Chapter 8
1548 Words
"Well, she's here. What a freaking coincidence!" Chase exclaimed excitedly.
"More like destiny," Blake quipped, but Jacob just shut them all out.
Mel suddenly saw them, and her eyes lit up. She walked over to them.
"I'm beginning to think you're stalking me, Jacob," she said to him, lightly shoving his shoulder.
He smiled at her. "I could say the same about you."
"Haha! No. I'm here with my girls," she said, pointing to two girls who were giggling and pointing at a man sitting in the VIP corner of the club, talking to another man.
"I see," he said. "Then you could join my party, if you don't mind."
"Party? What's the occasion?"
"I just got promoted," he said, and her face lit up.
"Oh my God, I'm so happy for you! That's great news," she said, hugging him before he could resist.
He felt strange when she hugged him. She was not Eva.
Yes. She was not a betrayer like Eva.
He almost completely surrendered to her feminine scent that filled his nose as he hugged her.
She released him and looked at him. "I'd be glad to join the party," she said, taking a shot.
They both laughed, and she dragged him to the dance floor as Blake, Andre, and Chase cheered him on.
"Let's celebrate," she said, and they danced to the slow song playing in the club.
Some other couples were dancing as well.
Mel placed her hands around his neck. "You know, I was thinking, after this promotion, what next?"
Jacob frowned slightly, swaying slowly side to side with the rhythm.
"You know, you can't work at Sename's forever. You also have to start chasing your dreams. In Sename's, you're working for people and not exactly your own boss, but within the short time I've spent with you, I can tell that you are made for much more," she said softly, smiling as he twirled her around and placed his hands around her waist.
"Hmm.. I've actually been thinking about it, but I'm still working on it. I'm making plans."
"You know what they say. Life's what happens when you're making plans. I think you've got all you need," she said with a shrug.
Jacob thought about it. That was indeed true. He had saved up enough money. He had the potential. He had the experience. He had the degree (if necessary), he had the strength and resilience, and now he had the right partner.
He wondered why he hadn't thought of it all along.
Mel saw the thoughtful look on his face. "Let's go for a walk," she said suddenly.
He raised his brow at her, but she nodded.
"Okay."
They told his friends and her friends that they would be leaving.
They turned to leave but bumped into the man whom Mel's friends had been pointing to earlier. Jacob barely looked at the man and just cursed under his breath, and they headed out into the drizzling night.
She made him see things that he had not seen in himself.
He asked her questions about her own passions and ambitions and was surprised to see that she had the same thoughts as he did.
She mentioned them having a business together but didn’t dwell much on the subject. Yet, as he dropped her home that evening, that was all that was on his mind.
But he was roughly brought back to the present when he saw Eva sprawled on the floor in the living room.
He felt like cold water had been poured on his body.
"Eva," he called, but she did not respond.
He kept tapping her, but she remained unresponsive.
He rushed her to a nearby hospital.
As much as he detested her for her mistakes, there was still a part of him, locked up by his ego, that loved her and cared deeply for her.
He lifted her and took her to the hospital.
He was devastated as he watched her pale body wheeled into the room.
He paced back and forth, wondering what could have happened.
He thought of his audit. He knew she was the one who had helped him do it. He had always known of her flair for accounts and business administration.
He had known that she could easily forget him if she got a job following her passion, especially since their marriage hit the rocks two years ago. So to ensure that she always loved him first and, after their misfortune, that she always missed him, he had told her that the day she applied for or accepted any job offer that was in line with that passion, they were done.
He knew he needed her.
He had the same passion for business administration but could not stand her leaving him to pursue it, even if they were still married.
He stood abruptly when the doctor came out of the ward.
"How is she, doctor? What happened to her?" he asked the doctor, who was smiling.
"She is stabilized now," the doctor replied firmly and proceeded to shake his hand.
"Congratulations, Mr. Donovan. Your wife is three weeks pregnant."
Jacob froze in shock.
"What?!"
****
Eva could not explain how she got to the hospital, but the icy glare of her husband told her that something was wrong.
She had expected a thank you or at least a smile for assisting him, but he just glared at her without saying a word.
She was discharged soon after the doctor had broken the 'good news' about her pregnancy to her.
She walked quickly, trying to catch up with Jacob, who took huge strides as they left the hospital even though he was feeling weak.
"Hurry up, or you might have to walk home," he snapped at her.
"I'm sorry," she said, increasing her pace.
Once they got into the car, he barely waited for her to strap in the seat belt before stepping on the accelerator.
He drove too fast even though their house was not too far from the hospital.
"Please slow down," she pleaded, but he ignored her.
He sped past speed bumps, causing her to feel so uncomfortable during the whole ride till they got home.
She heaved a sigh of relief.
David, who had been crying since he woke up and found himself all alone, flung himself into her arms while Jacob stared at them in utmost disgust.
"Jacob," she started, but he held up his hand to her.
"Don't you dare call my name. Don't pretend that you still love me. Don't pretend that I mean something to you!" he yelled, causing David to cower in fright.
"W-Why are you saying this? What d-do you mean?" she asked with hurt in her eyes.
"I just won't say anything. Get lost from my sight and make sure to take your bastard son along with you," he snapped, sinking into the sofa.
She gasped at the harshness of his words.
"Jacob."
"I said, get out of my sight."
"Why are you doing this to me, Jacob?"
He was too mad to speak.
"I'm not pregnant with another man's child, Jacob. I'm pregnant with your child."
Jacob was bewildered. He was speechless for a moment. He got up and laughed in disbelief.
"I've heard that one before. I'm the father of your child? I—who has not touched you in the past two years—am the father of your child? You must be sick!"
He suddenly grew very angry and flipped the wooden table beside him in the living room.
Eva's eyes grew wide. She had never seen him so mad. He flipped the sofa and smashed a glass vase.
David was so scared from where he stood beside her, and she hurriedly took him to the room and shut the door when she saw that Jacob had tossed a glass cup just slightly missing David.
"Jacob, stop! Please," she cried, but he was too mad.
Then he stopped thoughtfully for a minute before slowly stalking towards her.
"I see now. That's why you came at me the other day, wasn't it? I knew you would not dare come close to me for no reason. You knew you were pregnant with someone else's child, and you thought I would be stupid enough to sleep with you and accept the pregnancy like I gullibly did when you told me David was mine."
Eva felt her heart shatter into a million pieces.
"Jacob, please, stop saying these things. You're hurting me."
He smiled maniacally. "You don't know hurt yet, Eva. You're yet to feel the hurt I felt when I realized I had been taking care of you and loving you with all my being while you flirted around and messed with different men."
He felt tears roll down his cheeks. "And now you just proved to me that you didn't change one bit."
Eva was so hurt she could feel a physical pain in her chest.
"Jacob, I swear—"
"Just shut it, Eva. Shut your darn mouth. Gosh, I should have known all this!"
He stormed away from the living room, leaving Eva soaked in her own tears as she watched his retreating back.
The raw pain she felt resonated to her core.
Had she really lost Jacob?
- Writer
