Unbelievably, Anna turned to stare at Clara that was already fuming with her palms on both cheeks, “How dare you call me a slut, Anna?” She clamored, but Anna’s mind was far from knowing what she had said. She just wanted to vent out until she had no more energy left in her to speak. Still gob smacked with everything that was happening around her since yesterday, the slaps she had gotten from Jack because she slapped Clara and now it was Clara that had slapped her again.
She turned to look at him, but he had a sturdy expression on his face that was so had for her to fathom, she couldn’t even point out to his emotions now. She turned back to Clara and smiled, “You slapped me, Clara?” It was as if she couldn’t believe what was happening anymore, because if someone had told her that someday, her, Anna Brayden would be slapped by both Jack and his girlfriend she would have denied that upfront. But here it was today, happened already and she didn’t know what else would happen after wards.
“Yes, I did. And just for your information, the next time you refer to me as a slut would be worse than a slap, okay?” Anna blinked her eyes, the pain in her heart was being too much that she now couldn’t even breath normally. She turned again to look at Jack, but he had a calm look on his face as if he had always been waiting for their encounter and he knew for sure, Clara would give her a medicine of her own. She wasn’t the fighting type, expect for the time she had met Jack, that was the very first time she had ever fought with someone and the fight was prolonged for long between them.
Anna placed her hands on her akimbo as she scoffed, “What else do you want me to refer to you as? His wife?” She looked up at him with a glare and Jack was still not staring her way, he moved back to the sofa and sat down, acting as though he hadn't even seen them in the living room. She moved in front of him and smiled mischievously, “Tell your slut to get herself out of my gown and leave my house, Jack. But if she wants me to leave the house, then I'd give her my ring for free.” She believed that was all she could say, because everything weighed her heart to the point that she didn’t even have the right words to utter to him.
He didn’t reply her, and she wasn’t even expecting a reply from her. She walked toward her room all the while trying so hard to control the outburst of her tears when she felt herself being yanked forcefully and she felt as Clara pulled her into a fist fight. She didn’t have the energy to retaliate because she knew Jack was behind Clara in whatever she did. “Didn’t I tell you to stop calling me a slut?! I'm his freaking girlfriend, Anna! Don’t think just because you’re his wife that you’re relevant to his life, okay?! To hell with whatever you have and everything you have possessed!”
Anna couldn’t even move a limb, she was just staring at Jack that from the way he looked, trying so hard not to act as though he had noticed what was happening between them. It got to the point that he noticed the fight was too much, or rather, the intensity with which Clara beat her was beyond measure and he came toward them. He held her arm and pulled her behind him, “Now, that's enough, Clara.” His voice was husky, and he didn’t even stare at Anna that was still on the floor. He held Clara’s wrist tightly and no matter how much she wanted to pull herself away, he dragged her to his room and locked the door.
Anna took her phone and Dialed Julia’s number, “Can you send over the police now? I need them to come in a minute or less.” Even though her voice was croaked and in so much pain, the audacity was there, and the undisguised anguish was palpable. She ended the call even before Julia asked her about what was wrong.
Jack stood in front of her while she tried so hard to lift herself to her limb and when he tried, merely out of reflex, to hold her arm when she was about to fall down, Anna pushed his arm away from her and stood to her feet. “Don’t ever dream of touching me with those hands of yours.” She walked into her room with her tears tumbling on each other as they cascaded down to her cheeks. She didn’t know what was wrong with her, how strong what she felt for Jack was and why was it that she couldn’t even do anything to him or act up to her anger.
In the minutes she had ordered, they all heard the police siren and she rushed out after she had cleared her tears. The officer came into the house due to her invitation and she pointed at Jack, “Can you please take both him and his slut to the station? I need to be alone. They shouldn’t be bailed out unless I order that myself.” She lazily slumped on the sofa and watched the way Jack was being dragged out of the house by the cops and when Clara was unlocked in the room, she was fuming, thinking that it was Jack that had finally opened the door for her.
Her lips went tight when she saw the cops, they were about to pull her out of the house when Anna stopped them, still seated on the sofa as she crossed her legs majestically, “She should remove that gown first.” She looked up at the officer, “I’ll be at the station by tomorrow morning to have my statement.” And that was what happened. They forced Clara to take off the gown and she was back into her faded jeans with a shirt before they dragged her out.
