The coldness of the wind carried a quiver down my spinal cord when I walked on my porch, staring at the guy with a sense of anger rising in me.
Then my attention drifted away from him for a second, and I realized that outside, the snow was thick on the doorway and the snow had sheltered the trees and presented them as sparkling at first sight.
After a moment of losing my focus to nature, I stared back at the delivery guy, noticing that he had a thick sweater concealing his uniform and his hair was messy from the snow.
You are Mr. David, right?" He inquired, shivering I guess from the cold.
"That's correct, although I did not request flowers. I purchased mine this afternoon. Is there a possibility you got the order wrong?" I uttered as the delivery man laid the bouquet in my hands.
It felt awkward because I wasn't sure why I was receiving flowers when I don have the slightest idea who in their right mind would send me these at such an hour for no reason.
"I am certain that the order is accurate. A female called this evening, requesting our flower shop to deliver a bouquet of daisies and present it to you, Mr. Jackson David." He responded in an anxious and slightly furious tone.
Now, I was pissed because only two females comes to mind once he said those words, my mother and my wife, and I wasn't expecting either of them to send me these.
“If you are still doubtful, here are my records.“ The delivery guy uttered, handing over a chart holder to me.
I was hesitant because my mind was messing with my emotions with all these stupid thoughts running about freely through my head. But I did accept it a minute later.
From his notes, it was clear that I was the owner of the bouquet and shit wasn't making any sense at this point. But I handed him back his chart holder and glared down at the flowers.
"Thanks, Pete," I mumbled and tipped the man for his service with a loose charge from my pocket
As I was about to head inside, his words caused me to stop when he said, "Mr. David, are you fine? That cut is deep, and it seems infected. Maybe you should visit the hospital."
"I… will be fine" I let him know before entering my home and shutting my door.
Gazing at the flowers, I frowned at them, feeling a sense of annoyance as reality somewhat became brighter to me.
And although the flowers were pleasant, I did not admire them as I stared blankly for a while until I finally noticed that a note was attached to the bouquet.
After yanking it from within the petals of the flower, I read the card, and written within it was an apology from Jennie, in which she revealed the reasons she cannot be with me tonight. For a long while, I simply stared at the yellow heart-shaped paper in my hand, squished it, and threw it on the floor.'She lied,' were the only thoughts that cross my mind.
How could I be such a fool to have my hopes up like this was the first time she had made such a promise when I had my heart messed up by her countless time in the past.
“Fuck this!“ I mumbled, losing myself to my anger.
But rage was nothing like the other emotions that suddenly took over me.
The more I thought about how stupid this was, I suffered a weight on my heart and felt a piercing ache in my chest.
Suddenly, the room appeared dim, and I could not exhale. It was damn frustrating that my emotions were trying to burst out the more I tried to numb myself. Yet, I suppressed the air in my lung to sedate myself.
My heart burns, even though I knew the probability of Jennie being honest with her words was slim and it made me feel like a fool and miserable.
Tonight was supposed to be different from the other nights. I mean she swore on it, and this is what I fucking get after waiting for all those months!
Not even knowing what to do now, I left the living room and headed to our room, walked into the bathroom, got stripped, and stepped into the bathtub.
After turning on the shower, I leaned my head against the glass and shut my eyes, allowing the water to drain on my body.Despite the internal misery I was battling within and the mess of thoughts that keep bugging my mind, I felt a tiny sense of warmth from the hot shower as the water ran down my eyebrow, towards my collar, and down my bare skin.
Sighing out my frustration, I stood still because I was too weak to move a muscle.
Finally, when I raised my lashes, I glared at the Steam that filled the room, feeling uncomfortable by the hot air as I flinched my toes on the wet floor, drowning slowly in my feelings.
People believed that a man should never cry, and sometimes, I kind of agreed with that logic.
Yet, tonight, my soul ached, comparable to a knife punching through my chest, and I sensed the agony ripping through my muscles and bones, and the was no way in hell I could ignore my emotions.
I wanted this shit to stop hurting and find the silver lining in this mess-up situation with my wife. But right now, it was challenging to be a husband.
Everyone has their breaking point, and right now, I was vulnerable to my emotions and could not restrain myself from sobbing.
But it felt pathetic in some sense, so I began beating my injured hands against the mirror because I needed that distraction from the anguish I was enduring inside. So, I suffered my physical pain to be my distraction.
