Eight
1621 Words
Jerome rose up from his chair as a million emotions ran through his body as his gaze were fixed on Fiona who was still standing at the door with a smile. He narrowed his eyes and clenched his fists hard when pure rage began to course through his body then marched to her side and gripped her arms tight.
"Ow, Jerome. You're hurting me," Fiona groaned which struggling within his grasp.
"Tell me, Fiona. What are you doing here and how did you escape prison?!" He barked, causing the woman to jerk in fear and stand still.
Fiona frowned. "What are you talking about? I was bailed out and how do you think I can escape prison?"
Jerome let go of her and backed away after she had spoken. He looked her up and down with a deep frown on his face before raising his finger to point at her.
"If you think you can come back into our lives with those threats you've been leaving, I'm sorry to say this to you, but we can't be fooled twice! Now, get out of this building and don't you dare show your face ever again!" Jerome yelled and heard a knock on his door before Vera opened it and craned her head inside.
"Is everything alright, sir?" She asked while glancing between the two adults.
"Call security and have them throw this woman out of this building and if I ever see any signs of her close to this building, I will fire everyone of you who know about this information," he stated tersely and she nodded before running away.
"Jerome, please," Fiona pleaded. "I come back in peace. I just want all of you to forgive me, I swear. I've changed, why can none of you see that?" She paused when her breath hitched and tears rolled down her cheeks.
Jerome took in her wet face and slightly red eyes with a grimace on his face. He could see through the facade that Fiona was still the manipulating woman she had always been.
"Please, Jerome. I would do anything to prove how honest I am right now," she said in a hushed tone as more teas spilled.
"I know how," he smirked. "By going away as far as possible."
Fiona ran her fingers through her dark locks and looked down at her feet for a moment before looking up at him. Just as she was about to speak again, the door opened aggressively and in marched two built up security guards who looked between Jerome and Fiona who was wiping her cheeks.
"Take this woman out of here and make sure she never comes here again," he stated and walked back to his seat then picked up his tablet and resumed his work.
Fiona sighed. "That won't be needed. I'll see myself out," she said and walked to the door but paused. "And there's something I wanted to say to you, Jerome."
Jerome dropped the device angrily on his wooden desk and clenched his fists hard.
"I swear to God, I will do something to you if you don't get out of here," he said in a low angry voice which made the buff men face Fiona who raised her hand to their faces.
"I only wanted to speak to you about how I lost our baby but I see you're not interested," she stated and marched out of the office and banging the door for added effect.
Jerome sat stupified at the confession she had made. He heard his heart beat fast and his body break sweat as the news sunk into his head. His fingers began to shake while his eyes moved quickly over the things on his desk.
"She-No, it's not possible. It can't be," he muttered then stood up and raced past the guards who were equally shocked.
•••
Fiona walked hotly in anger after walking out of the building with a frown on her face. The moment her phone rang was the moment she heard Jerome call out to her. She paused and smirked dubiously then wiped the smirk off her face and masking it with a sad expression.
"Wait!" Jerome hollered from where he stood a far and rushed up to her, sweating profusely.
"What do you want?" She asked and looked down at her ringing phone. She declined the call then looked up at him.
"What do you mean by our baby?" Jerome asked, his blue eyes dull in confusion.
Fiona shrugged. "So, they didn't tell you?"
"Who? What'd you mean?"
Fiona crossed her arms under her breast and exhaled. She looked everywhere but at his face that screamed curiosity. She dropped her arms and began to weep.
"Fiona," he whispered. "Please tell me what happened?"
She sniffed. "I was pregnant with your baby during those times I terrorized all of you. I couldn't bring myself to tell you cause of what I had done to you and I didn't know how to face you with such news."
Jerome felt his eyes sting with upcoming tears. His wet eyes danced over her face as she spoke with a heavy tone.
"A-And how did you lose it?"
Fiona covered her mouth with one hand and cried hard then removed it to place it on her stomach. She watched as Jerome followed the movement until he lifted his eyes back to hers.
"You wouldn't believe if I told you because they are your friends. I know you have the right not to but you really have to trust me when I say this."
Jerome growled. "Just tell me already!"
"Ciara and Mason forced me to abort it!" She yelled out in anger.
Jerome backed away as the words came crashing into his mind like a building collapsing. He felt the ground underneath his feet spin and his vision blurred but shook his head and closed in on her.
"Don't you dare lie to me!" He barked in her face but she pushed him away.
"I am not lying to you! I told you that you wouldn't believe me if I told you. Why don't you confront them and let them explain to you why they hid such from you!" Fiona retorted, jabbing her finger on his hard chest.
Jerome swallowed. "You mean to tell me that-that they-"
"Yes, Jerome," she weeped. "They told me it was bad enough that you were not feeling okay at that moment and that it would be an abomination if I carried the baby. I wanted to let you know about the baby just so you can decide what to do next but they didn't care and forced me to."
Jerome ran his fingers through his moist hair and took in the torn looking woman in front of him. He felt a tear slide down his cheek and was about to wipe it when Fiona did it for him. He wanted to swat her hand away but felt too weak at that moment to do anything.
"Trust me, Jerome. It was such a disheartening situation. I tried my best but I had no choice because I didn't want to bring more problems into your life," she whispered and Jerome nodded. "And even if you confront them now, they'll make me the bad person because of my past."
Jerome clenched his fists hard.
•••
"Mason!" Jerome's hard voice pierced through the walls of the hallway of Mason's office, causing the man and his secretary including his personal assistant to run out into the hallway to see the disheveled man breathing dangerously.
"Hey, what's wrong?" Mason asked and approached him only to be hit with a clenched fist on the face.
Elizabeth and Twinkle gasped and rushed down to Mason who was lying on the floor groaning.
"How could you!" Jerome barked and rushed to his side but got blocked by Elizabeth.
"Why would you hit your friend, Jerome? What has gotten into you?" Elizabeth demanded heatedly but got pushed aside by Jerome who dragged Mason who now had a red jaw.
"What has gotten into you?" Mason asked under his breath.
"You think you can control my life like you do yours and others around you? I am not your girlfriend and neither am I your son that you feel it's necessary to make decisions for me!" He barked into his face and the other man pushed him away.
"Can you tell me what the f**k your problem is?!"
"How could you hide a huge secret from me?! And as if that wasn't enough, you had the audacity to kill the baby that was growing within Fiona!" Jerome retorted and was about to hit Mason again but got held back by Harry.
"What?" Mason and the women questioned in confusion.
"Yes! You think I wouldn't find out?!"
"What are you saying, man? Harry asked while struggling to hold Jerome.
"Fiona told me the truth of how you two forced her to abort my baby!" He said and fell down to his knees with tears and red eyes. "I lost my first baby and you took the life of my other?"
They stared at the man in confusion after he had spoken. They exchanged curious looks until Jerome stood up angrily and wiped his cheeks.
"You talk about negativity and how we shouldn't let people like Fiona and Leila into our lives but within us here, we are keeping secrets and making ourselves enemies. I don't even know how to feel about this! All of you!" Jerome yelled at the top of his lungs and walked away angrily.
"What is happening?" Elizabeth whispered.
•••
Fiona chuckled and took a sip from the glass filled with wine in her hand then looked at the churning ocean ahead of her. She cleared her throat and looked over her shoulder.
"This is just the beginning of our first game and I am glad I got to be a player. Thank you for putting me in this," she said.
"You're welcome," a gruff male voice said.
- Writer
