PMS1: President's Forgotten Wife

CHAPTER 28

CHAPTER 28: BEING FOLLOWED

EISEN slowly opened his eyes as soon as the ache throbbing in his head subsided after a round of coffee that Sceven offered him.

"So, how are you feeling?" he asked while stealing a glance from the rearview mirror, still undoubtedly worried about what was happening to Eisen.

However, Eisen did utilize to smile and hide his real emotion and nodded at his friend, as if assuring him that he's doing fine. "I can still manage. Can we—can we stop? I still want to go somewhere while we're here." Eisen uttered as confusion drew on Sceven's face.

"Where do you want to go?" He asked, still focused in front of the road.

And Eisen began thinking about where he wanted to go until something popped out of his mind, making him look like a desperate person for something he wanted.

"Bring me to my penthouse. I want to pay my property a visit. And Sceven?" He trails off, letting his friend give him another glance before speaking.

"Yup?" He shortly replied, entirely giving Eisen the spotlight for their journey. Eisen then heaves a deep sigh before looking at the window as the clouds started to move backward. His gaze went further and further until all he could see was the face of Jade. After a couple of seconds, he took back his look at Sceven, who's been anticipating his reply.

And with a bitter smile, he answered, "I don't want my family to know about this. So I suppose I can trust you this once. I'll be trusting you this time. So don't make me regret doing something I should not."

__________

A WEEK has passed since Jade returned to their province.

She has been isolating herself away from her family every time they attempted to hang out with her. None of Jade's family bothered to ask what happened between her and Geralt, but she knew that they badly wanted to know what was going on.

Since the day Jade and Geralt hang out and then the gentleman began confessing to her, she knew it was too early for everything to happen. She tried her best to tell Geralt about how things changed, and those changes would never be back to the way it was before, everything ended up shackled when Geralt decided to make it harder to handle.

He wanted to pursue Jade, but Jade wanted no pursuing. She didn't want to get enmeshed with Geralt and at the same time with the St. Clair's because this will be harder to handle. Jade didn't want to give Geralt hope in pursuing her when Jade can't force herself to love him back. And at the same time, she doesn't want to get more in trouble with Eisen.

Long story short, she didn't want to shatter both men. Yes, maiming them is inevitable, but hurting them is way better than giving them false hope, and both people ended up shattered because of her poor decision.

Jade gently massaged her temple as soon as she remembered what happened with her and Geralt after her brothers visited her. And it was one of the short yet worst conversations she had with someone so dear to her.

[FLASHBACK]

"I think we really should talk now, Jade." For the first time, Jade heard Geralt sound so miserable and in need of clarification. Janus was eyeing his brother, but Janni looked so ashamed for letting someone in when clearly, Jade didn't want to talk.

But instead of driving the man away, Jade decided to nod at her brothers, a sign that she'll talk to Geralt. And without a second wasted, Janni and Janus excused themselves before closing the door behind them. Jade then took the opportunity to stand up and sat on the edge of the bed, inviting Geralt to sit on the other end. Which he gladly obliged.

"Okay, I'm sorry for saying those words out so suddenly. I didn't mean to scare you, Jade." Geralt began talking, and Jade didn't bother to speak for the meantime, letting him take the opportunity to explain. And then, she'll try to explain her side. "But Jang, I made a promise to you. And I know you haven't forgotten about it yet."

"Yeah. I haven't, Geralt. I hadn't forgotten every single memory I had with you before you decided to leave." She frankly answered, sincerely looking in his direction. "Those memories were still fresh like you never left—"

"—Jang," his voice aquifer with gloom and grief as he spoke. Just a mention of her name with a deep tone she admired wasn't enough to shelter Geralt's real emotion and intention.

"But you did. And everything has changed since that day. Since the day you left, and I was here hoping you'll be back." She said, putting a period to her statement. She wanted him to understand everything as soon as possible. Because she wanted him to let go. She wanted him not to hold on much longer to something that was bound to get loose.

"Did you find someone else?"

"That's not the case, Pochong." She replied directly, without even blinking an eye.

"If there's no one else, then why can't you choose me? I made a promise, Jade, and I intend to keep that promise. To you." He responded with anger in his eyes, still searching for answers in Jade's pensive eyes.

But Jade... She can hide her real emotions. She's a liar and a fake. She's nothing but those things. And Geralt doesn't deserve to be with a woman like her.

"I don't want that promise anymore, Geralt. It would be best if you didn't do what you vowed to do to someone who doesn't want to hurt you." Jade wanted to be frank. She tried to tell Geralt about everything, but that would make the situation worst. Everything will only lead to her greatest downfall.

Jade is shattered. And no one should end up like her. No one from people close to her heart deserves to be broken because of her.

