Jayden's POV

While putting some files into my briefcase so I could go home, the door opens and I look up to see my mother come in.

"Mother?" I wiggle my eyebrows at her as she closes the door and ventures inside.

Is Anna gone? Why didn't she inform me that Mother is here?

I plan to go home early today because Gabriel and I have plans to meet up somewhere to close our deal and sign up the contract of my partnership. We couldn't do that because I have been absent from work for a whole week and I have been coming to work for three days now without seeing him.

He told me how busy he has been coupled with the demands of his pregnant wife and we planned to meet tonight.

Sabrina would be going out with her friend too which is giving him the time to come out. I hope now that he is expecting a baby, he will be faithful to his wife.

"What are you doing here?" I ask her with confusion, skating my expression.

Why is she here by this time of the day? We haven't seen each other for days. Well, I haven't seen her since I came back from my little trip with Isabella from the lake house.

"I came to see you, of course", she replies with a scowl. When she takes a seat, I do the same, dropping the briefcase. "How could you be gone with that thing you call a wife for days? I couldn't reach you, you couldn't call me back after the several voicemails I sent to you because I was worried and you couldn't even come to visit after you came back? What was that for? A show? How long were you gone?"

I let her rant for a while till she gets tired and remains silent. With my jaws propped on my hand, I begin the countdown for the 10 minutes I am sparing here.

"Aren't you going to say anything, Jayden?"

As much as I want to snap at her and tell her to leave my office, I remain calm.

Leaning forward and taking note of the two minutes she had exhausted ranting, I ask. "Why did you allow Isabella and me to get married?"

"What?!" She looks perplexed at the question. Her brows scrunch up too.

"Yes, mother. You heard me right. Why did you allow Isabella to get married to me when you knew you didn't like her and you would end up hating her?" I rephrase my question, expecting an answer and the right way to shut her up completely.

Even though I have been giving Isabella a silent treatment because of what happened between us at the chalet house, I won't allow anyone to do the same to her or mistreat her or say bad words about her. We might not be on good terms but she is a good woman. I know she is.

The kiss caught me off-guard and I was ashamed of myself. I wasn't supposed to do that.

I had no idea what came over me that made the vows which usually ring a bell in my head run off with the winds. I had no idea why I kissed her and why she allowed me to kiss her.

We weren't supposed to do that. It is forbidden for us because it is against the conditions of our one-year marriage contract.

I didn't want to give it much thought because I was determined to keep up with the healing process and move away from the trauma of Helena's death so I guessed the right thing to do was to pretend like it didn't happen but there is no way in the world I would talk to Isabella freely after that day without remembering what happened that day.

It's fucking hard. She shouldn't have allowed it.

"I don't hate her, Jayden. She's just not good for you", my mother breaks the moment of silence with her expected answer.

"Really?" I ask calmly. "She isn't good for me? Then who is? Anna? That fucking bitch?"

She slams her fist on the desk with anger evident in her expression. "Anna is not a bitch, mind your words."

"Then you should mind the way you talk about my wife. Mind the speech you use on her and mind your business. This marriage is between Isabella and me, not you and Isabella so you have no right to interfere in any of our affairs." I find myself shouting at her.

"Really?" Hurt flashes across her expression and I sigh loudly.

"I just want the best for you…" she trails off with a shaking voice.

"The best?" I can't seem to take a hold of my anger. "My best and you think Anna is the best? I caught that bitch f***ing with one of my employees right in this office the very day I resumed work because she thought I wouldn't be at work again since I didn't resume the very day I told her I was resuming."

"What?!" Her jaws drop open in shock and disbelief. "Anna?"

"Yes, your sweet Anna. The one you wanted as a daughter-in-law…"

"Why didn't you fire her, then if that was it?" She yells and I am taken aback. I don't know if she is saying this because she is mad at Anna for doing that or if she is asking because she finds it hard to believe. She knows how furious I can be when something of that sort happens and I wouldn't have the patience to listen to her pleas which is why it is hard for her to believe that I actually caught Anna having sex with someone right here in my office.

I didn't do anything intentionally because I want her to resign of her own free will and I am waiting for the right opportunity to use that secret she has with me against her and my mother.

Yes.

"You don't believe me?" I chuckle and shake my head.

"Why should I?"

"Fine, you can leave now if you don't but don't you dare talk trash to my wife ever again. "

"I will keep saying it, Jayden. That girl is no good for you. She is just after your money!" She stands up and turns to go out.

"She is after my money, she is a gold digger yet she rejected your offer?" She halts in her step and turns back slowly to face me.

"You think I don't know?" I raise a brow at her. "You think I don't know you were secretly trying to send her off so you could get me married to Anna? What do you even think of me?!" I shoot up to my feet, anger shooting through me and my face in a deep frown.

"A kid? Someone you can just dictate for? You did this same thing with Helena. Helena was the right person for me but what did you do? You made her feel inferior and she almost left. Who knows, maybe she would have survived that accident if she had left me anyways but I am done with this shit you are putting me through!"

"How can you offer my wife a million dollars just to leave me and you claim you want my happiness? What sort of a mother are you? Do you even have any idea the length I am going just to make sure that you are happy? Do you know how long it took me to resolve to get married just to make you happy? Do you know the sacrifices I have made to ensure that this marriage between Isabela and I will work out and my traumatic past won't have anything to do with it just so you can be fully satisfied that I am eventually married?"

"What else do you want from me, Mother?" I am breathing heavily now just like someone who had done a marathon race. "I didn't want to get married. I made a vow to Helena yet I broke that vow just because I wanted you to be happy. I decided to marry Isabella and yet you are not appreciative of my efforts? What do you want, Mother? Do you want me to do your bidding even if I am not happy? Is that what you want?"

She shakes her head sadly and lowers her head in humiliation. I know I have been hard on her so I take a deep breath to calm my nerves.

"Were you forced to marry my dad?" She hoists her head up, surprised at the question. Her eyes soften and I can see the tears brimming in her eyes.

I just don't understand why she is doing this. I love her and I admire what she has with my father. If I don't love her this much, I won't be married. I might never get married. I am in this marriage with a woman I am currently avoiding just so she could be happy

"I'm sorry", she breaks down in tears, lowering her body slowly to the ground. I can't take it so I leave my seat and stride toward her, scooping her up before she can sit on the floor.

I hug her tightly without a word. There is so much anger in me. So many feelings. Unexpressed ones. There is so much I want to say. So much I want to let out.

I have so many things on my head too and her behavior isn't helping matters.

Mother's tears increase and her wailing becomes louder. I hug her tightly, closing my eyes and telling myself that she is forgiven.

I don't want to regret why I married Isabella even though we will be divorced in months. And the only way not to regret the marriage is to make sure that my mother thinks well of her and this marriage and enjoy the satisfaction that comes with having me married before the marriage ends and also to make sure that this marriage is worth it.

It might not be worth it for me. But worth it for Isabella and Mother. Mother will be happy that at least I was married for a year while Isabella will be able to achieve her dreams by being married to me for a year.

At the end of it all, I will achieve my purpose too.

Getting divorced after a year will stop my mother from pestering me to get married ever again.

Then, I will remain celibate for life.

****

Why is this man so stubborn?🧐

After the kiss, what do you think Isabella would do? Will she also pretend as if it never happened?

Air your views and don't forget to vote.

💓