When Steven got home, he headed into his room and fell asleep in his bed. Steven did not wake up until the clock struck eight noon. He half-opens his eyelids, and the light in his room irritates his eyes, so he squeezes them closed. It took one minute for Steven's eyes to adjust to the brightness of the bulbs. Afterward, he slowly opened them, gazed around his room, and heartily smiled. With excitement, Steven reached out for his phone on the nightstand to check on Julie. He grabbed his device and rested his head against his pillow. His finger slid on his phone, and his smile faded away. Chloe's message was still revealing on his phone screen. "How was your day after we went our separate ways today?" The text said, and Steven seeing it again left him with an unsteady feeling like the first time he read it. Steven allowed the phone to slip from his grip and drop on the blanket as he got out of bed. With an unsettled mind,

Julie didn't enjoy where their conversation was heading. She saw how Steven's facial expression changed after his remark and knew what he would say next was not something she would love to hear. Therefore, she decided that it was time for her to be open with him. "Before you speak your mind, I want you to know that my heart is in pieces, and it has not entirely recovered from my experiences. It is a miracle that I could fall in love with you. Therefore, I need you to know that I am broken and have almost forgotten how to be in love. It may take a while for me to allow my heart to beat for you with no uncertainty. So if you don't think it's fair to you and don't wish to be in this relationship anymore. I will understand and won't blame you for leaving." Julie explained. Her past was something that had hunted her from her teenage days till now, and she did not want to start this new relationship without Steven knowing her mental state and how

The next day, Steven's call woke up Jackson from his sleep. He answered the phone while staring at his wife. Jennie seemed to be fast asleep, but Jackson could not confirm that she was still sleeping since they slept with their backs facing each other. Jennie tries to make herself as stiff as possible. She did not want him knowing that she had a restless morning and had been awake the entire time he was asleep until now. Sleep was the least of her worries when Jennie realized that her lies were catching up to her little by little. Her guilt had been eating her up inside, and she did not know how to face him with everything that had happened last night. If only what transpired this morning was an awful dream, she would feel comfortable and lighthearted. But she knew it wasn't, and that scares her a lot. "Jackson, I am sorry to contact you this early. I perceive your morning to be pleasant since Jennie and you seem to have

As Jackson was about to get into his vehicle, he spotted Julie coming out of her house dressed for work. "Julie! Over here!" Jackson shouts out to her. He waved his hand continuously as he tried to get her attention. Julie could hear his scream, and she looked in his direction to see who was calling. Her eyes rested on his smiling face, and Julie smiles back as she walks towards him. "Good morning, sister-in-law!" Jackson playfully greeted her when Julie reached him. She gazed at Jackson, and he had this hilarious expression on his face when he opened the car door for her. She pouted and poked him in the stomach with her elbow before entering the car. "AHH! What is that for, Jul? Is that how you are going to treat your only brother-in-law?" He continued teasing her. Julie did not reply. Instead, she giggled at his silliness. She could not

Steven pulled a chair and sat down as Jackson took the seat next to him. They had about a few minutes of silence before Steven responded. "Julie said she needs our relationship to be a secret." Jackson had been in a relationship long enough to know that this was a conflict of interest going on between Julie and his friend. "And how do you feel about that?" He asked. "I told her it was okay and asked her out for lunch," Steven said. He felt embarrassed and thought it was too soon for him to complain about his new relationship. "I did not ask you for the response you gave to Julie. I want to know your genuine feelings about this issue and if it is what you wish for too." Jackson said. He knew Steven and Julie were two injured individuals, and if they allow their actual emotions to get suppressed, their relationship will be nothing but a lie. "I don't know for s