"You don't trust me anymore." Jade can't help but massage the bridge of her nose before answering Geralt.

"Geralt, that's not the point!"

"Then why push me away?! Why can't you accept me now the way you accepted me before?!" Geralt began to raise his voice, almost making Jade tremble in fear. This was the first time that she heard him get mad. And his tone was rather soul clenching.

"Because the situation is different now—" Jade managed to answer but was instantly cut off when the man cursed to her.

"That's bullshit!"

"2 years. You f*****g promised me two years, and here you are, 20 years have passed. I waited for you to come back. But," Jade bitterly chuckles as she can't believe the way Geralt was acting. He's never been mad at her before. But Jade guessed that, yeah, everything has definitely changed. "I can't talk to you like this. Leave now, Geralt."

"I won't! This time, I won't leave!" He said firmly, making Jade mad and at the same time guilty and disappointed in herself.

"Can you just leave?!" She asked, wanting to dodge any more argument with him. Not today. "Fine! If you don't want to leave, then I'm leaving!"

[END OF FLASHBACK]

"Urgh! Sometimes, I really hate my life. If only I could just—damn it!" She cursed as she paced back and forth, kicking the small rock buried against the sand.

It was early in the afternoon, and she's hanging out with her brothers beside the seashore and chilling out for a bit because tomorrow will be the most important day for their mom. And everything was going according to plan, and they haven't encountered such a devastating event yet.

Jade has been agitated ever since she and Geralt had that tally that almost lasted for a lifetime. She hasn't seen the gentleman since that day, and for Jade, she was a bit relieved for that matter. Because right now, she had no time to deal with something painful when she needed to be happy.

"Sis! Can you hand me the buko? You've been kicking the sand, and you'll waste such fresh juice! Hand that over before the sand gets inside!" Her brother Janni shouted as she was firmly pointing at the buko juice meant for her to dink.

Jade grabbed the buko and was about to give it to Janni when she instantly grabbed the straw and took a long sip on it. "Oops! Sorry. It's almost empty. Do you still want some?" She teased, and Janni just pouted in sadness.

"But you didn't want to drink it earlier! This is so unfair!" He commented. However, Janus poked his brother's forehead and teasingly looked at him.

"Hey! Don't you dare blame us if you already finished yours, you greedy mustache!" Janus uttered, wanting to annoy his brother.

Janni's eyes made a thin line before taking a deep breath and look up in the sky, with hands ready to meditate. "Lord, grant me the strength to tolerate the misbehavior of my brother, who didn't bother why I needed a shovel." Janni filled his words with sarcasm, and Jade wanted to laugh at how horrifying her brothers are when arguing.

Janus's brows furrowed as he placed his buko juice beside him and look at his brother, "Shovel? What for?" When Janus asked, Janni then opened his eyes, and with a death glare did he reply,

"For your grave, Malarkey!" But before he could attack Janus, Jade immediately stopped them by going on between her brothers.

"You two, you need to stop before I smack your head against each other!" Hands still extended, Jade imposed authority between her brothers, who instantly stopped teasing each other.

"A good way to ask God for tolerance before attacking. Nice move, Ignacio. Nice move." Janus consciously replied, still provoking Janni to attack.

"You Malarkey—" but before Jade could even make Janus stop from using such remarks, Janni began charging at his brother, leaving the three of them stumbling against the sand.

"Hey! I said—hahaha! Come on! Stop!" She tried to break them apart. However, her brothers began tickling her, making her unable to stop laughing. "STOPPPPPP!"

Jade screamed at the top of her lungs, but her brothers turned deaf at that moment, making her the victim. Regardless, before they could even laugh and enjoy underneath the sunrise, a familiar voice began shouting towards them, stealing their attention.

"3 J's! Your mom has been calling for you!" A woman, Janus's classmate, and their neighbor informed them to go back home because their mom was looking for them. With this, the three of them started to pack for their picnic basket and head home, still half-arguing at each other.

Because of their childish argument, the Guevara siblings failed to notice that they have finally arrived in their home. However, before Jade could even run towards their house, her senior classmate and childhood friend, Crystal, came running towards her with a bag full of fabric carried in both hands.

The fabrics her friend was holding are essential to set up the entire property for tomorrow's event. And they need to finish setting up all the materials for tomorrow.

"Jade!" Crystal shout, making Jade smile and wave her hand in joy as she instructed her brothers to grab whatever Crystal is holding and take it inside the house. 

"Hey, boys! Such gentlemen!" Crystal exclaimed, almost wanting to disheveled her brothers' hair in annoyance for how gentlemen the both of them. "Gosh! If they did not happen to be your brothers, I'm going to seduce one of them and force them into marriage!"

