Chapter 4: Take a Leap

"I don't want to be a burden to you dad, I have been living like hell for the past few months of my life", I sobbed as if it was the end of the world. "I feel awful, every time I see you and mom, I know that I am such a disappointment. The only good thing that has ever happened to me was Althea".

"Why Jess? Why you didn't tell us? What happened to you and Nick?" my mom asked. They were so clueless of how my life has been after I got married. Beside from the money that Nick monthly sent to them, and the video chatting that we had every once in a while, I don't really open much of my problems as I was too embarrassed to let them know of my situation. "Mom, Dad, I can't do it anymore, however, I still love Nick. I was so deeply wounded that he has been cheating. I could accept that he will beat me before, but this? I can't", I cried in my father's arms.

"I know you. You're so resilient. But have you heard your mom complaining of me beating her to death? Never! It's a red flag Jess", he was anguished with how my life has turned out. "What you will do now?", my mom asked.

***

"Nick, where's Jess and Althea? It's already evening and they are not yet home", Ana said as she was furious asking his son the whereabouts of her grandchild.

Nick called Jess' phones and nobody is picking up. He tried and tried until he can no longer bear the tension that has build in the household.

"Nick? You should report to the police that my grandchild has been kidnapped by Jessica!!!" Ana angrily said. "Oh for Christ sake Ana, Jess is Althea's mom! You can't accused her of abducting her own child", Roland said as he heard his wife's rants towards the situation.

Among all the people in Nick's family, only Roland has been good to Jess. He tend to support Jess and would give her some sort of advice that would strengthen her as a woman and as a mother. He knows his fault as a father to Nick, but he could not stop his wife from being so selfish sometime.

"Jess? Where are you?", Nick asked me as I answered the phone after 10 missed calls. His voice was a crack as if he came from crying. "I am out Nick. I can't bear it anymore. You can do whatever you like, you can live with your mistress and be happy together". "What the hell is your problem? You know Cathy is my mom's best friend's daughter. We used to hang out when we were young", he explained.

Ichuckled from what I heard. I never knew he was a professional liar. All this time, I have been blinded from his angelic face. "Huh, how funny it is to know that you having a mistress has been approved by your mother".

"Jess come on, tell me, I need to see Althea and mom has been hysterical here!" he exclaimed as if he didn't do anything wrong at all. "I made up my mind Nick, let me be". I hang up the phone and turned it off.

The next morning, I wasn't surprised to see Nick on the doorstep of my parents' house. I know deep inside, he will come and beg for forgiveness. He asked my father if he could see me.

"Ben, I want to see my family", he begged for my father to let him enter the household. "I'm here to take them home. And I won't go without them".

"I never knew you were so confident with yourself even showing your face here in my house, Jess will be staying here for a while, until you finalized your decision in life. I won't hinder you from reconciling with her, but not now Nick! Pull yourself and be a better man, maybe by that time, I will accept you inside my household ", my father standing in front of our door like guarding our home with his life.

Nick cannot do anything about it. He walked away and drove back to the city.

Days have passed away so fast that I even forgot how painful it was to live without Nick. Nevertheless, Althea has been my strength and she is the reason why I wanted to make my life better. I decided to go to the interview Liz has been telling about. It was for London.

It is already winter and I can feel the cool breeze of Alberta as I enter the hotel lobby.