Forced Marriage: Escaping Her Monster

Scarlett walked to the living room and turned on the TV and watched whatever. Bobby stepped inside the kitchen.

"What did Emma want?" Bobby asked Jeremy. 

He saw Jerlina and Emma talking and he wanted to ask about it. Emma's presence there gave him an eerie feeling. He doesn't usually feel that way around her but this time he felt like... 

Maybe it was because of the dream.

"What else…" Jeremy shrugged. "She tried to provoke her, threw some insults at me… and… the usual…"

"I had a dream yesterday, Jerry," Bobby leaned on the counter. "Mom… she was in my dream and warned me to be careful…"

Jeremy kept the saucepot aside and listened to Bobby. But Bobby said no more. And so Jeremy returned to cooking.

"Today… I felt like Emma was there to make sure my mom was dead," Bobby said and Jeremy almost dropped his spatula.

He immediately wanted to refute him. Emma might be cruel at times and manipulate others but to be responsible for Daisy's death…

But Hank came to his memory. Although she was not directly involved in his death, she was involved. Could she be responsible for Daisy's death too? But there is no proof to point whether something nefarious is involved in Daisy's death.

"I expected you to immediately correct me, Jerry," Bobby said. 

"I…" Jeremy shrugged. "What do I know about her anymore? Right now, I'd lean towards your side than hers. But even if it is what you think it is… What could be the possible reason Emma wanted Daisy...?"

Jeremy looked at Bobby.

Bobby shook his head. He couldn't figure out that either. And that is the only reason he is holding himself back from killing Emma. Imagining the pain his mother was in during her last moments, he wanted to just smash the face of the one who let her suffer like that.

His mother shouldn't have suffered like that! 

"Everything she was curious about today was the cause for mom's death and are they suspecting it to be not an accident," Bobby added. 

Jeremy wanted to say that it could be because Emma is senseless and probably did it out of curiosity. But he was not willing to defend her crude behaviors anymore. 

If she acts this way, people are going to react this way too!

"The camera in that alleyway was not working for ages and I've asked people to check every camera in a three-block radius and filter every person and find out if they knew Daisy. It would take some time," Jeremy told Bobby what he is currently doing.

"So… you had doubts..?" Bobby asked.

"Not towards Emma. But…" Jeremy shrugged. "We don't lead a life with no enemies, Bobby. And we have families we have to protect. And with the recent happenings in Peyton and me going against the politicians… I'm not sure anymore. I wish Mark was still alive. He'd have been a great help," Jeremy sighed.

"Yeah," Bobby agreed. "Why don't you bring your mother here? She looked terrible. It's not good for her to stay in the clinic. Even my mom isn't-" Bobby's throat closed.

He still couldn't come to terms that his mother is not with him anymore.

"She's adamant. Jerlina's at it. I hope she convinces her soon," Jeremy sighed. 

"Could she know something, Jerry? Mom… she'd have told everything to the doctor, right?" Bobby asked. 

His mother is no more and he couldn't settle in his current mind-set. He wanted something and even he didn't know what he wanted.

"If Daisy knew something, half the town probably knows it already," Jeremy said and Bobby had to agree. 

It's not a secret that his mother is not very good at keeping secrets.

"And you know how my mom is. She is not going to tell us anything she doesn't want to even if we-" Jeremy sighed. "Did Scar say anything?"

"No," Bobby shook his head. 

What Jeremy says makes sense. Maybe he was the one overreacting. 

"Anyway… the truth would be out once your investigation is finished…" Bobby consoled himself. 

Jeremy got to Jerlina to wake her up and grumbled seeing Earl sprawled on the bed. After they returned, Earl is acting like a baby and is sticking to her and he even stopped listening to him.

My wife spoiled my dog silly!

"Jeryl," he kissed her forehead.

Her temperature was way down and she woke up just after he called her once.

"How are you feeling?" he asked and she smiled.

"I feel fine!" she got up stretching herself. "And you smell fine too, mister," she pulled him by the collar.

With a smile Jeremy leaned closer and closed his eyes. He thought he'd be kissed, but she started sniffing him.

"Roast duck! Yay!" she jumped down from the bed. 

"You seem fine," Jeremy was happy, 

"I am. I told you I shall be fine with a little sleep, right? I am strong," she flexed her arms making him smile. "One moment…" she was about to enter the bathroom.

"Bobby and Scar are joining us," Jeremy told her. 

"That's great!" she waved. "The more the merrier." 

  When Jeremy got down Scar had set the table. 

"How is she?" she asked.

"Better," Jeremy answered. 

"Hello, Bobby, Scar," Jerlina walked in.

"How is your fever?" Scarlett checked her temperature. "I am not trusting Jerry's words."

Jerlina laughed. "I am fine, really."

They had dinner together. They've been somber for a while and this time they weren't. Jerlina could feel that Bobby is carefully avoiding talking about the funeral or about Daisy. It is acceptable since he might feel the need to move on now that they have buried his mother.

"I am stealing your wife," Scarlett pulled Jerlina to the guest room and Bobby stood there shocked.

"Where would I-"

"Oh, I'll let you join me soon, darling," Scarlett sent a flying kiss to  Bobby and pulled Jerlina to the room.

Bang!

The door closed and Bobby let out a sigh. 

It would be good if everything gets better soon.

"Want to watch a game?" Jeremy asked. 

He had a feeling that the girls would take a long time to return seeing the big bottle of wine Scarlett was sneaking into the room.

"Do you have the recording of the Thanksgiving match? We can watch it again,"  Bobby said. 

He wanted to return to the time when everything was happy and perfect.