PMS1: President's Forgotten Wife

CHAPTER 16 [II]

CHAPTER 16, part II: PICTURE ME, JEALOUSY

WILL HE wake his wife up, or will he answer the call himself?

Eisen has the chance with too much time to answer Jade's call, a sign of open opportunity to talk to his mother-in-law and ask questions Eisen wished someone would know how to respond. However, Jade's phone rang several times, but Eisen still did not know what to do. He literally became a statue in his position while watching the phone ring, letting the ringing sound turn almost into a whisper in his ears.

The reason why he hesitates to answer the call? Because of the apparent reason presented on the table, the caller. The caller is Jade's mom, and in fact, she's his mom, too! And he could not even remember his own wife's mother. What will he say when he successfully answered the call? Hello, mom? Mommy? Mother?

Eisen is going crazy mentally. At this moment, he'd instead prefer eating his hair out and sulk somewhere out of sight. Eisen squeezed his brain like the pulp of orange just to remember Jade's mother, but nothing happened. NOTHING IS HAPPENING!

"You can do this, Eisen. Man up, St. Clair! She's your wife's mom and basically, your mom too, okay? So answer the call and act like a man with honor!" his finger fidgets after he prepared to press the answer button. And after three long breaths, Eisen regained his momentum and was about to answer the call when the call ended unexpectedly, disappointing him at the same time. Five missed calls immediately appeared on the screen, as his sweat-like daggers slowly run down his features. Eisen felt guilty that he did not answer the phone, knowing that the caller is someone important.

If Eisen hasn't filled his head with doubts and unsolicited questions, he could and would have answered the call from his wife's dear mother. Now that it came across his mind, Eisen never has imagined that he had forgotten everything about Jade—the woman's family, to be precise.

He tried to call Mrs. Guevara's phone number because that was the only way he could think of to contact Jade's family. Still, a sudden message popped on the screen, showing that a message has been delivered shortly after the last registered call from Mrs. Guevara.

He looked around the terrace, where he could see Jade sleeping soundly, not even bothered if the world is about to end. "Jade. You're mom called, but I wasn't able to answer it—" he called to her attention, hoping the girl would hear him. "—because I'm scared for her to know that I don't recall anyone related to you."

Eisen unconsciously tapped his fingernails against the marble table, waiting for Jade to respond. But all he got in return is the woman's whispered snore outside.

"And then your mom texted. Should I read it for you?" Eisen waited for Jade to speak up for another minute, but since he did not get an answer from Jade, he stared at her phone screen again.

Because he did not accept the call earlier and did not wake his wife up, Eisen authorized himself to read the message to find out what Jade's mother wanted to say. It may be necessary, and when things are required, somebody should attend to this matter accordingly. Immédiatement!

From: Mom ♥

9:56 AM

I'm sorry for calling you when you seemed to be busy attending to your work, honey. I might have bothered you. But my only daughter, unica hija, are you coming home next week? I wish I could see you. I miss you so much. Your aunt Jena will be home, too, with his American son! Aren't you dying to meet him? Your aunt and her son wished to see you since they'll be staying here in the province for just a week or two.

From: Mom ♥

10:04 AM

Are you coming home? If you're busy with work, you can immediately go back there. Just spare your mama a little bit of your time, Jade. Just an hour would be enough as long as you come back home to the province. You promised me last time that you'll take some time off work to spend some time with me. So, you can't ditch me again this time! Oh, maybe you forgot what is the occasion next week? If you do not come home, forget about me, your dear loving mother, and I will disregard the reality that you came out from my womb. That seems fair, right? We will forget about your existence if you do not come back home next week.

Wait... Is Eisen seeing and reading this right?! Who is Jade's mother referring to as her aunt Jena's American son? Who is this man?! How long have they known each other?!

Eisen turned in Jade's direction. The woman is still sound asleep, but Eisen couldn't bear the thought of his wife being ridiculously pleased with another 'American guy' who seemed to have captured Mrs. Guevara's attention. Eisen is happy that he owns Jade but reading the text message that Jade's mom sounded like that she'd prefer the American guy instead of him broke his heart.

A portion of him wanted to scream at the moment. However, he can't help but wonder why his mother-in-law is acting like he doesn't exist in their world. The idea doesn't just hurt him—it shattered him up to his core. But Eisen shrugs the thought off after convincing himself to put his trust in Jade. He knew that Jade would never cheat on him. She would never do such a thing.

