Published: Nov. 01, 2019---September 30, 2020

Instead of following him on the terrace, she lays on her bed. Thoughts of Charlize's threats on her let out the naughtiness in her and made her decide to let Jared be in a situation she was earlier, in doubt.

With a plan to make up with him in the morning, she slept with a smile.

Instead of waking up as she had envisioned herself awakening her husband with kisses, disappointment greeted her as he was not in bed anymore. She got up, put on her robe, and went out of their bedroom to look for him.

Mark's voice inside his study made her stopped and turned around to go back to their bedroom.

Jared doesn't want her seen by any man on her robe, even if it is his most trusted PA.

She took a bath and slip into leggings and a shirt. Afterward, she went out and walked towards the kitchen to make something for them to eat. To see the dining table with food on it made her forgo her plan. Instead, she sits down on the chair to eat.

After her meal, she went back again in front of his study, but as she can hear voices like they are in a teleconference, she turned around. With a heavy heart, she dragged herself inside their entertainment room. She watches television while waiting for him.

Maybe she had fallen asleep as she had awakened in a silent room with the television turned off.

The blanket covered her betrayed he had been inside the room, a smile plastered in her face as she got up.

Her smile turned into distress as she looked everywhere inside their apartment for him, but he was nowhere in sight. She felt drained of energy at the thought her husband left their apartment, angry with her.

"Why is she so stupid to play games with Jared's emotion? She should have run to him as soon as she realized he has no plans to divorce her. If she did, this feeling of hopelessness would not be what she felt but euphoria."

She slumped down on something soft. It was when her eyes roamed around she noticed herself sitting on the bed in the guest room. In an instant, she felt as if a force had pushed her to go back where she belongs, in this bed, and not with Jared's.

Thought of not being with him made her panic. She got up to go back to their bedroom, but it seems like the room is in an axis and doing its rotation. To avoid falling, she lay down.

"This is why she hates going out late; the next day, she just doesn't want to leave the comforts of her bed." She complained once she awakens from her slumber.

She looked at the watch and had surmised she had been there for two hours. She got up and walked back to their bedroom, hoping Jared will be there.

The ringing of her phone made her run to the nightstands where she left it. To see Jared's name on the screen, lift her spirit, and she answered it with eagerness in her voice.

Mark's voice, on the other end, had made her eyes cloudy. She tried as much as possible to make her voice sound so natural after being told her husband will not be home, not only for a night but a week or ten days.

His PA never mentioned the details, but she knew Jared is avoiding her. Once the call ended, she just took a tissue and wiped the wetness on her face. She sniffed and sat down on their bed as she felt her wobbly knees is about to give in.

How she wished she can turn back time and had done what she was supposed to do. At least Jared left knowing she didn't want to be without him too.

That night she had a restless night, thinking of Jared.

The ringing of the phone awakened her when she was just able to catch her sleep. This time it's Nicole on the other line asking her to go out on a ride in Central Park.

Though a bit sleepy, she agreed. Besides, she also wanted to unwind herself to forget even for a few hours about her problem.

Dressed in a sundress, she went out of their room and walked to the dining area to eat her breakfast.

This time she didn't stay with Meme's place as she used to when Jared went on his business trip. Mrs. Smith stayed with her.

Nicole picked her outside of the building, and they drove direct to the meeting point where the carriage was waiting. They spend the fifty-minute tours roaming around.

What fascinates her most was the Bethesda terrace overlooking the Lake and the fountain with its Angel of the Water statue. She had taken a lot of pictures as well as "selfies" in there.

Afterward, they went to eat at Shake Shack for a quick cheeseburger before going to the Steele Group mall. They go window shopping, and later on, she invited Nicole to eat in a steakhouse restaurant.

While waiting for their order, Nicole asked her if she saw the picture of Charlize and Jared taken at the party last Thursday.

"I was there when they took that picture." She answered.

"Don't you read anything in the net about it?" Nicole asked her after seeing her indifferent reaction.

"No, you know I don't read that kind of article unless you told me about it."

She saw Nicole opened her phone, browse on it before handing it over to her.

"So this is what bothered her friend the way it had bothered her too?" She thought as she looked at the picture of Charlize proprietorial hold on Jared's arms and the issue about the pink diamond engagement ring.

She knows Nicole's purpose of showing it to her was to see if she has any violent reaction to it. As she doesn't want to add fuel to the burning with her friend's suspicion, she kept herself calm as if it is a normal thing.

"Now you see the reason I am skeptical about Mr. Steele courtship? I am afraid he noticed you because you are fresh in his eyes. Beside, Charlize, as of late, is busy with her movie."

'Don't worry too much." She lied while scrolling the phone for some pictures of who's who attended the show.

"You never even feel jealous or betrayed? My Gosh Kate, it's better for you to avoid their circle, or else I will end up with an apathetic friend."

Her friend reached out for her hand and squeezed it gently.

"Consider him as a fantasy dream, Okay? Don't worry, and I will make it my priority to look for a guy if not as rich as he is but someone who will not be indecisive."

She looked at her friend's face and almost said, "how she wanted to do as advised if her heart and future are not involved."

The arrival of their food stopped them from further discussing Jared. She also returns Nicole's phone.

After they finished eating, they didn't go anywhere else even if it was only thirty minutes past five as tiredness and sleepiness enveloped her. After Nicole dropped her in their building, she went up and sleeps.

By Wednesday morning, she was surprised to see Mark walking in their office. He said before, they will be gone for a minimum of seven days and today is only the firth. On the other hand, it also occurred to her; his arrival means Jared is back too.

