Rejection? I Don't Love You Either!

Chapter 7 - His Comfort

"I love you, Alice Taylor. And I did from the first moment I saw you. You are and will be the woman I am in love with, even though this can never be."

Every word from Jared's lips reached Alice's ears. She kept her eyes closed, hands pressed against her chest, trying to calm the strong heartbeats and the confession that felt like a soothing balm to her wounds.

What was she supposed to do? Open her eyes, tell him she heard it all, and confess her love for him? Admit that this love was mutual? She was torn, but she started by opening her eyes.

Seeing her awake, Jared's pale face turned beet red. He hastily stood up, moving away, clearly embarrassed that she might have heard the heartfelt confession he made.

"A-And I..." Alice had never seen him so nervous, breaking his usual serious demeanor. A fleeting smile touched Alice's lips. "You were awake."

"Yes, I didn't know who had come in until you started talking, and then I couldn't say anything because all I wanted was to listen to you."

Jared turned around, attempting to shift the conversation before Alice could share her thoughts on the matter. She wasn't supposed to know what he felt, she was meant to be asleep, and now he felt like a fool in front of her.

"I'm so sorry for what happened, Alice. It's been a great sorrow that this news caused me. I won't ask how you're doing because that's more than obvious. I just want you to know that whatever I can do to help or provide support, you can count on me, Alice."

"I need you." It was what Alice wanted to say because in her mind, he had always been close to her, even when her husband had the audacity to touch her and take her. But Jared, despite his feelings, saw her as something f*******n—a married woman, his friend's wife, whom he had loved from the moment he saw her.

"Thank you," she said. But that wasn't enough for Alice. "A hug." She said in a low voice, a little hesitant, lacking confidence in her voice, with that overwhelming sadness taking over her once again, until it completely enveloped her. "A hug would do me good." She managed to say clearly before bursting into tears.

Jared joined her on that small bed and hugged her carefully.

Alice felt those arms around her, comforting her, making her feel safe and warm, sharing her sadness, her burdens, her sorrows.

She didn't know how long she stayed there, in his arms, perhaps hours, days, or an eternity because Alice was very comfortable there and didn't know if time wasn't passing or had just stopped for the two of them, in that much-needed hug for both.

What she did know was that she fell asleep, taking in Jared's scent, receiving the calmness that he transmitted to her, and thinking about Ethan's face.

Hands caressed her hair, and Alice's heart kept pounding, knowing that she was with the man she loved.

"His name was Ethan," she began to say, noticing that her voice came out thick due to all the crying and not having drunk water for hours. "You should have seen his face, it was beautiful, so soft, so mine. My son. All these months, I thought everything was fine, that we would see each other soon when he was born, and then we would be happy together, just him and me. Now I see that it's not like that, that the plans didn't work out, and here I am, with empty arms, without my baby. How can happiness last so little, Jared? How is it that I had him in my arms before and now I don't? Knowing him, loving him, and losing him. It's not fair, it doesn't seem fair to me."

Jared remained silent, listening to her words, without having anything that could bring her comfort, but for Alice, the fact that he listened to her was enough.

He settled on the bed, and she rested her face on him, feeling too good, soaking in his calmness.

She fell asleep again.

...

Mr. Graham urgently called his son when the angry Taylor family contacted him, announcing the terrible news of the death of the son that united the family, that Graham Taylor that his parents were expecting, that child who would save them.

The Taylors were ripping into Robert for not being by his wife's side during the birth, showing no interest, and bringing immense shame on the family.

"He couldn't be bothered to show up for his son's birth! Like, seriously, isn't that a big enough deal to drop whatever you're doing and go to the hospital with your wife? And he wasn't even there when the poor kid passed away. It just made everything worse," one of the Taylors ranted. The family felt downright humiliated by Robert's disrespect towards his wife and their deceased baby. His father stepped in, demanding that he fix this mess, emphasizing the importance of not souring the relationship with the Taylors, even though there was already a marriage tying them together.

"Can't you find a better day to be with your lover? We were aiming for a solid family alliance with the Taylors!"

"And I delivered!" Robert shot back at his father. "Got my wife pregnant. What more do you want? I've done my part, everyone should be happy." But instead of approval, he got a slap across the face from his father.

Smack!

His dad, despite being on the older side, had some serious strength left in him. He wasn't about to let Robert ruin everything by acting like a complete i***t.

"Who do you think you're yelling at, huh? Ungrateful! Remember, I'm your father! You owe me, big time!" Robert, jaw clenched, looked down, not realizing he had crossed a line. What did he say wrong?

"Don't forget it wasn't just about getting hitched. Through this marriage, we secured a massive secret loan from the Taylors."

Robert's eyes widened in shock. He had no idea, just like Alice. "A... a loan from the Taylors?" His hands shook, feeling inferior to Alice. "You said you had everything sorted out!" he complained.

"And I did, perfectly. The wedding was the ideal solution."

"But... was that really the best option?"

"A child between you two solidified the alliance and wiped out that loan." Now all Robert could think about was how Alice would think she's better than him. He felt powerless, hands tingling with anger. He was practically fuming. His eyes were watery, hating that Alice always seemed one step ahead.

How could his father not have shared this crucial info before? It was a game-changer!

"Who else knows about this? Does Alice know?"

"It's been a hush-hush deal, Robert. You didn't know, and neither does she." He breathed a sigh of relief, but it was short-lived.

"But now, I don't get why you're so mad, Dad. My wife had the baby, everything's fine."

"She died," his father stated coldly and bluntly. He knew it probably didn't matter much to Robert. If he couldn't be bothered on the day of his son's birth, it was clear this was just a game to him. But not for his father, who understood the importance of making this marriage work. "Your son passed away a few hours after being born. And you weren't there, Robert. How are you going to make this right? You'll have to make amends with the Taylors, just you. What's your excuse this time? They're beyond furious, and rightfully so."