"Oh, please. You don't know how much of a burden Janni and Janus are." Jade informed Crystal, making Janni any Janus glance towards her and gave her a deadly stare. "SEE?"

"You backstabber!" Janni replied before strutting, swaying his hips sideways, showing how good his feature was.

"You'll be going to regret saying that, Space Needle." Janus followed with the same disappointed yet childish voice, entirely copying how Janni swayed his hips and how he walked the distance between their location towards the house. And in return, Jade's brothers began arguing again, leaving her and Crystal laughing in amusement.

And after a couple of seconds of waiting for her brothers to disappear, Jade then wholly pinned her attention at Crystal, who was still smiling big at her brothers.

"Hey! Stop swooning around my brothers!" Jade nudged her friend's shoulder, taking Crystal away from her reverie.

"Urgh! I hope I have the same adorable brothers as yours. Can you adopt me? Because my brother has been nothing but a pain in the ass! One more irritating word coming out of his mouth, I swear I'm going to gut his tongue out!" She retorted, leaving Jade laughing at how funny her friend looked while saying those words.

"Maybe he needed more affection from you?" As she stepped towards the house, Crystal followed beside her, rolling her eyes at how unrealistic Jade's opinion was.

"Oh, that's bullshit, and you know it." Crystal answered without restraint from her words. She did hate it when her brother was acting impulsive, and Jade perfectly understood how annoying it was to deal with people who have no intention of changing their destructive behaviors.

But for Jade, persons like them just needed affection or assurance that they are fundamental, they are worth living, and they are loved. "You have to believe me. But Andrew has been nothing but a hard-headed brat who doesn't know anything but makes others explode in annoyance. I gotta tell you, I'm really going to bury him alive as soon as the party was over."

"If you're looking for support, I'm not the right guy." But Jade knew that behind Crystal's hatred against Andrew, her brother, she still loves him no matter what happens.

"That's why I'm talking to a woman, right?" Crystal replied with sarcasm, bumping her shoulder against her. And as Jade looked in her friend's direction, Crystal was making her eyebrows jump in astonishment.

"Crystal!" She warned her friend, making Crystal raise her hand in defeat.

"Fine, fine. I'm just joking. Chill, Jade." She answered, containing her laughter. And then Crystal continued, with a serious face this time. "But anyway, there's this nice car who stopped in front of me earlier and asked if I know where you lived."

Jade frowned, looking at her friend as they stopped walking, and this time, Jade decided to face her friend to see her expression. If there's one thing that Jade is thankful for, she could easily read Crystal's expression or body language when she's lying or telling the truth. "Are you still joking around?"

She shook her head in response as they remain standing. "Nope. But I'm sure that the person who was looking for you is a HE. I failed to see his face, though, and he doesn't seem familiar to me."

And the way Jade assessed her friend, Crystal wasn't lying at all. She's telling the truth and nothing but what she encountered earlier.

"Did you ask his name? Or even the plate number of the car?" If Crystal could get the man's name, she will be able to tell if she knew him or not. But if Crystal didn't get the name but successfully got the car's plate number, she instantly called Lewis and asked for help.

"Aww, dang. I'm sorry I didn't get the man's name. I was carrying the heavy fabrics, and they were passing by. Before I could even ask him the name, the man already left." She informed as they continued to walk towards the house. Jade then began thinking of who might be the mystery man looking for her when Crystal spoke again.

"But all I could tell you is that the driver is not alone inside the car. There were two more people inside, but I'm sorry I didn't saw the face of the person sitting on the back of the car." And the mystery of the person who was looking at her doubled the curiosity overflowing in her system. She began thinking of someone who might be a possible individual, but then Crystal once again snatched her out from her trance.

"You have to stop acting worried, love. Your eyes are spilling all the emotions on the ground and causing a mess!" She retorted, making the situation a bit lighter than earlier.

"Jade!" And both her and Crystal looked up, finding her aunt Rosalie looking from the window and signaling her to go back to the house where they're cooking the dishes for tomorrow.  "They want you to taste the food! Hurry up!"

"Coming, Auntie!" Jade opened the door for them and let Crystal in before her. But before she could enter, a black car stole her attention, making her frown in the process.

In front of their gate, a car was waiting outside as the window wasn't rolled down. Jade stepped out of the house as Crystal failed to see her pace forward, away from home.

And as she stepped forward, nearing the car, Jade grew desperate to know who was looking for her. But before she could take another step, the vehicle went roaring away from the property, leaving Jade to run to chase after them.

"WAIT!" And it was too late because the car was nowhere to be found. And Jade was left alone standing before entering the house, hearing her auntie call her one more time.