Forced Marriage: Escaping Her Monster

"You lied to me...!" Matilda started to laugh. "She's alive… she never was dead!"

Watching her laugh, Jerlina could hear her heart beating in her ears. She didn't know how that could happen. It probably is because her blood pressure is high since her heart is pounding faster and she could hear the blood pulsating near her ear… Or something of that sort.

Or she's ill!

But right now, that laughing woman made her anger double.

Those desperate state she was in some months ago came to her mind. She had lost all hope and trusted no one. She thought she had lost everything and she didn't even have the money to give a proper burial to her baby.

All because of this woman and she is laughing?

"Are you still laughing, b*tch? After everything you've done to me?" Jerlina knelt on her lap making Matilda wince in pain. Matilda is no spring chicken anymore and although Jerlina is light, her knees against her abdomen gave her immense pain.

But before she could gather herself, a series of hits ended on her face, head and her hair got pulled.

Jeremy was stunned for a moment. He could see that Jerlina has turned hysteric. And it reminded him of that time when she came at him with a pair of scissors. 

He wouldn't mind if Jerlina kills that woman but by using her hands to hit her, she is hurting herself too. And he saw a scratch on her hand that was bleeding. It was probably because she got scratched by that vile woman's diamond ring. 

Jonathan lunged forward reflexively seeing Jerlina falling suddenly but seeing her hitting Matilda he relaxed. Gordon tried to pull back Jerlina but Jeremy got to her first. 

"Jeryl…" Jeremy hugged her from behind her. "You're bleeding, darling," he spoke softly and hugged her back.

"That's enough…" he whispered in her ears. "Don't hurt yourself for her. I'm here, aren't I? We'll take care of her together…" he started speaking softly in her ears. 

Jerlina who was in a trance as she was hitting Matilda snapped out hearing that gentle voice. Slowly she started to compose herself. 

That's right… I have Joel… I lost a lot, I was in a pathetic state, but… Joel was there with me. Although I thought I was alone, I really wasn't. I had the gentlest and loveliest man protecting me. And like a silver lining of the darkest cloud I've ever seen, I got to know Joel…

Silver lining? He was the light who pulled me out of my darkness and changed my life for the better!

My love, my Joel!

Leaning on his chest, Jerlina took in deep breaths as his big hand gently patted on her back, she became calm.

"My love… I am here…" he kissed her cheek and she sucked in a deep breath.

"I know, Joel… I know…" with her eyes closed, her hand ended up on his cheek, soft and prickly with his beard hair. "I'm sorry for-"

"Don't apologize, Jeryl," he kissed her cheek. "You did nothing wrong."

"Hmm," Jerlina opened her eyes and only then she noticed the people around her. 

She was ashamed for acting like a hysteric shrewd who needs to be sent to the insane asylum and her hands clenched Jeremy's collar tightly.

Jeremy rested his chin on her head as he hugged her closer in his chest. In his warmth, she slowly regained her courage and she faced Jeremy,

As always, he had that pleasant smile that reveals a lot of his protective love; his peculiar smile that is meant only for her.

And she felt all her shame washed away in that smile. Those blue eyes held the same want he always has for her. 

That's right! I don't care what others think of me. I have my Joel! He won't judge me for this and that is enough for me!

"I am fine now, Thank you, Joel…" Jerlina wiped her face and got up. 

By now the four hundred count for Ronald Kingsely has been finished and that guy was rolling on the floor holding his head. 

Jerlina noticed the wheelchair and after she helped Joel up, she gave her polite smile.

"I apo-" she gulped swallowing her words as she remembered Jeremy's words that she has no need to apologize.

He is right! She was the one who is wronged. There is no need for her to be apologetic. 

"It's nice to meet you, great-grandpa!" she smiled.

A long sigh escaped the old man's mouth looking at her. But then he waved his hand for her to get closer to him and she did. Jeremy followed her closely.

Jerlina gave her hand to Jonathan Erling as he held out his hand. His rough hands grabbed her hands and she pressed her lips as Jonathan rested his forehead on her hand. 

The next moment she saw him shaking and her eyes widened and she looked at Gordon. He looked petrified too. She felt warm tears on her hand and she took a step forward.

"Great-grandpa…" she said not knowing what else to say. 

"Oh, dear…" the old man mumbled and started to shake once more. 

She had no good opinion about him but the way he acted melted her heart. The next moment, she was on her knees and her other hand hugged him around his back. 

"Don't cry…" she said and rubbed his back. 

"I won't, my dear…" Jonathan wiped his face with a handkerchief he had in his pocket. He then cupped her cheeks and placed a kiss on her forehead. 

"Now that I've seen you, I won't cry anymore…" he tried to smile, but through the puffy eyebags under his eyes that were pronounced more by his wrinkles, tears started rolling down. 

Jerlina couldn't help but wipe them. She could sense that he is not pretending but he is actually emotional seeing her. And he looked a little better in person than through the video call.

"That's good, great-grandpa," she smiled and this smile was from her heart.

Maybe Jonathan could see it, he laughed still holding her cheeks. "I was waiting for you the past eleven days… I was so happy I thought I might die but I wanted to meet you so I sent away the grim reaper…"

"Don't talk about dying, great-grandpa…" Jerlina said as she felt awkward discussing death with an old man. 

"I should apologize first," he patted her shoulders. Jerlina could feel his hands shaking. She figured it should be because of his old age.

"I wanted to welcome you from the airport but my doctors forbade me… And this one…" his eyes turned vicious as he looked at Matilda. 

"She made you suffer?" he asked. 

"Yes, very much," Jerlina spoke openly. 

That woman who made her life hell without even knowing her personally only made her cringe.

"Then you decide what we can do to her," Jonathan wasn't even a little bit hesitant to say that.