Chapter Sixteen

Jeff frowned as he glanced at his watch. Today was Claire's memorial, and he had been secretly going there. No matter how hard he had tried, he hadn't been able to forget about her, and he had been preparing to go to her graveside today when Irene had called, informing him that Zane wanted to go to the park.

He couldn't think of any excuse because she doesn't even know that he had been visiting Claire's grave site, she doesn't need to find out anyway, so he just told her that he was, he would take Zane to the park tomorrow. If only Claire hadn't died five years ago, if only he hadn't made that promise to Irene after she had saved his life, if only it was Claire who had saved him, if only she wasn't so manipulating….if only, if only… but it is what it is and not going to change.

He stood up from his desk and the door suddenly bursted open.

“Irene, I told you…”

“I know what you said Jeff but it doesn't mean I will allow you to do as you please, you have been neglecting our son for too long and I am not going to take it”.

He stared at her for a moment, we have been married for five years and she still doesn't understand me, she always wants to have her way with everything even using our son. I clenched my teeth hard as the first spurt of irritation flared up within me.

“I am not neglecting him, I am just busy”.

“Busy? Oh yes! You are so busy thinking about her that we don't even matter to you anymore”.

His eyes narrowed on her, has she been following him? “I don't know what you're talking about”.

“Don't think that I won't notice Jeff. You are always thinking about Claire even though she's dead for five years…five years Jeff and you still couldn't get over her”

“Why do you keep bringing Claire up? I told you that I don't care about her”.

“Then why do you still have this?” She yelled and raised a handknitted handkerchief so that he would see.

Jeff's insides went cold and he frowned as he stared at the handkerchief, he had even forgotten he had that in his drawer, the handkerchief belongs to the person who saved him years ago and that person was Irene, so why couldn't she recognize her own piece.

“Are you playing pranks on me? That belongs to you right?” He said.

“Don't you dare try to get out of this one, I am very well sane and I know my property, I personally saw Claire making this that night and embroidered the initial “I” on it which stands for Iris and we both know who that was”.

Jeff's breath was constricted and he couldn't believe what he was hearing.

“Why can't you just forget about her?” She cried obliviously to what he was passing through, “I am more beautiful and smarter than her plus we have a son together”.

“Adopted” he said automatically as if that was what mattered at this point in time.

Irene’s eyes widened in a split seconds of shock, she wasn't expecting that response from him, she knew how much he loves Zane and dots on him.

“He is our son…adopted or not, he is ours”. She paused and thought of a drama that she would pull to get him begging her.

She blinked severally and tears started coming out from her eyes, “I saved you all those years and you owe me your life, You promised to always make me happy remember?”

“The necklace, where is the necklace?” he asked instead and she was taken aback.

“What has that got to do with anything?”

“Because that handkerchief belongs to the person who saved me years ago, if you insisted that it belongs to Claire, then…”

She licked her suddenly dried lips as her insides went cold, she suddenly realized that she had made a very big mistake.

“Where is the damn necklace, was it also for Claire?” he yelled and she jerked, startled by his sudden burst of anger.

“Yes” she replied and her eyes widened when she realized her blunder.

“I mean no…”

Jeff took two steps towards her and his hand wrapped around her throat.

“It was Claire, wasn't it? She saved me years ago and not you”. He whispered furiously and her eyes widened in fear.

“No…I…”

Jeff's grip on her neck tightened, “lie to me one more time and I wouldn't mind strangling you to death”.

Panic laced her heart and she started struggling against his hold.

“Please let me go”. She whispered in fear.

She had never seen him this angry, his eyes were red in anger and she was beginning to fear that he would really strangle her.

“Yes….yes, she saved you all those years, the necklace belongs to her”.

Jeff looked devastated and his hand slowly dropped from her neck, her hands flew to her neck as she tried to suck in air.

Jeff couldn't believe what he was hearing, it was Claire who saved him years ago, it was Claire that he was supposed to treat like a princess, she was supposed to be his wife…only that she was actually his wife and he treated her like trash and saw her as nothing more than a manipulator when it was Irene what was actually the manipulator and now it was too late because Claire was dead, it was too late to even ask for her forgiveness.

“Jeff please, I lied because I love you so much, you loved me too right? Please do not let that affect us for the sake of our son…”

One look from Jeff silenced her.

He grabbed his car keys and dashed out of his office.

His head was ringing as he entered his car, he was wrong and Claire was right.

He remembered that she tried to tell him severally but each time, he scorned her and called her stupid, and now, it was obvious that he was actually the stupid one, he had closed his mind and believed Irene over her.

He was so deep in thought that he didn't see the vehicle coming from the opposite direction until it was too late.