Forced Marriage: Escaping Her Monster

"Yes," Scarlett nodded at Dr. Kruger as she carefully tried to carry the baby. But the baby started to cry and Daisy gestured that she'd keep the baby. 

"Jerlina decided to be happy for some reason, and now she probably forgot or doesn't care that this is a fake wedding. But this is good for Jeremy, right?" Scarlett spoke in a hushed tone and both the ladies nodded.

"As long as that boy is happy..."

"Yeah..."

Both the ladies were happy and Scarlett watched the dancing couple with a smile on her face.

Jeremy, you can steal her heart if you want. It is up to you...

-----

Jerlina could still feel his hard member against her and the next song was about to end. She really didn't want to keep on dancing until he calms down. Her feet hurt.

Does he have an unsatiable beast down there?

She shivered.

"Are you cold," he rested his forehead in the nook of her neck and took in a whiff. And then it became harder.

This demon has no self-control! He wants to get humiliated in public? Sigh!

"I got this tiara in a cake box," she decided to take it upon herself to change his mind

"Alexander said he'd send it. But in a cake box?" Jeremy stood up straight with his eyebrows furrowed. 

She talked to him about her doubts about the design of the Fleur de Lys. Jeremy recalled how Alexander got all weird seeing that symbol etched in the bowl he had with the samples the other day. 

After that, the "friendship" between Patrick and Alexander was revealed. Jeremy was already suspicious of Alexander's motives with Jerlina and this added to it. And both of them decided to check her logo to see what turns up.

Speaking about this did distract Jeremy and he had calmed down, "down there".

When the parent dances were announced, Jerlina saw Jeremy's father and stepmother walking up to the stage with a bright smile before their names were announced. Emma too stood up for some reason.

Eh, aren't you jumping the gun..?

Jerlina turned to her side and Jeremy didn't even notice them and was walking towards Dr. Kruger. She on the other hand welcomed uncle Pat to the dance stage.

"I love you, mom!" Jeremy shouted as loud as he could and the entire place filled with cheers. "Without you, I wouldn't even be alive!"

Dr. Kruger had tears rolling down her cheeks with his proclamation. It made her feel good.

Jerlina turned to look at Jeremiah Harrison and his wife. Their face changed colors and she saw Emma glaring at her.

Eh, what did I do? 

Mr. Greenwald turned at the boy near him. "Who's that?" he asked.

"That's TJ's foster mother. She raised him," the boy said and started to cheer.

"But his father..?" Mr. Greenwald asked to confirm. He was told that it would be beneficial for his investments if he uses them on someone connected with Volkonsky and so he decided to use it in Harrison Financials although he was a little skeptical hearing the cheating-rumors hanging around Jeremiah Harrison. 

But seems like the Harrisons are liars? 

"Oh, he abandoned TJ when he was very young for his other family, and TJ was raised by the doctor. Didn't you know? Everyone knows this..!" the boy didn't want to speak with this old man who is disturbing him and moved away.

Mr. Greenwald looked at the Harrison family returning to their seats with their heads bowed in shame. 

There are always fathers like this, aren't they? Wankers! They should be executed publicly after everyone pisses on their face!

He remembered his "father" and his eyebrows twitched in anger. His opinion about Jeremy skyrocketed in his heart.

Just like me, he overcame the big obstacle of an absentee father! 

Mr. Greenwald decided to spread it in his circles not to get involved with the Harrisons.

------

The dance went well and after that, they had the cake cutting ceremony. As they were seated, they doing the introductions of both the bride and the groom.

"There is a big clue for you here," Jeremy whispered in her ear.

"Clue? About what?" Jerlina asked.

"Something that connects us..." he winked and Jerlina wondered what it was.

Don't tell me he has a picture of us together on that day we met in the pub! Oh no, did we take pictures that night? Why don't I remember? 

First, it was the introduction about the groom, and Jerlina with a pounding heart saw every picture displayed on the big TV screens around. His mother was very pretty and she was glad Jeremy took her appearance. 

His father looks like a frog that got morphed into a hyena. 

How did that beauty fell for this frog... 

At least, Jeremy came out of that union..!

Of the many pictures that flashed was the picture of her in a onesie on Christmas eve and she wondered if they added that picture in his collections mistakenly. 

She waited for her messy appearance in the pub, but no such picture was there. 

Did he lie?

Then it was about her and her eyes teared up seeing her father and mother's wedding picture. And there were pictures of her with her mother and she missed her mom.

Her life would have turned differently if her mother was alive.

And that Christmas Eve picture flashed again and she shrugged. 

So they added this picture with Jeremy's picture mistakenly.

She wondered if Jeremy had a candid photo with her when she was in school or something. As she expected, Jeremy was in the background of one of the pictures taken as she was holding a cup with some of her schoolmates.

So, this is what he meant..! Did he want to be known as a stalker?

How did I not notice him in that picture before?

But that picture was when they got the first prize in a math quiz competition at the state level. She wanted her father to attend, but he couldn't.

(Surprise! Surprise! Gina had terrible tooth pain that day..!)

But he was there? And he had a bright smile... Was he happy that we won? Well, I answered most of the questions and so it is technically my win...

And...

"Thank you, Joel," she whispered in his ears.

Thank you for being there and for getting happy for me, although I didn't even know you were there.

He looked at her with a blank expression."You're an idiot," he replied and she pouted.

"No, I am a genius!" she said with her chin up. "I won a math quiz!"

"For f*ck sake!" Jeremy ended up laughing and kissed her forehead.

He thought she'd figure out both their mothers were in that picture together. But it seems like she is thankful for something entirely different. 

Who wants her thanks?

He wanted to flick her forehead and explain to her, but then she had a very proud smile and he decided to tell her another time. 

That moment in that photograph will be safe for all eternity. Both in my heart and in the paper...

I'll tell you later!