He looked at this mother-in-law's message for the second time, just to divert his attention from the American guy, and can't help but also miss being with his mother's tender care and love. He wanted to feel his mother's tight warm embrace every morning—his mom's kisses whenever he's scared, or he's doing a great job.

Eisen suddenly misses everything about his childhood. But the saddest part is, he clearly remembers how painful his journey the moment he turned 16 and ventured into life on his own. He grew distant from his parents when he was transferred to France—thanks to his father's unrequested support. He was separated from his brother while their parents did not even visit him.

Since then, Eisen has learned to be independent and not rely on other people, most especially when it comes to trusting oneself. For him, since their parents threw him to the curb of France, Lewis was given everything. Wealth, love, admiration, support, and everything he wanted to have, even just for a day. It hurts to be the black sheep of the family, but what can he do? His family didn't want a pain in the ass to lurk around the bushes of his mother's lovely garden and any requested guests on his study. Eisen knew that they had rejected him.

It hurts, yes, but what can he do? All of that has happened, and Eisen will never be able to return the time he wasted.

Eisen laughed heartily before deciding to go to Jade's room to pick up some pillow and blanket. No negativity can ruin his good mood now. However, he might've plastered his sweetest smile, but Eisen's eyes weren't able to hide the sadness he felt. Eisen absentmindedly stared at the pad and blanket he held as she headed to the terrace, where Jade was still occupying a seat to sleep.

When Eisen was in front of Jade, he reached for Jade's head and slowly lifted it and put it on the pillow so that Jade's head would not hurt when she wakes up. After completing the task of placing the pillow, Eisen then covered Jade's body with a blanket so that she would not be soaked in the heat and burn her skin.

He slowly drove his knuckles against the skin of her cheeks, stroked as a beautiful smile didn't leave his lips. Jade is no ordinary individual he knew—not that he already remembers everyone close to him but because Eisen has never felt this feeling he's already feeling. But Eisen hoped that whatever his heart and mind keep on tugging him back to not trusting her will eventually go away.

"Jade, I... I wanted to know how we met. Did we meet at a place like the ones I saw in a romantic movie? At the hospital? But how? At a party? Did we dance? Oh, maybe at the mall? Are we both buying the same item? But is it also possible if we met at work because you work at my company? But you're a caregiver. How about a restaurant? Was it a blind date? Or did we encounter at a beach? Well, that would be nice, too, " he could not restrain his low and slow laughter while thinking of possible things about the first day they met. He wanted to know how they met, and Eisen will bet his life just to remember it all.

When Jade didn't bother to respond or move her body, Eisen waved his hand dismissively and hid his slight blush before looking away from the sleeping Jade. "You don't have to say. Because I will force myself to remember you."

As he watched the woman, Eisen did not realize that he was getting closer and closer to her face. His eyes absentmindedly checked Jade out when his gaze darted on her thick, well-shaped eyebrow, her long eyelashes, which almost looked like a fake, her popping cheekbones, and her red tempting kissable lips that caught him off-guard.

Eisen wanted to move closer, dive more in-depth, and hold her tighter. But he controlled himself, not wanting to take advantage, and let his lips just slipped and touched her forehead.

As his lips touched the woman's complexion, a strange flow of electricity returned to his system, which he could only feel when he's next to her. Eisen was happy with that feeling. He has to remember his wife as soon as possible to prove that neither he nor his wife needed to continue signing the divorce paper and end things between them.

When he walked away from his wife, Eisen decided to place Jade's phone on the small table beside Jade's seat, peacefully sleeping. Eisen wanted Jade to see her phone as soon as she wakes up, but Eisen accidentally let the phone slip out of his grasp, which leads to Jade's cellphone dying. The accident happened so fast that Eisen almost lost his balance just to retrieve the phone. He again turned it on to check whether the phone is still functioning well, but his attention almost shrinks after intently looking at Jade's cellphone wallpaper.

"Is this?" Eisen stared at the photo carefully and checked who the man in the photo was on the wallpaper.

It took him a few seconds before he realized who was in the picture. As a result, his breath slowly ceases as the worry on his face was interrupted by the desire to want to know every explanation he wanted to hear. His bones turned like jelly, turning him into his vulnerable state. He uttered a name that he did not think would hurt him too much.

