Chapter 42 Take your gifts..
Dahlia.
"I happened to lose my way, Dahlia. " Jason whispered, his tone almost pleading and listening to him, I couldn't help but scoff.
In the years that we had known each other, Jason had always been haughty, not saying more than three words in one breath.
Even when he had gone blind, when he had temporarily lost his eyesight after that accident, chased out of the family by his father, and I had to follow him to the village to take care of him, he had still maintained his cold and icy aura, always speaking less, his tone flat and emotionless, all along. I had been the one doing the talking.
Who would have thought that a day would come, and I would see him grovelling, and begging me? That was quite satisfying.
" Sofia manipulated me, Dahlia. Everything about her had was fake, an act." Mistaking my silence for agreement, he went on, bitterly dumping his emotions on me, and all along, I wore a soft smile as I listened, finding the whole situation more than just amusing.
I mean, before he saw those videos, I had seen them first. I was the one who allowed them to be posted. To see him pouring his grievances over me, I couldn't help but laugh.
If I really cared about him, would I have posted them in the first place?
" I know you are still mad at me, but I will give you an explanation. I will punish Sofia too. If it weren't for her, we wouldn't be here, after all."
" How about this, let's go back together, then, "
" I will marry you, and this time, I will arrange everything." He went on, trying to pull me into his arms, but I walked towards my husband instead, rested my head over his chest before flashing Jason an amused grin.
Regretting it? Of course not. He was simply unable to take the loss. Sofia's reputation was already ruined. He wouldn't want to be associated with her. But failing to marry into the Fords would make him lose the cooperation that the union would have given him instead.
So .. He wasn' regrettingng it. He was simply trying to salvage the situation. In his eyes, I was the perfect countermeasure, his little doormat, the woman who would always be there, next to him, even when he cheated on me.
Well, I was no longer that stupid Dahlia that he knew. Now, I just snuggled deeper into my husband's arms as I allowed the news to register.
At first, his face went deathly pale as he watched us. Then, anger and disbelief framed his face as he looked at me.
He was in denial. And next to him, Sofia's face went deathly pale as she took in the sight of me, leaning intimately on Dalton, and she looked like she had seen a ghost. She had stollen Jason. She had even bragged about how I had lost to her, and how my mother had lost to hers.Seeing me with a man a thousand times better than Jason, of course, that had her all worked up.
" What are you doing, Dahlia?" As if he had just recalled something, Jason asked, raw anger simmering on the surface of his eyes.
" Stop embarrassing yourself and come to me now! Mr Dalton is not someone you can afford to offend."
"I know you want to make me jealous, but can you be mindful?" He asked, sounding exasperated.
" Is that true? Can't I afford to offend you?" I asked, smiling sweetly as I played with Dalton's tie, and Jason looked like he was about to explode from anger.
" Not true... You can offend me if you want," He whispered, his voice indulgent, and my cheeks heated up when his lips brushed gently over mine.
" I don't mind at all." he whispered, but his voice was loud enough for them to hear.
" Mr Jason, don't you think it's wrong for you to harrass my wife like that? " Deep and intimidating, Dalton questioned, and Jason, scared out of his wits, took a step back, disbelief contouring his features as his eyes darted between Dalton and I.
" You...You.." He stuttered, unable to form a coherent sentence, even.. How funny? The ever eloquent young master Jason was stuttering...
" Yes. Dahlia is my wife. " When he said my name, Dalton's voice softened, and for some reason, I found myself blushing.
" I thought you two were here to congratulate us," He added, his cold voice sending fear all the way to their spines. Yes, from the beads of sweat that adorned their faces, I could tell, they were scared out of their wits. And yeah, standing there, watching that humiliating moment, of Jason, it was nothing short of satisfying.
" Dahlia? You said you loved me?" Even at that point, Jason was relentless, unwilling to give up, and he had the guts to sound betrayed, even..
" You said you would always love me, in this, and the next leftime." He remained, and at that point, I was considering killing him and putting an end to his charade.
" Yet you went ahead and married another? Where is your loyalty?" He asked, shaking his head in disbelief, and for the first time, I was forced to accept something.
Jason was sick, twisted, and hopeless. He had betrayed me first. He had even impregnated Sofia. And, he had the gut to act like the victim? He actually needed help.
" Mr Dalton? I know it's not my place, but..." Getting no reaction from me, he changed gears as he turned to face my husband.
" I have known Dahlia for years. The only person she loves is me.." He declared, proudly, confidently.
"She probably married you to spite me, to vy for my attention. " He went on, with the same sickening confidence, and I was literally struggling to keep my anger in check. I wanted to slap him so badly that my fingers were shaking.
" Aren't you afraid that this is just revenge to her? Aren't you afraid thst she is only using you as a temporary distraction?" he asked, disapproval framing his face as he looked at me.
"And what makes you think I don't want to be used by her, Mr Jason?" Dalton asked, his meaningful gaze strained on me.
" If you aren't here to congratulate us, then you can leave..." He added, his voice deeply intimidating, and Jason and Sofia bowed clumsily, their postures stiff, and their words insincere.
" Congratulations!" Sofia squeezed out, her voice shaking ...
" We will take our leave, then..." He added as he roughly pulled Sofia with him.
" Also, " I called, and they paused in their steps before, turning to face us.
" Take your gifts. "
" Polythene wrapping is not my style. "