Chapter 8
Emerald went straight to the kitchen as soon as she arrived. She sorted the groceries before preparing Jace’s dinner, or he would get mad at her, thinking she was resting again.
Dr. Sanders had been Emerald’s ally and companion. She likes seeing him but not for anything else. She’s just happy thinking there’s someone who is concerned about her. He is good-looking, but for the young Morgan, Jace is the only attractive man she has ever seen in her life. She remembers the first time she set her eyes on young Higginson.
She was in her bedroom, using her sister’s old laptop to talk to her online friend Creep about the latest technology trends.
“Did you know that SoftWare Group has launched a new software?” Asked Creep.
“Really? They’re the leading software company now. I don’t think their rival would be able to defeat them.” Emerald replied.
“Have you seen their CEO?” He asked, making the young Morgan curious.
“No, do I need to?”
“Many women say he’s handsome and go crazy for him.”
“Why are you jealous?” Emerald asked her friend, laughing.
“What? Of course not! I don’t need to be surrounded by women.”
Emerald laughed before she replied. “If you say so.”
“If you didn’t want to believe me, fine. Anyway, I need to go. My girlfriend asked me to do something.”
“Alright. Next time, make sure to introduce me to her, okay?”
“Okay, bye,” Creep replied and ended their call.
After their conversation, Emerald became curious about what the CEO of SoftWare Group looked like, so she decided to look into the company profile.
She’s not into good-looking men because she thinks she’s not beautiful. She believes her sister’s words, which is why she has low self-esteem. But when she saw Jace’s picture, she couldn’t help but feel the attraction she had never felt towards any man before.
Jace’s serious face was in the photo, but Emerald found him even more attractive. Since then, she has looked into every online news story Jace Higginson has been in and admired him. She sometimes dreams that he will knock on their door and ask for her hands in marriage. This happened, but she didn’t expect to be treated as he treats her now.
The sound of the rice cooker put her back in a trance. She likes rice, so she has it with her meals. Emerald looked at the clock and realized that Jace would be home soon, so she cooked as fast as she could. ‘Thankfully, the meat I bought earlier was tender, so I don’t have a hard time cooking this steak, ‘ she thought as she put the lid on the pan. She only needed to cook it medium rare, the way Jace liked it.
“You’re just setting the table?” Jace voice echoes in the dining area, making Emerald startled.Content is property of NôvelDrama.Org.
“I’m sorry, I’m a bit late,” she replied, pulling the chair for him to sit on.
“Why?” Jace asked, making the young Morgan feel confused. “Why are you late? Did you go somewhere while I was out?”
“I went to the grocery store so I can visit Nanny Lucy tomorrow,” she quickly replied. She didn’t want him to know that she was late because she didn’t notice the time when she was talking to the doctor. She knew that her husband would get angry, so she had to hide her friendship with Dr. Sanders.
Jace looked at Emerald intently. He wanted to make sure that she was telling the truth, as he didn’t like the idea of her talking or entertaining another man. Young Higginson sat on the chair while his wife started to fill his plate with food and started eating.
Every day, Emerald has to do that. She had to serve her husband no matter what. She doesn’t complain and would be happy about it if not for the treatment she receives from him, especially when Jace brings women to their mansion that hurt her the most.
But for her nanny Lucy, she was willing to do anything. Since Jace gave her money for the hospital bill, she will do everything to please him. Emerald decides to hold on to her feelings for her husband, who doesn’t care about her.
Young Morgan went to her nanny the following day, just as he told Jace. This time, she asked her husband if she could stay longer since it was Lucy’s birthday.
“Hi, nanny! How are you today?” Emerald said as she entered the hospital room. She appeared full of life even though Lucy couldn’t see or hear her. She was still unconscious, and the doctor couldn’t tell her the exact reason why she was not getting better.
Emerald pulled a chair closer to the hospital bed and sat. “Happy birthday, nanny.” She greeted Lucy and kissed her hand. I hope that you’ll get better soon. I will ask my husband to let you live with us, and we will be very happy together. Do you like that?” She continued.
During Lucy’s hospital stay, Emerald never lost hope that her nanny would get better. She believes that, through her continued prayer, God will eventually hear and answer her.
Dr. Sanders also went to see Lucy, which made Emerald happy because someone other than her remembered her nanny’s special day. The doctor brought a small cake, which they shared after young Morgan made a wish on behalf of her nanny.
“You look happy,” Dr. Sanders commented.
“It’s because I am happy,” Emerald replied. “And I’m sure if my nanny is awake, she will be very happy, too. Normally, we celebrate her or my birthday together. But now, you’ve become an addition to our family of two.” She continued with a bitter smile on her face.
“From now on, I will be with you on every occasion in your life.” Dr. Sanders replied. Emerald looked at him and, with a hesitant smile, she replied,
“I didn’t want to burden anyone with me and nanny. But hearing what you just said gives me comfort.”
Dr. Sanders smiled at her before taking her hands. “We are friends, and friends comfort each other.”
With teary eyes, Emerald smiled at the doctor. She promised herself she would do everything for him if he ever needed her help.
Feeling happy and content, Emerald went home. Her friendship with Dr. Sanders gave her another reason to endure the hardship she was facing.
As soon as young Morgan entered their mansion, her eyes landed on Jace sitting on one of the couches in the living room. Hesitantly, she approached him to make her presence known to him.
“I’m back,” she said with her head down. She was not late, so she wondered why her husband looked angry. He was glaring at her as if she had done something bad.
“From where?” Jace asked before picking up the glass of liquor on the center table and drinking it bottoms up.
“Hospital, I told you about it yesterday,” Emerald replied, trying to avoid Jace’s glare, which he didn’t like.
“You’re lying!” Jace shouted, making Emerals startle and looked at him.
“I’m not. I really came from the hospital,” she answered abruptly. She didn’t want her husband to get mad at her because she didn’t want to hear him say words that she knew would hurt her feelings.
“Who were you with yesterday?” Jace asked as he got up from the couch and approached her. Emerald was fearful, thinking about what she would answer him. “What? You can’t answer? You can’t deny you were with your lover yesterday; that’s why you’re late preparing my dinner?” Jace continued and grabbed young Morgan by her neck.
Emerald holds on to her husband’s hand and taps it as she starts to feel difficulty breathing. “Jace..” She said, almost out of breath, making her husband let go of her and start coughing while holding her neck.
Jace made her look at him and said angrily, “I will make sure to teach that doctor a lesson.” Emerald’s eyes widen in fear for Dr. Sanders’ safety.
“No, Jace.. He is nothing to me. I felt hungry after buying groceries, so I decided to eat in a cafe and accidentally met him there.”
“So you didn’t want anything to happen to your lover?” Jace asked angrily.
“No, it’s nothing like that. He’s not my lover. I don’t like him; I only like you. I only love you, Jace; please believe me.”
Jace chuckled after he heard her. “Love me? Is that how easy it is for you to say those words? How many men have you loved now, huh?”
“I only love you, Jace. You’re the first and only man I ever love. I have never felt anything like this to anyone but you.” Emerald replied, crying. But Jace pulled her by her arm before holding her again on her neck and said,
“You don’t know how to love, bitch. Look at yourself; you are pathetic and ugly. Do you honestly think I will feel the same because you said you love me?” Emerald’s tears streamed down her cheeks, and her husband’s words deeply hurt her.