PMS1: President's Forgotten Wife

CHAPTER 24 [IV]

CHAPTER 24, part IV: CLAIMING WHAT IS HERS

Alicia's words came out like a threat, indicating something deeper, deadly, and dangerous. And if she oversteps the boundaries separating her world from Alicia's, then trouble is what she'll get. "Because if you say I'm not, then I don't know how long have you been rotting and corrupting your life."

But before Jade could even respond to Alicia's unsolicited advice, the woman was already pinning her attention to Xylon, who was silently staring back at Alicia with full ferocity. "Who is this un jeune homme beside you? Don't tell me that la compagnie de mon mari wasn't enough to keep your heads up to le prix and look for a man who is nearly similar to a sourcil?"

Jade felt blank as she suggested Alicia's unfamiliar words while grinning at Xylon before darting her attention towards her. However, that wasn't the only thing Jade noticed when she set her eyes at Xylon, who wasn't able to lift his coffee mug to sip and indulge his afternoon coffee. Jade wanted to defend Xylon since he also looked clueless like her when Alicia used words she can't understand, but then Xylon smiled at Alicia with amusement painting off her face.

"Du bedømmer folk efter hvordan de ser ud og antager, at hvis de ikke opfyldte den standard, du satte for samfundet, blev de intet andet end skrald for dine øjne.  Men hvad der er skuffende er, at du har fortalt min ven, at hun er en råddent ting;  faktisk var du den, der allerede nedbrydes.  Ikke kun lugter du dårligt, men du stank af en død sjæl.  Så jeg er ikke helt sikker på, hvorfor du stadig er her, når du skal ligge under jorden som et snavs i samfundet.  Og forresten kan disse øjenbryn se falske ud, men i det mindste er de ikke.  I modsætning til dig lugter du ikke kun lort, men du ligner også en.  Så næste gang inden du taler fransk, skal du sørge for at ingen forstår. (You judge people by how they look and assume that if they didn't meet the standard you set for society, they became nothing but garbage to your eyes. However, what's disappointing is that you've been telling my friend that she's a rotten thing; in fact, you were the one who's already decomposing. Not only do you smell bad, but you stench of a dead soul. So, I'm not quite sure as to why you're still here when you should be lying underground like a speck of dirt in society. And by the way, these eyebrows may look fake, but at least they're not. Unlike you, not only do you smell like s**t, but you also look like one. So, next time, before you speak French, make sure no one understands)."

Jade wanted to laugh at how priceless Alicia's face is. However, what prohibited her from laughing was that she didn't understand a single word from Xylon, and she's just sitting there like a total t**t, unable to respond. So, Jade kept her mouth shut and waited for anyone to speak.

Alicia, on the other hand, looked irritated and at the same time dumbfounded at what happened. Still, she ended up shrugging it off of her shoulder and devilishly grin at them like Xylon's word didn't shackle her one bit.

But before the tension grew broader and more profound, Jade decided to finish the conversation by starting over again. "Miss— Mrs. St. Clair, what do you want? Why did you come all the way here, from the country where you do not belong? If you're going to tell me that you're here just to talk to me, then I'm not buying that reason. And I'm in a hurry, so don't waste my time as I wasted yours."

"You perfectly know why I'm here. It's shocking that even with how our introduction started, you're still acting like a clueless innocent dumb b***h who will keep on acting like a saint just to win the heart of people. And you knew that you're wasting my time, but here you are, still asking me why I'm here. Don't you really know, miss Jade? Or are you just pretending not to know anything because you're scared about the idea of me coming in here to claim back what's mine?"

Every word made Jade's heart fall deeper into her stomach. One more insult from Alicia, and she'll lose her cool. And she needed to get out of there before everything goes sideways. Jade can't be the beast Alicia wanted to see because Jade is more than that.

"You're still leaving me clueless about what you're talking about, Alicia. We don't want to waste more time, so be straightforward and tell me what you want," she persistently replied, but Alicia just stared at her like a piece of dirt on the table. That is just a single wipe, and she'll be gone forever. "My friend and I will be taking our leave. Enjoy your stay before things turn awry. Good day,"

Jade grabbed Xylon's hand and was about to stand on the chair and drag her friend outside the coffee shop when Alicia suddenly slammed her palms on the table, grabbing not only her attention but everyone present in the scene.

