PMS1: President's Forgotten Wife

CHAPTER 15

CHAPTER 15: WANTING HIM

"f**k!" Eisen couldn't stop cussing the moment his eyes landed on where he saw a body standing in his doorway. However, Eisen recovered his composure when the light turned on, allowing his sight to adjust to the surrounding for him to see clearly. Eisen realized that Jade was in his door, looking like a ghost in the morning. Are ghosts visible even in the morning?

"What happened to you?" instead of apologizing for cursing in the morning, which doesn't bother Jade since her face was sour and grim, he can't stop but to ask. It may sound insensitive, but Jade would understand him asking, right?

"Urgh. I look that scary, huh? Should've applied something in my face to hide the bags under my eyes," she sadly said. Jade's eyes looked depressed, given the fact that not only were her eyes tired, but her hair looked like a bird's nest. It looks like a storm hit her overnight.

"N-no! Y-you, look okay! You don't need to apply something to your face because you're looking great! I didn't expect to see you this early, so I was shocked when I saw you standing there," Eisen couldn't imagine how to describe Jade's appearance. And besides, he shouldn't judge the book by its cover. Eisen needs to know what happened to her.

"Is this your way of cheering me up?" Jade's face suddenly lifted as soon as Eisen said those words. However, the smile that crept on her lips suddenly turned into a thin line before asking him.

Eisen can't help himself but smile when he saw her mood changed. She may look tired, but Jade has her ways of disregarding the negativity around her and stay positive. And whenever that happened, it became contagious-hard not to magnet her positive vibe. Did he just felt that now?

"If it is working, then you can say that I am cheering you up," Eisen replied as he sat on the bed, still looking in Jade's direction. The woman then leaned against the door frame and pouted at him before shaking her head.

"Fine. You look like you need a lot of rest because you're acting like works has stressed you out, and your body moved like it was beaten into a pulp," if Eisen could be so blunt first thing in the morning, he would tell Jade that she looked like a zombie who just got out of the graveyard. Sad to say, Halloween is still far away.

Jade showed an emotionless expression as they stared at each other. Eisen wasn't sure if he said the right words not to irritate or insult the woman in the morning, given the fact that when a person wakes up in a lousy mood, history knows what happened next when you messed up with them. And Eisen gulped when Jade remained silent with a straight face.

After a couple of seconds, Jade smiled at him, followed by a low chuckle. Eisen heaved a sigh of relief when Jade was brightly smiling at him, turning his lousy mood upside down. Phew!

"See? Was I able to cheer you up? God, I thought you were going to shout at me,"

"Don't get your hopes up, mister president grumpy. And let's never talk about my appearance because I don't want to ruin the mood. Anyway, I'll be bringing breakfast in here, so please, don't make anything stupid since I'll be back after a few second," Jade informed, and Eisen just nodded his head as Jade immediately went outside his room while humming a song that wasn't familiar to him.

As soon as Jade went out, Eisen took the chance to breathe out the tension building up inside him properly. He wasn't aware that he already stopped his breathing, which was hard to explain since he didn't know why it happened. And one thing is still uncertain: was it because of Jade?

Sunken by his deep thoughts, Eisen failed to realize that Jade was already right beside him with a tray in her hand. Jade delicately rested the tray on the bedside table as she grabbed the Palmyra Rattan Breakfast Tray displayed in one of the storage rooms near the kitchen.

"Are you alright? You seemed preoccupied in your thoughts," Jade asked a soon as she positioned the breakfast tray on his lap and placed the food and medicines along with the water prepared for him. But before Jade could even sit down on the corner of the bed, she stood up and walked towards the door leading to the room's terrace.

"I was thinking about... the cartoon I watched with my brother yesterday. Where are you going?"

"Your room is dark and creepy, like a horror movie," Jade pointed to the thick Prussian blue curtains that are covering the long windows and door that can lead them to the small terrace.

And without second thoughts, Jade scooted the curtains to the side, welcoming in the blinding light from the smiling sun up above them. Jade opened the windows inviting the warm breeze to enter the room, bringing up shivers to Eisen's spine. The woman even intentionally opened the door for the room to look lively and relaxing.

