Forced Marriage: Escaping Her Monster

The next day, Jerlina woke up with the glaring sun falling on her face. She looked around the room and Daisy was not in the room. The blinds were pulled up and the windows were open bringing in a fresh scent of roses.

Jerlina felt a lot better than the first day she was here. She still had severe bleeding, but she didn't feel much cramping. Her hemoglobin levels are slowly improving and she didn't feel much giddiness.

She sat on the bed and her head didn't spin anymore and she took in a deep breath closing her eyes unwilling to look at the cold white walls. Her abdomen hurt reminding her why she is in this place. Even with the sweet scent of roses, the smell of disinfectants was overwhelming making it hard for her to enjoy anything.

"Linny!"

That familiar voice made her flinch. Her heart skipped a beat as she didn't expect her step-sister to come here.

Why is she here? What does she want now?

That was the first thought that came to her mind.

Did she hear about the miscarriage?

"Gina, come in," Jerlina still tried to act normal as she usually does, hiding that uneasiness in her heart.

Her throat felt dry and she cleared her throat but still she coughed. She felt the dam opening below her abdomen and a wave of cramps spread from her abdomen to her legs. A little grunt escaped her mouth and her eyebrows furrowed with pain.

"Is it safe for me to get close to you? Your flu won't pass on to me, right?"

Jerlina looked up to see Gina biting her lower lip and her eyes was widened with fright.

Jerlina let out a dry chuckle. "Flu?"

What is this about? When did I become an untouchable because of flu?

But she felt her throat still scratchy and she leaned to the side table to get the water bottle. She couldn't reach the bottle sitting and she slowly scooted closer to the edge of the bed to get the bottle. Gina stayed a safe seven feet distance away from Jerlina and pulled out her compact box from the Gucci bag hanging in her forearm, and corrected her makeup looking in the little mirror.

"Gerard called me yesterday and told me about your flu. He asked me to take care of you."

Jerlina's hands that reached to get the glass paused and her fingers trembled. "Gerard?"

The rims of Jerlina's eyes twitched slightly and she gulped to swallow the tears.

He called Gina to take care of me? Since I refused to see him, he sent Gina here? Does he care about me still?

Gina didn't notice the emotions dancing in Jerlina's face and continued. "Yes, he had to leave for his honeymoon and so he asked me. Linny, he is going to Italy, Linny!! I saw the Instagram post of Emma this morning. She's so lucky! They are staying in..."

Gina went on talking and Jerlina mocked herself in her heart.

Heh, he is honeymooning? Ah Jerlina, when will you truly accept that he has no need to care for you anymore? He broke up with you and is married to another woman.

She gritted her teeth and grabbed the glass and poured herself some water. Her throat was still acting funny. She wasn't even bothered by Gina's uncaring attitude, since it is the norm.

From listening to Gina it seemed like Gerard is under the impression that she has the flu.

Heh, TJ... You're helping your sister spread lies, aren't you?

She closed the cap of the bottle and placed it on the table hiding the contempt in her heart. As she was about to take a sip, she was stunned when Gina's hand grabbed the glass.

"I'm parched," Gina got the glass from Jerlina's hand. As she grabbed it in a hurry, her nails scratched Jerlina's hands.

"Sh*t! "

Gina flinched as she checked her neatly manicured long acrylic nails. "Is it ruined? Oof! It's safe!"

Jerlina looked at her empty hand with the scratch mark and the corner of her lips flinched and her eyes became empty.

As usual...

"Oh, yuck! I almost drank the water you poured after you coughed! Eww!" Gina almost threw the glass on the floor and barely left it on the table, spilling some water on her. "Ah, f*ck... my skirt is wet! What the hell!"

Jerlina coughed looking at the floor. The glass was at the other end of the table. So she drank straight from the bottle. Only after drinking some water did her throat feel better.

"Linny, do you have a hairdryer here to dry my skirt? I have to go to classes. F*ck!"

"Classes? I thought you're here to take care of me." Jerlina suppressed her desire to roll her eyes and asked with a straight face.

Fixing her curled blonde hair, Gina walked closer to Jerlina with a smile brightening her brown eyes.

"About that, Linny..." she halted her steps realising she was getting too closer to Jerlina.

"Gerard told me he'd buy me a handbag if I take care of you. I have a lot of assignments to finish. Professor Brown is not making it easy. I have to attend classes or else..." she sighed.

"Linny... if Gerard asks you, tell him that I took care of you, alright? You can manage alone, right? You are always strong and I don't know how you handle it all. You're amazing. I am not even a tenth as strong as you. And-"

"Do you know who Gerard is, Gina? Do you know what happened between us?" Jerlina interrupted Gina. Her throat felt heavy.

How insensitive is she?

"Come on, sis. Gerard broke up with you, but he is a good guy. He won't stop being friends with you even if you broke up. He still is being nice to us. He even introduced me to a great guy when mom and I attended his wedding-"

"You attended his wedding?" Jerlina raised her eyebrows and her eyes filled with tears.

While I was trapped in a cabin trying to escape, and when I was losing my baby, my "sister" and "mother" were happily attending my ex-boyfriend's wedding?