"You're making me look at you as a speck of muck in my shoe, miss Guevara. The lower you make me look at you, the more disappointed I was to be compared to your unsatisfactory standard. I can't even believe how cheap Lewis is to look for a replacement who doesn't even deserve the throne I temporarily left vacant. I am here to claim back what's mine, and when I say 'mine,' it includes everything about my husband. Now tell me, where is he." Alicia was emphatic, wanting to know where Eisen is. With legs still crossed, Jade heard the loud sound that Alicia's heels were making on the floor.

Jade wanted her to stop doing it. The sound was getting into her head, and it slowly crawls at the back of her head, disturbing the peace in her mind. But then, Jade smiled at her and stood up straight before answering the maiden.

"You were able to get a glance at my resume when you had the chance, but why didn't you bother looking through your husband's files? I bet you got all the resources you needed to get everything that you claimed was yours." it was part of their, her and the St. Clair family, plan never to tell anyone about Eisen's location because they believed that the one who planned to kill the young man and end his life is still out there to track him and chase him down again.

But Jade didn't expect that after short notice, destiny made a path for her to meet Alicia, to meet the real wife of the man she planned to deceive.

"Don't ever talk like you knew what I've been through to find my husband. Under all circumstances, after the long wait, you happened. I am his wife, and you know where he is, and as his wife, I need to see my husband. Or are you planning to forbid me from seeing him because you wanted him to forget about me and every memory we shared as husband and wife?" he calmly answered while she was still artfully sitting in his seat. Her words came out like she's threatened. However, Jade remained silent as she clenched her fist out of frustration.

"It is not my decision to make whether to disclose his whereabouts, so please don't come looking for me again and force me to tell you where he is. Your husband can make his own decisions, and it is up to you to respect that or not. He'll call for you when the time is right. But now, please directly contact his family members instead of wasting your time on a stranger. Good day," If Jade has all the right to do so, then she's more than willing to tell Alicia where she could find her husband and settle their issues once and for all. However, Jade has no intention of breaking her promise by keeping Eisen's location to protect the man from every danger lingering around.

But it wasn't just a request that anytime she's allowed to do or not to do. Instead, it was a promise that she intends to keep until the St. Clair family alleviated her collaboration with them.

A part of Jade wanted to do what is right, but the problem is, what is the right thing to do? Her mind was shouting to tell her that the right thing to do was to tell Alicia, but her heart was against this thought because, for some reason, she can't still figure it out.

Jade wanted to be selfish because she knew that the moment Eisen sees Alicia, the woman would ruin their plan. And she's afraid of what will happen.

Jade, along with Xylon, immediately carried their belongings and was about to leave with Xylon when he suddenly felt that a cold liquid trickled on her back, sending shivers up to her spine.

"What the—" Xylon wasn't able to finish his sentence when he saw what Alicia had done to Jade. The woman just threw the remaining coffee in Jade's glass earlier behind her, causing Jade's outfit to get wet from her back down to her pants. The already cold coffee dripped out at the hem of her blouse.

Jade couldn't be more grateful after realizing that she's wearing a darker shade color, making the coffee not visible.

"I didn't know that you'll be this sneaky little b***h, using your face, my identity, to steal my husband away!" Alicia roars like a rumble of thunder out of anger underneath a sunny day. Her voice was loud enough for everyone to hear how mad she is. And Jade knew that she had to do something to turn the tables.

But then, Alicia's eyes darkened as she stared at her hand, spotting something that Jade wasn't able to remove before she went out.

"I'm his wife, and you're just a caregiver. And as far as I'm concerned, you have no right to wear my ring." Her wails grew louder as she snatched the ring on Jade's ring finger and wore it on hers. "I should've known what you were doing. I can't believe how nerve-wracking you are."

Then someone started murmuring behind Jade, making her a bit uncomfortable. "What is that? I can't believe that a gorgeous woman like her would be a mistress? Looks can be deceiving. How disheartening it is to get caught in the situation."

"Mistresses, there's no doubt she's one of them. I mean, looking at how young she is, who can't get their ways to a rich man's pocket through reduction with that face, right? People who ruin a family don't deserve to be a part of this world. They have no right to demand rights if they can't even follow the law of God. Such a disappointment."

"Alas. That woman deserves to be treated like garbage."

Jade clenched her fist while forcing herself not to choke. Almost everyone who sees them is mocking her because of the scene that Alicia had created. It was as if she was a disgusting moss that suddenly appeared everywhere she wanted to appear.