Fresh blood drained out of the cut as I scowled at my finger, and realized that this was self-harm and in a slight second of sanity, I felt like inflicting pain against me was absurd.
Yet, I could not stop myself because I wanted my heartache to cease and needed a remedy to aid myself.
But as I was going for another hit, my phone in our bedroom started ringing, and an annoyance, I tried to ignore it. Yet it kept vibrating and buzzing.
At the fourth ring, I became exhausted from the noise and decided that I had had enough. So, I left the shower and returned to the bedroom.
As I walked passed the bed, I side-eyed my phone before heading for my closet, knowing that I did not want to talk to anyone in this state.
After getting dressed, I headed to my bed, picked up my phone screen, and a sense of dilemma tore me apart because it was Jennie calling.
There's a tiny line between absurdity and love. But when it comes to Jennie, I don't mind crossing it. So it wasn't a shock to me that I answered her call, even though I hated it.
"Hello, hubby." Her delicate voice echoed, it was soft like a whisper, but with a subdued melody to its tone.At this point, I am used to this. But I still lock the words to say something because I was trying to be understood and not lose my damn mind as a part of me wanted to do.
"I mist you a lot.“ Jennie uttered, and I couldn't help scoffing at her words, even though I was kind of glad she did.“Hmm,”
“I feel so bad calling this late, though my work could not permit me. You know how much I want to spend our anniversary together… with you.“
“Do I?“
“ Jackson, please. It hurts me not to be with you tonight. But, I will make it up to you when I get home tomorrow."
What the heck does this woman have over me?! Even though I have heard such words way too frequently and they turned out to be lies, right now, I want to believe her.
But to be fair, she is the only woman who can shift my spirit with just her expressions and words because she and I have lived so many unforgettable years.
"Hubby, are you there?" Jennie asked, after a couple of silent minutes. “I have to hang up. I love you.“
"It's all good, and I love you too," I told her before she cut the line off.It felt surreal that that's all I told Jennie. But what more can I say when she's not even here for me to look into her eyes and understand what she's truly feeling.
Frustrated with me, more than her, I sat on my bed and buried my face into my palm, mumbling beneath my breath, "What a dull and exhausting night,"
When the light of dawn hit my face, it was not that that pissed me off. It was my Lenovo smart clock on the nightstand next to the bed that kept ticking like crazy, not caring if I need a couple of minutes to rest. For a while, I tossed on the mattress to avoid the irritating noise from my alarm because for once, I did not want to wake up from the bed. My heart still hurts from last night's incident, and what I so wanted was to stay in bed all day and not have to go out, or see any living being today. The last thing I would want is to explain myself to my best friend who always noticed when I was depressed. But last night was nastier than before, and what I'm feeling is kind of worse than depression. It is like heartbreak without the breakup part. Who could have guessed that I would spend my anniversary miserable and alone in bed when I have been married for fourteen years? It sucked that Jennie messed up our entire plan. Yet, it is not strange to me since she has been cancel
Steve POV My attention swayed toward the door when it opened, and I watched Jackson enter the room and closed the door. When our eyes met, he had that look on his face that said he was confused to see me seated behind his KEFA executive desk, even though I am his boss. Lowering his gaze, he stared at his watch, and I could tell that he felt a bit anxious about being late to work. And honestly, I was concerned about him breaking his records for the month, even though there was no need for him to worry about showing up at work late or seeing me in his office. "Hey, Steven," Jackson asked, using a causal tone with me. “What are you doing here?“ My thoughts were occupied with his expression, and his words didn't concern me for a while. After approaching me, Jackson laid his donuts on his desk next to a pile of documents and focused his eyes on me. When I raised my brow, he ignored the suspicious look I gave him and sat at the edge of the table. Silently, I grabbed the donuts a
Jackson POV "Hey Steven, is that invitation still open? I believe Jennie loves to bandage and reopen damn my wounds!“ I said over a phone call to Steven. When he didn't speak, I immediately guessed what was going on in his head because I was the one who told him that I wasn't planning on going to the party. But what changed my mind was Jennie leaving me a voicemail while I drove home, saying it is unlikely for her to arrive home tonight because the airline delayed her flight. And the moment I walked into the empty house, I knew I need to drink my frustration away, or else I would lose my damn mind. The other end of the line remained mute for quite a while before Steven asked, “How bad is it?“ Although I don't say much often to others about the problem in my marriage, Steven knew just enough to understand how much these eleven months have affected my mental health. “I just need a drink.“ I mumbled, knowing talking more about Jennie's constant lies would only trigger me. “I kno
