CHAPTER 030

CHAPTER 030
JESSICA’S POV

“I am sick and tired of him. I’m tired of everything!” The words slipped out before I could swallow them back. My chest tightened, not just with anger, but with that gnawing ache I’d been carrying for days.

After the incident at the award night, Dominic has been acting weird. Returning home late hours, avoiding my calls, he went as far as skipping his doctor's appointment. A couple of times, I've been at his office unannounced, I met empty seats and flimsy explanations from his assistant.

If I hadn't known he was not a fan of womanizing and the club, I'd have bet he had a bedmate outside our relationship or perhaps he was gambling away his time at the casino. If it wasn’t another woman, then what was it? Why was he pulling away from me, as though I didn’t matter? I hated how desperate I sounded, even in my own head. But desperation was all I had left.

I don't think he remembers or perhaps he has failed to realize that my family is one of the biggest shareholders of his company and I have the power to influence my dad to crumble whatever it is he has built.

It was a rainy morning. The heavens wept more than more than I did. I drove into my parents mansion to take a break from the outside world. Slamming the door, I marched into the edifice like one on a mission to pull down chaos, grumbling words under my breath.

My parents stood in the kitchen beside a pan of scrambled eggs on the cooker, giggling over heaven-knows-what. The way they had managed to remain best friends after these years stung me in my chest because I was yet to even secure a man for myself to talk more of sharing a cup of coffee with him. Dominic rather strips naked on the street rather than to do that.

I didn't greet them nor did I wave at them. I just stomped my way up the stairs. 

“Jess?” My mum called, dropping the spatula she had in her hand. “Baby? What's wrong?” She asked mildly though her tone was laced with worry.

“Just leave me alone!” I yelped, dragging myself up the stairs. 

“You know I won't,” I heard her voice behind me. Turning around, there she was—already climbing up to meet me.

“Urgh! Mum? Can't you just give someone privacy for once. For goodness sake, I'm not thirteen anymore!” I grasped the root of my hair in frustration.

“Don't be ridiculous, Jess. You don't expect me to see you walk in like that, looking like you have the weight of the entire world resting on your shoulders and I get to pretend like nothing is wrong? Come on!” She retorted, increasing her steps.

“You know you can always talk to me about anything honey,” she continued. “Look! You're making a mess of the whole place.”

I looked behind me to see the trails of messy footprints my wet boots left behind. I sighed, rolling my eyes dramatically. “Then get the maids to clean it up and leave me alone!” I grabbed the door knob to my room, pushing it open before slamming it in her face.

I had just crashed into my bed when the door opened again and slowly creaked shut.

“I didn't mean to barge into your room but baby, I haven't seen you in months and today I get to, you look absolutely drained and ridiculous,” her brows furrowed.

I lifted my head, sitting upright. My eyes were already red and swollen as though I had an allergy. Tears clouded my vision.

“Mom,” my voice cracked. “I'm tired. He doesn't want me. He doesn't care about me,” My lids pressed together, pushing tears out of my eyes.

My bed dipped in under my mom's weight as she sat beside me. “Oh dear, come here,” she cooed, spreading her arm. I pressed my face into her shoulder like i used to when I was a child.

“You have to calm down and talk to me. I can't help you if you don't tell me what's been happening,” she continued stroking my back softly. “Does he lay his hands on you? Tell me and I'd have his ass in jail.”

“No…No mum he doesn't,” I whispered. “But…” I paused.

“But what?” my mum's tone spiked. 

“He doesn't love me, mum. He doesn't give me the luxury I want. And, he barely touches me,” I felt so pathetic saying that. “Can you imagine mom, prior to the last award night we attended, Dominic asked me to repeat the same set of jewelries I wore to a birthday bash I attended with my friends,!” My voice began to gather momentum. 

“What? Why would he do that? For goodness sake, he's got the money. Before our families formed this alliance, he knew damn well we took care of your every need. We gave you the very best!”

“Come to think of it, why would he want someone as glamorous and highly respected as you to repeat the same set of ornaments for two consecutive events? Was he trying to make you look cheap? Damn that man! I always had my reservations about him but your father,” She snarled, gnashing as she folded her fingers into a fist.