Eisen has been staying in that room for too long, not realizing how beautiful it was when Jade made a move to brighten it up. Without his wife, Eisen wouldn't experience this kind of beauty: a beauty that lies beneath inside his very room. Jade made that possible when she threw the dullness, oldness, and darkness of the room away and invited positivity and liveliness inside.

And Eisen loved it a thousand more.

"Now, you're making me worried. You've been spacing out since I entered your room earlier. You're not going to scold me again, aren't you?" Jade absentmindedly placed the back of her palm towards Eisen's forehead as her right hand touches her forehead to check Eisen's temperature. "You do not have a fever, so what's wrong?"

"I'm fine. I was just curious about something that I don't wish you to know... And talking about curiosity," Eisen noticed that Jade isn't eating with him. Eisen is still curious if Jade eats breakfast, lunch, or dinner, " Why did you only bring a meal for me? Don't you want to eat with me?"

Jade smiled at her before speaking."Because you are more valuable than I am, that's why."

"You're as important as I am because you are taking good care of me. So, starting from now, I want us to eat together. This is the only way for us to know each other, right? Given the fact that you remember me and I can't remember you." Eisen smiled at Jade and grabbed the glass full of water before speaking,

"I believe this is the moment where we're supposed to go outside, sit face-to-face, and eat together?"

"Sure. I'll just take this and," Jade weirdly looked at him and lightly shook her head before grabbing the plate and putting it back on the tray. Eisen was trying to be kind to the young woman because he wanted to get along with her. He just hopes that they'll get close—close enough for him to remember her. "I'll be right back, okay?"

Without second thoughts, Jade excused herself and smiled before leaving the room. Eisen can't help but sincerely smile as Jade's smile reminded him that they are getting along just fine. What a good sign for them to reconcile.

The young man wanted to make a difference. And that difference begins now. Eisen will do anything to remember her, and getting himself close to her will buy him some time to remember his wife. One more thing, Eisen wanted Jade to forget about the divorce paper because his intentions now are pure; he will not let go of her no matter what happens.

Jade is his, and Eisen was hers. Nothing will change, and no one can change that.

His gaze darted to his hands, and the uneven color of his skin on his ring finger is what fully captured his attention. Eisen started tracing the lighter lines, only realizing now that something was missing. A ring was supposed to be located there by now. But to his curiosity, a marriage ring doesn't exist in there.

The door swung wide open, revealing Jade outside and smiling at him. The woman walked towards him and grabbed the wheelchair. And in a short glimpse of Jade's movement, Eisen realizes that something is missing in Jade's hand. Her ring.

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IF evaluating breakfast from the first day he entered the mansion up to this day, Eisen would assess that this is the initial breakfast he enjoyed. He was talking casually to someone and enjoying every second that has passed them. It was like Eisen just regained back the life Eisen wanted to have, and that wouldn't be possible without Jade's help. Eisen asks simple questions like 'what is your favorite color, favorite animal, and favorite food,' things that he wanted to know, and topics that are easy for Jade to answer. The best way to remember his forgotten wife.

"I'm full," Jade said after they finished eating the whole dish. Eisen was about to ask Jade another question when the woman stood up from where she's seated and started grabbing the plates they used, "I'll wash the dishes, and then I'll help you take a bath. Do you have a special request for lunch? I could—"

But before Jade could even leave the dining table, Eisen immediately reached for her hand, wanting her to stop going. What Eisen did is enough to sustain Jade's full attention on him.

"Can I ask you something? Well, it's been bugging me for a while now. But you can refuse if you want to? I won't be forcing you to answer anyway," Eisen inquired, making sure if Jade would be willing to hear what he wanted to ask.

"If this is about you doubting me as your wife, then-"

"No, It's not about that."

"Okay. Let me hear what you wanted to ask. It's getting me curious already." Jade replied, trying to avoid Eisen's gaze without him getting suspicious of her not wanting to look at him.

"Why are you working as a caregiver?"Eisen intended to question that before but ended up having no chance because his mind only attended to the question of Jade is his wife. And now that he had the opportunity to know, he will not waste any minute not knowing the reason at all.