Julie POV The moment Jackson brought the car to a stop, I pushed the door opened and got down, shutting it behind me. The entire drive was quiet, and I couldn't help worrying that my bold comment about his wife had him still mad at me. But then again, it could just be my anxiety getting the best of me. Shortly after, Jackson joined me, stared down, gave a faint smile, and said, “Let's go.“ There were a lot of questions on my mind, but I didn't speak them and walked after him, keeping close behind him, even after I entered the building. My entire body came to a standstill as I stared ahead of me, spacing out for a second before looking at Jackson. "This club is impressive and dope!" I screamed toward him as he stood closer to me. In that instant, a guy pushed into me, and Jackson immediately grabbed my hand, warning, "Stay near me and do not let go of my hand. I don't want you to get lost in this crowd.“ “I am not a baby.“ I mumbled in annoyance, thinking he wouldn't hear me be
Steve POV Staring solely at Julie's lips, I realized that I had fallen in love with her smile. It’s the first time I thought of words like that for anyone other than Chloe, and I don't mean it as a simple statement of truth, but rather as an honest expression of my love for how they pulled upward in the perfect shape. "So…" Julie whispered, staring down at her heels. It should be easy to talk to her, but it felt difficult because she had the same effect that Chloe had on me… they both captured my heart in a way that made me nervous. From how Jackson had looked at me earlier, I knew he was shocked that I attended the club with Chloe, and honestly, I am surprised that she was the one I settled for. Even though the way he acted was damn rude, it was understandable because he has tried several times to break off our toxic relationship. But a six-year bond isn't easily broken because both partners agreed to end the relationship. It has nothing to do with time healing all wounds
Jackson POV "Is this seat taking?" a masculine voice asked me. At this point, I was moderately wasted with alcohol, and I turned my head to the right to gaze at a built dark skin guy standing over me whose outfit looked superior and deluxe. "Brother, your suit makes you seem stuck up, and it's ruining my pleasant mood.“ I mumbled, judging if I needed someone next to me right now. “ Haha,” a laugh slipped from his lips, and he didn't seem offended by my words. “You can sit near me since you are handsome, and if you are sitting next to me, it is in my favor.“ “Why?“ “Did you notice how those ladies' eyes immediately rolled off me and on you? You are everything I need to make my night perfect." I mumbled, picking up my shot glass. The stare I was getting from the girls from the other table was annoying, and their constant whispering to each other was screwing with me. "I am Chris." The fellow said as he seized the seat next to me. "David, Jackson David," I told him, ignoring th
Jackson POV Last night we both barely slept, and never in a million years did I think that this would be us after she finally came home. But I know my wife inside and out, and something was different about her… and I feel shitty that I can not move past that. Her cries kept me up last night, and I could feel the pain she was going through, but I couldn't do anything to help her, not when she wouldn't be honest with me. All I could think about is what this must be like for her right now because we had never gone through something like this before… not once in our love life. Sighing out my frustration, I sat up, resting my feet on the cold tiles, and shut my eyes when I felt the bed move beneath me. Even though Jennie was awake, she said nothing, and I woke from the bed, headed into the bathroom, and locked the door behind me. When I got into the shower, the noise of the doorknob turning a bit aggressively caught my attention, but I turned on the showerhead with a heavy heart.
Julie POV The sound of a knock echoed in my room before my mother walked inside with a breakfast tray and hangover pills. As she approached my bed, I hastily shut my eyes. But when she kissed my head, I couldn't help but smile at her sweet gesture, even though she does that more than often. Yet, I didn't raise my eyelids since I was pretending to sleep because I couldn't sleep last night. It's hard when I'm trying not to think about Steven. All night, I could not stop thinking about him even though we just met. I kept remembering the sparkle in his eyes, hearing his voice, and the way he smiled when he spoke to me. It was no secret that he was so captivating, and it took my breath away, and my poor heart felt drawn to him as an arrow stuck in its target. "Jul, wake up and have breakfast." My mother's voice flowed in my ear. When she hit me gently, I still didn't want to wake up because it felt nice to be in bed, and that's what I wanted today… to stay in my room. "Do you nee