Her knowledge of his presence inside the office made her feel nervous at the same time, excited. Opposite to what she had become the last few days, lethargic and in near to be indisposed.

Her appetite had diminished, and she was unable to concentrate on her work. Some of the documents she had typed had been returned to her by Michelle due to errors.

Before lunchtime, she was hoping to be called by Jared, but it never happened. It was Michelle whom he summoned to go inside his office.

She wanted to cry out of frustration then and there, but she will never let anyone noticed it.

She forced foods into her stomach during her lunch break, but she ended vomiting it all in the bathroom. She went out of the cubicle, looking so pale to be confronted by Nicole's concerned eyes.

"You look like you are sick." Nicole told her." Why don't we passed in the clinic and have you checked up."

"No need, it is just one of the days in which I fell so down. I think red flags days are coming."

"Okay, if you say so but if you don't feel well later on, just give me a ring," Nicole told her as they went out of the bathroom and went back to their offices.

When she made mistakes again by afternoon, Michelle did lose her patience.

"Kate, if you have a personal problem, don't bring it at work. I know what you are going through, but its life."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I didn't mention it to you because we are busy with papers works for the acquisition beside I had warned you already about this before," Michelle told her. She saw the pity on the latter's eyes, which made her more confused.

"I'm sorry, but since you will still hear, you should know it beforehand so you can prepare." Michelle opened her drawer. She took out her phone, browses on it, and gave it to her.

Katelyn received it, but warmness creeps inside her body. Lightheadedness made her sat down. She laid the phone on the table and rested her head on it. Michelle's voice calling her name was the last coherent words she heard as haziness of her vision occurs, and she falls into unconsciousness.

Familiar arms were carrying her the next thing she felt. Like a child who had missed her mother's warmth, she snuggled her head closer to it. "How she wish to be always in this arms, feeling safe and love."

As soon as she smelled Jared's perfumed, her eyes opened to her cheek, touching his chest. Her position brought a smile on her face. Without making any movements, she let him carry her, savoring the feeling of joy of being in his arms to the fullest.

"Tori, are you okay?" She heard he calls her as he laid her down in the sofa bed.

A different Jared he heard. The confidence in his voice she's gotten used to hearing while dealing with other people was gone. She almost opens her eyes to assure him of her wakefulness, but fear stopped her.

The reason for their estrangement will come back, and she doesn't want to lose the bond they have right now. His insistent calling her and his shouting to Mark about dialing the 911 forced her to open her eyes.

She touched Jared's hands. "I am okay."

She saw how his troubled face changed into relief to hear her voice. He gathered her in his arms and whispered. "I was so scared to see you so pale and almost lifeless."

"Jared, if you don't loosen your hold on me, this time, I will faint for lack of oxygen." More of a reminder than a complaint, she told him. "I'm so sorry. I am just overwhelmed to see you looking okay. We need to see a doctor who can examine you properly."

"It is only hunger, which made me faint."

Upon hearing her excuse, he looked at her. "Do you still have plans to lose weight when you are already skinny?"

"I am not on a diet; it's just..." She stopped herself from saying anything else he will remember he was angry the last time they see each other.

The opening of the door made her moved away from him, but he doesn't allow her.

Mark halted as soon as he saw them in each other's arms.

"Mark, ready the car for us and tell Mrs. Smith to prepare foods as we are going home already. Also, call our family doctor, and let her come in the penthouse, tell her Mrs. Steele had fainted."

Upon hearing him ordering Mark to call the Doctor, she protested.

"Jared, I know my body; there is nothing wrong with me."

Jared looked at her. "Before your body was yours alone, but now it's mine too. So don't stop me if I want to make sure everything is alright."

He gets up, scooped her in his arms, and carries her outside straight to his elevator.

The Doctor came when she was coming out of the bathroom. She saw how the latter's eyes looked behind her as if waiting for someone to follow.

When no one did, Jared introduced her as Mrs. Steele. The physician cannot conceal her surprise, but then she recovered immediately.

Katelyn told Jared to go out to the dismay of the latter but still do as told.

Once he is gone, the Doctor examined her and asked some personal questions and her health history and symptoms. Afterward, she told her of the possible diagnosis, which can only be accurate after some blood works.

This time its Katelyn turned to be shocked. "She is so stupid not to have even become suspicious of the signs."

Once finished, the Doctor did what she had asked, not to tell Jared. She left with a reminder for her not to forget to go to the clinic the next day.

Jared is nowhere the wiser of her health status behave like a clucking hen. As the Doctor told him, his wife is only suffering from malnutrition; he ordered Mark to contact a nutritionist.

She protested as Mrs. Smith's meals are okay, but he didn't listen.

At night with Jared holding her closed to him as he sleeps, she is still awake. The guilt of not telling him the truth stopped her from succumbing to the dreamless world.

She knows it was wrong to do it, but she promised to rectify it once everything is definite.

Jared wakes up in the middle of the night, still holding his wife close to him. He looked at her sleeping form in his arms, so young and innocent.

"Who would ever think that the stiff young woman he had seen before will be his weakness?"

He went on his trip without talking to her because he felt rejected. He was afraid if they spoke, he will beg for her love. His pride stopped him from doing it. Even when he comes back, he has no plan to talk to her yet as he is still hurting but seeing her in an unconscious state made him panic.

Fear of losing her made him so afraid enough to forget about his pride. He cannot lose his Tori no matter what it takes; without her, it will feel like everything have no meaning to him.

He traced her lips with his fingers, "This lip has no idea whatever comes out of it made him tremble." He wondered if it did what it will say."

END OF PART 30

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