"Well, we're married, and based on my brother, I have my businesses that earned a fortune every day. Why choose to work?" Lewis notified him before that he owned a company that can provide for their expenses in the lifetime. And after doing his search, Eisen discovered that caregivers don't earn a lot monthly. So, if he's been making millions or billions, why is Jade still working as a caregiver?

Jade didn't say anything in the past seconds. She sat back on the chair and placed the plates back on the table. Both of them didn't speak a single word. They remained silent as Eisen tried to decipher what was going on in Jade's mind. Was his question that hard to answer?

After a moment of silence, the young woman smiled at him and delightedly met his eyes. But the moment he meets her gaze, her grey, pensive eyes smiled with something else to convey. Was he sad?

__________

JADE was half-drowning when Eisen's deep blue tantalizing eyes succumbed to her. His gaze almost reached the most profound despair that she kept hidden in her heart. And now, because of him, everything became hollow that started to float in her soul.

In her years of service, not even sure how long she worked as one, that question was easy to answer before. It was the most specific topic she heard from people who questioned her as a caregiver. It was hard to attend to the issue because she has her reasons to keep. Jade has no intention of voicing the excuse out, and Eisen is no exception in knowing it.

"Well, I love the idea of helping others. Growing up and living in a community far away from the hospital, seeking help was hard for us. Remembering the time when my mom got sick and dad was at work. I was young back then, and I didn't know what to do. That moment, all I could think of is that, 'What should I do?' and that night, all I could think of is I should try and save mom. Lucky enough, God heard my prayers that night, and dad came home from work. Mom made it to the hospital in time, and I was the only one to take good care of her.

I wanted to become a doctor that night. The desire to save lives is what kept me on the ground. However, because of a sudden turn of events, I decided to become a caregiver because for some reason. But can we not talk about that reason? And besides, you don't have to hire a maid or a private nurse because I am here," Jade bitterly smiled as she stood up from her chair and grabbed the plate without looking straight at Eisen's eyes.

Jade turned her back at him, but she knows that Eisen's ocean blue eyes are still staring and her from behind. She felt uneasy, but she didn't bother stopping him from looking at her. Besides, Jade doesn't want to look like Jade is expecting or anything. Jade felt that Eisen had noticed something, but she hoped that Eisen wouldn't ask anything.

But before Jade could even continue what she's doing, a strong arm slowly wrapped around her waist, and something heavy rested on her shoulder. "What are you—"

"Shhh." She refrained herself from moving when Eisen silenced her. His warm hands wrapped around his waist are what made Jade feel something inside. Like there's a fire ignited deep in her soul, and even with her clothes on, she felt the heat of his body pressed against her back, allowing it to slowly suppressed the cold that tugs her inside.

Until Eisen moved his arms on her waist and made her face him, his palms then rested on her both sides as he met his pensive grey eyes. A few inches away from each other wasn't enough to help Jade breathe properly. She needs her personal space but thinking about pushing the man away is not the best option.

Eisen consciously raised his hand and slowly caressed her cheeks, "I may not know what your reasons are, but," With the simple movement of his finger brushing off of her cheeks, Jade felt a wave of electricity as his skin touched her skin. A desire for a strange feeling showered her body as she didn't break their eye contact.

"You should know that I'll always be by your side to listen. I can be your pillow, your blanket. I can offer you my shoulders to cry on."

Her heart was beating fast, and her breathing started to cease. She wanted to lean in and let Eisen's heat hug her. She knew that his skin against her was a desire that would make her a sinner, so she urged herself to stop—to stop from wanting that heat, from wanting his touch, from wanting him close to her.

When Eisen slowly drew his face closer to her, Jade snapped back to reality, plastered a tight-lipped smile at Eisen, moved away from him, and turned her posterior for the second time. "I sh—I should get back to work."

Eisen noticed something was off but eventually backed out as he went to where he left his wheelchair and silently left. Jade felt angry and sad as she saw Eisen move away, but she had no choice but to push him.

Because for her, the only way to save herself is to shut him out of her soul. She immediately caged her heart and threw the key away—away from where Eisen would never be able to find it.