Jade saw how Alicia smiled secretly and quickly acted as if she had been aggrieved. Alicia even let her tears roll down on her cheeks like she was crying, shouting that Jade should stay away from her husband.

Only then did Jade pulled out of her reverie when she felt Xylon's hand wrapped around her wrist, dragging her out of the coffee shop with people leaving a lingering stare at to where she walked on. However, before they could get any further, Alicia popped out of nowhere and blocked her hand and poked Jade's shoulder, and she quickly quivered.

"Always remember that your role in MY husband's life is to be his caregiver. I am still the wife, and you'll be nothing but a distraction to him." Alicia spoke in a deep tone, but Xylon responded.

"Will you f*****g shut—" however, Xylon wasn't able to finish his sentence when Jade found the courage to speak up. This time, there's no turning back.

"Are you referring to the role that the wife should be handling?" She could not help but answer the woman with anger in her voice. Jade has been delightful, but this is the moment where being nice is not part of the options. She is angry and can no longer control her hatred towards Alicia. Alicia is overdoing it, and she is no longer acting cute.

But what happened next quickly happened when Jade felt the woman's palm touch her cheek in a speed motion, throwing her face sideways as the pain seethes through her skin. It stings. "In this world, I am Eisen's wife. How about you, miss Guevara? What is your role in my husband's life? Mistress? A hole cover? Weekend hobby? Or maybe, Fake wife? Remember your place in this society, Jade. I unwillingly left my throne in Eisen's kingdom, but that doesn't mean any woman has the right to replace me. No woman deserves to sit on that throne unless it was me and only me. You should bear that in mind."

Xylon was supposed to give Alicia a piece of his mind, but Jade squeezed his hand tightly, a sign that she doesn't want Xylon to get involved in a mess she made. She parted her hair away from her face before shooting deadly looks at Eisen's wife.

"Don't worry, Alicia, because I know where I belonged. I may just be a caregiver, but I am not the wife who chose to leave the man I love and come crawling back to take him back again into my arms. I never gave up, and I never leave anyone. You should've known that before making a vow in front of the altar. Good luck being the wife you were supposed to be before you shattered everything you once build with the man you love."

__________

LEWIS caught Eisen off guard as they intently looked at each other. Eisen absentmindedly clenched his fist as his brother looked at him like he had done a grave omission.

A portion of his mind wanted to tell Lewis everything. Eisen wished to confide to his brother, but he knew better. Once Eisen tells him everything, they'll keep more truth about him and replace it with lies and that Eisen cannot afford to take. He wanted to tell his brother everything, but trust was more brutal to earn than it is to lose, he supposed.

"Good luck in finding your phone. I hope you can find it before dawn," he said, still hiding the vibrating phone inside his pocket. Eisen patted his brother's shoulder before walking past through him and made a beeline to his room.

Lewis did not bother to stop him from leaving, and it seemed that he had no intention of talking to him. Eisen was sure that his brother already felt something different the moment he stepped inside the house, and any time soon, Lewis will blurt out that he already knew that Eisen has the phone he's been looking for since yesterday.

Eisen closed and locked the door of his room as he sighed deeply against the back of the door, lightly slamming his head against the wood.

He thought that what he was planning would be easy to execute. But since he still has a cast, it is still difficult for him to move around. Because a part of Eisen knew that there is a lot of information he could get on the second floor. He needs to find the perfect time to go upstairs.

There is no much time left knowing that his family kept a close eye on his every move inside the house. Eisen knew that his family already grew suspicious of him, but they grew tolerant of him.

Eisen made his way towards his bed and slumped against the mattress, giving in to his body's weight and the tiredness he felt that comes after. While lying on the bed, he reached for the cellphone in his pocket. Eisen immediately opened it and searched for Jade's number in the phonebook.

He then looked at the 11 numbers and repeated them in his mind as he did not take his eyes off the name of his wife flashing on the screen.

"Jade," he whispered without taking his eyes off of the name on the screen. He remembered the conversation he overheard between his parents and his brother.

"Who are you? Really? Please let me understand because I have been trying to understand this whole situation, but I ended up with nothing." Eisen thought that he would never ask that question that had crossed his mind several times. He thought he would never hear that again with his lips. He thought he would never be hurt again.

"Why would you divorce me? Am I the man you married before? Or are you still the woman I married?"

But it looks like he only had himself to answer that question. Because no matter what Eisen does, he always ended up with the same ending; he, not sure if everything he had was real or Eisen's been living a life of fragmented reality.