Chapter Two

Nicole.

I dialed his number again and it rang for the first time, no reply came but on the second ring, he picked up causing my racing heart to calm down a bit.

“Jack……” I started but got interrupted by his hurried words.

“I’m sorry Nicole, I can't come home tonight. I have a slight problem, until then.”

Beep. Beep. Beep.

The sounds were the only thing that made me know that he had ended the call, I couldn’t believe it. He ended the call without even hearing anything from me, what problem is he dealing with right now? Was his company in trouble?

I nervously bit my lip as I stared at my phone hopelessly, I wanted to call him back and ask what was going on but knowing Jack he wouldn’t like that.

So I decided to check the internet for news about his company, I mean if anyone could know what his company was going through apart from me that would be the media.

Jack hardly tells me anything about his work and anything he is doing, at times it feels like I’m staying, married, and living with a stranger instead of my husband of three years.

I tried to stay optimistic while thinking of what he might be going through, maybe he had a breakdown on the way home.

I scrolled through recent news and couldn’t find anything concerning his company. I intended to drop the phone but one particular headline caught my attention ‘The Return Of Grey Heiress’.

I clicked on the headline and the news immediately popped up, I didn’t bother reading the news since I did not need it. Instead, I went straight to the pictures, I wanted to be sure that it was really her.

And it was her but apart from that there was someone else who was standing beside her.

In another picture he was hugging her, kissing her cheeks, and taking her bag.

I couldn’t believe it, but it was there. The image was staring at me, it was taunting me.

Right beside her was Jack who I had just spoken with on the phone a while ago. He was at the airport with her, that’s the reason he couldn’t come home.

He wasn’t in any tight situation or trying to help his company he was with her.

I squeezed the phone tightly as my eyes remained glued to the screen. I should have turned off the phone and stopped staring at it but why couldn’t I do it?

It was hard.

My husband couldn’t come home because he had to pick up his old ex-girlfriend from the airport. He wasn’t here to celebrate this great news with me because he was with her.

A bitter chuckle left my mouth as I slowly dropped the phone.

I ran a hand through my hair, I hoped I wasn’t overthinking this, maybe he was there at the airport and they met coincidentally. I know I shouldn’t believe the words of the press because they are very capable of giving wrong information.

That’s it.

I’m going with that idea, Jack forgot to tell me he had a meeting outside the country. Yeah, maybe he went for a meeting which I didn’t know of.

I went downstairs to keep the food I had prepared in the fridge so it wouldn’t get spoiled. I packed the whole candle dinner I had prepared and went back to our room when everything was clean again.

I slept off immediately I slumped on the bed, I guess this is early pregnancy brain speaking.

****

I woke up to the sound of a loud pounding on the door, feeling disoriented from my lack of sleep last night. I got up without bothering to arrange my hair.

There wasn’t anyone in this house with us, it was just Jack and I so I wasn’t expecting anyone, especially at this time in the morning. I knew it would be Maura, our housekeeper.

I opened the door with a yawn and I immediately stopped yawning when I saw who was standing there.

It was the elder demon and the younger one standing right outside my room door.

“Good morning Mrs Davenport, Shirley.” I greeted them as I suddenly became conscious of how I looked.

Mrs Davenport, as she wants me to call her instead of mom, was Jackson’s mother and Shirley beside her was her one and only spoilt daughter.

They wouldn’t admit it but she is spoiled and everyone knows it.

You must be wondering why I called them elder and younger demons when I saw them well you’re about to find out.

Mrs Davenport stared at me with disgust like she was staring at someone from the slum. I get that my hair must look like a bird nest but that doesn’t give her the right to look at me this way.

“I got a call from Maura this morning saying that my son didn’t come home last night, may I know why?” She asked with that bold aura.

I think she’s asking the wrong person about the whereabouts of her son.

“I have no idea where your son is Mrs Davenport, you can call him to find out,” I replied.

“And you think she hasn’t done that?” Shirley chipped in causing me to look at her properly since I saw her.

Like always she was looking pretty even at this time in the morning; I mean it’s 6 freaking am, who wears makeup at this time?

“He must be busy if he doesn’t answer your calls, Mrs Davenport, you know he always does.” I said with a forced smile.

If he wasn’t taking his mother’s calls, I doubt he would take mine. Jackson was his mother's golden boy, he did anything that pleased her—almost everything including what to wear and what not to wear. Except his marriage to me.

I remember one time I took my time bringing out a suit for him to wear to his company for a little celebration they did, he liked it. He told me he liked the suit and was ready to wear it but his mother came out of nowhere and that was the end of the story.

He wore hers instead of mine though he apologized later with some kisses and cuddling.

“Are you listening to me at all?” Mrs Davenport snapped, pulling me out of my head.

I blinked, realizing they were still here, “Is there something I could do for you?” I asked, letting out a tired sigh.

I should be sleeping instead of standing here and listening to their baseless nonsense.

“I told you she wasn’t listening to you, Mom, she’s nothing good. Always bad at whatever she does.” I glared at Shirley.

The reason why I call them demons, they always find a way to pick at me and bully me into believing I am indeed worthless.

Mrs Davenport scoffed, “I want you to go pick these things up for me. They are coming really quick today and I have no one to help me with it except you.” She opened her purse and brought out a piece of paper.

I stared at her, at the paper, and then at Shirley beside her.

She didn’t just……she left her comfy house where there’s a thousand maids, servants, and everything you can think of to mine because I’m the only one available for the job.

Unbelievable.