“Exactly mum, I don’t get it!” my voice raised. “The fact he gets so rigid with me over nothing is crazy! And his recent behavior too is becoming suspicious,” I pouted, folding my arm across my chest.

“Behavior?” her brows furrowed, causing a thin line to form across her forehead. “What do you mean by that?” she queried.

“I’m yet to confirm it, but I think Dominic is seeing someone else." The words burned as they left my mouth.

“What? That piece of ungrateful shit!” my mum spat furiously. “Why is he so shameless?” She barked. “I’m going to talk to your dad about this! You can’t keep staying with that leech who disregards you yet feeds off our family name. What nonsense!” she barked, already on her feet to go talk to my dad.

“Mum, you need to calm down,” I grabbed her wrist, pulling her back to the bed. “You can’t do anything stupid right now! What would happen if this escalates and he leaves me. People, especially the media, won't let it slide. I’d get trolled again just like I was after Henry and I parted ways. Dominic is smart. Please,” I pleaded with puppy eyes.

In as much as my family was the sole supporter of The Braun’s Group of Companies, Dominic has evolved. He has a vast number of businesses in his name and honestly on second thought, if my relationship with him crashes, I'd be at the losing end and I can’t afford to be mocked by the entire public.

“So you rather let him treat you like that?” Her eyes narrowed slightly, and her gaze lingered on me with a hint of disapproval, the corners of her mouth pulling downward in a subtle frown. “Suit yourself then!” she scoffed, snapping her wrist off my grip. “ Dinner would be ready by 7. Clean yourself up and make sure to come down for dinner!” she rolled her eyes, grumbling loudly on her way out.

I crashed into my bed not sure what I was going to do to salvage this situation and God knows, I wasn’t ready to drop my standard just to fit in as a perfect girlfriend. I yelled into my pillow in frustration.



The air was filled with the aroma of grilled chicken, my favorite ginger soup and rice. I could hear the clinking of plates and cutleries from up the stairs as I made my way to the dining hall. Everything was already set. Sitting at the edge was my dad, scrolling through his phone as usual with his glasses resting on the bridge of his nose like some college professor.

“Hey honey! Come take a seat over here,” my mum grinned like we didn’t just have hell of a conversation earlier. 
“Hey pumpkin” My dad grinned at me. “ I hope you’re good now?”

“Hey dad!” I leaned over to his corner planting a kiss on his cheek. “I feel much better now. Thank you,” I force a smile, pulling out a seat beside him. 

“Thank you Lord, for the gift of our lives and for the sumptuous bounty before us. Bless it and bless us ,” mum led a short grace before the meal.

“Amen!” We all chorused.

Plates and spoons clinked as mum dished a generous portion of the steaming rice into my plate and dad’s.

Dad nudged me softly with his elbow. “Eat up, girl! You like your gonna get blown away by a tornado sooner,” I laughed softly at his joke, though the sound came out thinner than I intended.

“Someone actually needed to speak the truth,” Mum chuckled, shaking her head.

We began to dig into our plates. The first spoonful burned pleasantly against my tongue, the spice settling in my throat. I was finally beginning to settle into the family moment—laughing care-freely at my Dad’s endless jokes when my phone’s screen light came on.

“Gosh! Y’all need to consider stand-up comedy,” I threw a shade at my parents picking up the serviette beside my plate, cautiously dabbing the corners of my lips before reaching for my phone.

It was a text from my friend Claire who worked as a nurse at Portland Central Hospital. My brows furrowed. Why could she possibly be texting me right now? I swiped her chat open.

Claire: Hey Jess, I think you might wanna see this. The text read.

“Is everything okay, baby?” My mum asked.

“Yeah!” I responded absentmindedly, typing my response.

Me: Hey, Claire, What’s up?

Claire: I noticed your Fiance has been frequenting the hospital. I decided to find out why. Babe, he’s seeing some lady here everyday.

"What?!" I blurted out, my voice rising in surprise before I could catch myself.