, why can’t they just live in peace since they were already married? Must the celebration take place?
But she knew better, both their Mothers were great shopaholics that even if both her and Jack were going to say they weren't attending the wedding, nothing could stop them from having this big wedding they’ve already had in mind. They might even hire a bride and a groom just so they could get that wedding vibes. She chuckled softly as she moved to the window that was widely opened. When she looked down, she was surprised to see that it was a garden below and the flowers there were well trimmed and beautiful.
She was about to smile when she spotted them, Jack and Clara having a heated conversation because she didn’t have to hear what they were saying for her to know the conversation was heated. There was a time during the wedding when she had asked herself about Clara and wondered whether they had broken it off or not, but from what she was seeing now, they were still together. She felt a chord of bitterness as it surged through her chest and she wanted to end her life. She knew the feeling of jealousy existed, but she had never felt it before in her entire life. He held her wrist now and Anna wished she hadn’t seen this but then she couldn't take her eyes off them.
She watched as Clara furiously walked away from the garden and Anna wondered what she must've been feeling when he told her that he got married to Anna Brayden, because she knew that he did, hence the feeling. She watched as he slumped on the chair and placed himself, without doubt he was feeling bad for marrying her and regretting every decision he had made on that day. The ‘Yes, I do.’ He had uttered in front of both her families and his. She walked away from the window because it would only be more painful if she saw more. Maybe he would follow her wherever she had gone, right? And he can send her the divorce papers so she could just sign, and he’d get back to his beloved.
That thought stuck with her hand and when Katharine was done with the phone, Anna was trying all she could to show her that she was fine, and nothing was bothering her. She wished she could just walk out of this room and head back home, but she had to control herself and be patient. She had never expected something from Jack, did she? She always knew that he had a girlfriend but being taken away by the fantasy, she had never thought about the reason why she hadn't been seeing her around. Maybe she travelled at the time...Anna thought, and the door creaked a jar putting a halt to her train of thoughts.
He walked into the room and he had done a great job at taking care of his facial expression because he looked just like he did when they came. But only his eyes, they still held that agony and anger of making the person you loved cry. Oh yes, she wasn't the one he loved, and it would even be hilarious if she expected that from him, right?
She stayed glued to her spot and when he lifted his eyes up to meet hers, she dodged. She didn’t want to look into his eyes to remind herself that she wasn’t wanted by anyone. Even the ring that was on her fingers was just for five years and he only slid it on because she was the only one that could rescue him at the time. She felt a chord of tears and she quickly flicked them back. He was talking with his Mother, but she couldn’t even hear what they were saying, and she knew so well that the control she had over her tears would soon be gone and she might have to explain why she was crying to them.
She cleared her throat and plastered a very beautiful smile on her face, “Aunt Katharine, I think I have an important phone call to make, so I'll leave you two...” He lifted his face and mistakenly, she had her eyes in his. From the look that had crossed his face, she knew he understood everything, and she damned the day she let Jack know and understood whatever she felt and said even though she couldn’t point a finger to the day he knew her that well.
“Here’s the car keys, I'll be out in a few minutes as well.” She had to collect the key not because she wanted but because she wanted to be alone and if she didn't, his Mother might suspect something. She excused herself from Katharine and without staring at him again, she walked out of the room.
“Are you sure you’re treating Anna right, Jack? She looks sad since when you entered this room.” Katharine asked with a worried expression and he smiled before he squeezed her hands that he was holding.
“I've promised you that I would take care of her, Mom. I don’t know why she looks that way, I would have to go and check up with her in a few minutes.” He said, even though he wasn’t sure about what had happened, he knew it was because of him. Or maybe she had recalled about something he had said or done to her? He wondered.
“Off you go, make sure she’s no more sad, okay?” He nodded his head and kissed her on both cheeks before he walked out of the room. On his way out, he asked one of the maids where Clara was because he couldn't spot her in the kitchen, and she told him she had left a few minutes ago. Oh god, whoever said that women were easy didn’t know what was happening in life. He was now stuck between two women that took everything to heart and he was already feeling clueless and it was just a day.
He walked out to the car and from where he was, he could watch Anna crying her eyes out. He stood there for long, wrapping his hands around him and he stared even harder. He had always been affected by her tears and this time was no exception, maybe it even worsened because he knew it might be something about him. He gulped down a lump in his throat and walked toward the car. When he entered, it was as if she didn’t expect him now because she kept on trying to clear her tears, but he firmly held her hands.
“What do you think you’re doing?” He asked softly, and she didn’t even look into his eyes when she tried to get out of his hold.
“That’s none of your concern. Let’s leave, I'm sleepy.” She tried to take her hands away from him and he held them even tighter that she had to stop struggling to take a better look of his face, he seemed worried. She didn’t want him to pull up that comforting angel that resided within him because she would be doomed if he did. “Can you let me go?” She asked with a voice that was getting all painful and Jack shook his head.
“You have to tell me what I've done first, because I'm certain Anna Brayden will never have herself crying in a car expect it’s something Jack Roberts had said or do.” When she glared hotly at him, he smiled and nodded his head, “I’m ready to apologize, just speak up.”
“You did nothing, let’s go home.” She wished he would just do as she said, and when she felt the way he had slowly released her hands, she felt a chord in her heart. He didn’t care, she reminded herself. He had always never cared about her or what she was going through. In fact, he was the one that either contributed or created the greatest agony she had ever felt in her entire life.
Silently, Jack drove home, and when she walked out of the car, she stared at the place she had thought that she had killed him and scoffed. If only she had reminded herself who this man was to her and what he had done to her, she wouldn't have even cared to cry as much as she did that day or kept on begging him to wake up. He was never hers and would never be. He belonged to Clara and she was certain that would be his final home.
She was about to walk into the house when she felt herself ensnared around the car with both his hands pining her there. She looked up at his face and she saw the look in his eyes that forced her to look away. “Let’s get in.”
“What are we going to do inside?” He asked, and she wished she did have the courage to reset his balls like she had always done. But now, she hated herself for fixing the new version of him in her heart and even beautifying that version. She couldn't do anything to him now, the best she could do is remind herself who he was and what he was capable of doing to her. The sun set was beautiful but right now the most important thing was to have him free her.
“I told you that I'm sleepy, Jack, didn't I?” She sounded impatient, but she knew Jack would hardly let go of her just because she sounded that way.
“I need to know why you were crying in the car, is it because of me? Is it something I've done? I want to apologize.” She watched the way his sincerity fell from his eyes, but she knew she would rather die than tell him she was just jealous of what she had seen, and she knew Clara was the woman he loved. Who would have thought that one day, her, Anna Brayden would be jealous of Jack Roberts.
“That’s none of your concern...” He leaned his face closer to her, and she slightly shivered, damned the freaking hormones! “Jack, the neighbors are coming back from work, someone might see us.” She had turned her face away from him so that he couldn’t have a way of kissing her even though that was the only thing she wanted because she knew it might help in calming her down.
“Who cares? You’re my wife, Anna.” Those words provoked her instead of them to be sweet her. Yes, she was a wife in only papers and the ring on her hand.
She hardened her expression and looked up at him, “Yes, I'm your wife and she’s the woman you love, right?” Who was this girl talking about? Then it clicked in him. He was certain when he walked into Mom’s room she was standing beside the window and that meant one thing; she had seen his conversation with Clara. Was that the reason she cried? Wait, is Anna Brayden jealous over him?