Anna dialed Maya’s number when she was certain that she was alone just like she wanted it to happen. She broke into tears when she heard Maya’s voice and no matter how much she wanted her to stop, she couldn’t. It was just too painful for her, and what surprised her was that she wasn’t just pained for what happened between her and Clara, what pained the most was Jack. “Maya, I hate him. I hate him so much that it pains my chest.” Her lips trembled as she spoke, and her voice came out as a croaked one.
Maya seemed to have freaked out, “Anna, are you sure that you’re alright? Should I call Mom for you?” She was agitated because of the way Anna was painfully crying and this was the first time she had ever heard Anna cried this much. “Wait, is it Jack again this time?” She asked and Anna could sense the way anger was already brewing on her lips.
“He slapped me, his girlfriend did too before she beat me...” She was cut off with an angry scream that would’ve made her gag with laughter if she wasn’t in this much agony.
“She did what? What the hell are you talking about, Anna?” She was furious, and Anna could hear the way she kept on pacing to and fro in the room. “Look, can you give me a minute? I need to see if there is an available flight to California tonight.”
Despite the pain, she smiled lovingly, “You don’t have to be here, Maya. I just called to have some peace in my mind.” She told her everything that had happened, from how she caught them in his room, how she had slept home and the gown, which pained her the most. Because it wasn’t among the ones he had chosen for her, it was the first garment that got her eyes and forced her to walk into the boutique.
“Where are you now? And them?” She knew if Maya stayed in California, she would’ve been ten minutes or even five away from her home, that was how much protective of her she was.
“I have them both arrested and I told the officer that no one should bail them out except myself. I really want to be alone, Maya...” She broke into even more painful tears, remembering the nonchalant look she had seen in Jack’s eyes while she was getting beaten by Clara.
Maya hissed before she softened her voice toward her, “You have to stop crying, okay? Go and take a hot shower, eat well and sleep.” She nodded her head as if Maya were seated beside her. “I've always known that girl was a bitch, you should’ve let me teach her a lesson that time.” They didn’t end the call until Maya was sure that Anna was fine at least for the time being before she ended the call after she had promised her that she was going to sleep as soon as she could, and she won’t over think the whole situation.
❦
Maybe the idea of getting them arrested was the best thing her brain had ever done to her. Because she was certain if not because of that, she wouldn’t have had the peace she had now. Every morning Julia came and waited for her, sometimes they had breakfast together in the house while most of the time she didn’t even have the appetite to eat. Julia once asked her whether she was safe because of the police she had requested that day and she told her everything was fine. No one knew what was going on expect for Maya, not even Kate.
They were on their way back home from the company when she got a call from the police station and she wondered what was wrong. They exchanged a quick pleasantry with the officer before he continued to speak, “Someone has come for the bail of Jack, ma’am. But we told her that we couldn’t do that without speaking to you about their bail...”
She didn’t even wait for her to him because all she had in mind was who was it that came for the bail? “What’s her name?”
“Mrs. Katharine Roberts.” Oh, that was bad. How did they know that Jack was arrested? Maybe they asked around? Oh, they were quite powerful to now things too themselves.
“Has she left? Did you tell her that it was me that ordered for the arrest?” She had already turned to look at Julia, waiting for his response so she could know what she should do or not.
“No, ma’am, we haven't disclosed your name like you requested. And for the woman, she left after we’ve promised her that we will contact about their bail.”
“Okay, I'll be at the station in a few minutes.” She said and motioned for Julia to inform the driver that she was going to the police station.
They arrived at the police station and she walked directly to the Superintendent’s office, after they exchanged a quick pleasantries she asked him, “Did she speak about the woman you got arrested together with him?”
He quickly shook his head, “No, she didn’t. It seems like no one knew she was arrested because no one came for her.”
“That’s good. Ask someone to bring him here please, and I'd appreciate it if you’ll excuse us.” That was what happened. Jack was the only one that walked into the office and he looked so rough that she barely recognized him. How many days had it been already? Five? Or had it gone to a week already?
He sat on the chair opposite hers and she smiled at him as though nothing had ever happened between them, “You look so cool, having a good time with your slut here as well?” His Adam’s apple bubbled up and down, and she knew she had hit a nerve. “Or maybe, she needs the ring to be finally called your Mrs.?” She stretched her hand toward him, indicating at the ring that sat beautifully on her finger.