"Lewis."

It sounded like a whisper, but when it came out of Eisen's lips, it became a bullet that passed through his heart, causing it to beat faster before it slowly stopped without anyone knowing but only him. Sweats forming on his forehead ran cold down his forehead, freezing him at that moment. He's in a good mood, and no negativity can change that. He's in a good mood— Unknowingly, Eisen raised his hand above him as his hand tightly wrapped around Jade's phone. But as soon as he realized that anytime soon hell break his wife phone, Eisen lowered his arm and rested it against his leg.

It was as if his brain couldn't digest everything that had happened, and his dear mind did not want to accept what he saw. Nothing sensible enters his system as anger continues to consume his feelings.

He's been starring at his wife's wallpaper, and all he could feel was jealousy, anger, and another jar of an eternal cycle of rage and covetousness.

In the picture, Lewis and Jade were wearing a pair of gold crowns as the different colors of spotlights focused on them. The reflection of almost-rainbow color lights became a perfect fit on their matching formal dresses. Like a prince in his prince-like attire, Lewis perfectly corresponds to Jade's gown filled with glitters.

The outfit was not the one that made his blood boil. It was the position and reaction of two people that he feared most. Jade encircled her hands around Lewis's neck as his adored brother has his hands snakes around the bare back of his woman. They were so close to each other as if they were couples. They were intimately looking and dancing in each other's arms in slow pace music that Eisen assumed to have crowded the place.

Maybe a photographer for the yearbook took the picture or someone they hired to do the task, Eisen supposed, since the image seemed like a stolen shot. They were both smiling, no, almost laughing at something. They were so sweet, so close, and so perfect. They were perfect.

Eisen almost threw the phone he was holding. But throwing it away won't be enough to calm him down. Everything will never be enough. Eisen tried to calm himself, but the word 'calm' appeared to be missing in his vocabulary at the moment.

Because of the anger that suddenly erupted in his heart, Eisen ended up rummaging through his wife's phone to check if she's hiding more than he imagined. Eisen doesn't care if Jade finds out that he looked into her privacy. All he wanted was to know if Eisen was the one who made a colossal mistake in their relationship, which led them to file a divorce, or was it because of Jade, the woman he's trying to trust.

He was the husband, for Pete's sake! Why did she and Lewis even have a photograph together, and she even used it as wallpaper?! How about him? Do they have a photo together when they are married, at least?! Why does Jade even have an image of his brother when they're already married?! What makes the situation worse is that they were under the influence of a magic spell as they stare at each other. Like they were the ones who'll end up together?!

He scanned all albums, including the recycle bin, looking for a f*****g picture to change the wallpaper. He already tied the woman to him through marriage. He thought Lewis supported him. But why does his brother still have to intervene?!

"f**k!" he cursed out loud when Eisen can't even see a picture of him and Jade on her phone. For a brief moment, he almost forgot that Jade was sleeping behind him.

It was as if a spear had hit him right into his chest as it pierced his heart into pieces until it will never pump out blood again.

He turned to his woman, who was slightly moving on the chair. Hate and anger became wood on a fireplace at it adds fuel to the fire to burn brighter, hotter, and deadlier. Eisen's eyes turn dark as a storm, as his heart became cold as he stares at his beloved wife, who dug her own grave right before him.

He did not even have a picture on her phone gallery, and Eisen wasn't able to stop his low chuckle from escaping his lips. There is also no 'HUSBAND' or 'MY WIFE' or even his name on his phonebook. Is Jade that desperate to divorce him to the extent that she just casually removed everything they had? Is there no hope for the two of them? Does he love Lewis more? Did she even love him, or has her heart always belonged to his brother?

Because if there was no hope, Jade should've stayed hidden and decided not to show in front of him to help him remember what he has forgotten.

He stared at his wife, who was sleeping soundly. Eisen slid Jade's phone inside the pocket of his pants before knowingly stared at his unconscious wife, who sleeps peacefully, knowing nothing about what was about to happen to her.

"If you are happier with my brother, I will not let any of us be happy. You became selfish by making me believe that there's hope for us. But, boy, I was wrong since the day I opened my eyes and saw you. You made a fool out of me, so wait for what I'll do to make you realize that I'm the only man you should be with. This time, I'll be the one to be selfish."