Forced Marriage: Escaping Her Monster

Jerlina didn't want to answer Mark Maverick's question. She was glad she knew a lot more about Jeremy and her heart was moved knowing how much he had helped her in the past.

But what should I do about it..?

She didn't want to think that far.

It was then she heard loud horn sounds and she saw Gerard's car slowing down in front of the pub. She saw two guys beside him shouting some profanities asking him to leave. 

She knew Gerard won't stop the car. But when the car almost stopped, she was a little excited that he is coming for her, but her excitement didn't even last a second as his car speed off.

"Hmm... guess he was let to live," she shrugged and had another glass of scotch. She could feel that she is getting tipsy, but she didn't want to stop. Because when she is sober, she is only thinking odd things.

"Hey Mark, do you know Harold Feldstein was Gerard's uncle?" she asked. Only after asking she realized that she said something she should not say. But seeing the knowing smile on Mark, she was relieved.

So, he already knew!

Mark didn't know about this. But since he is the way he is, people assume he knows a lot and that's how he sometimes gathers secrets.

But he knew that Gerard was involved in a hit-and-run case in which a pregnant woman died when he was in high school. Emma too was in the car and somehow both of them were let go.

So that's how they got away.... and that's why Harrison was proud to accept him as his son-in-law. 

Understandable!

"By the way," Mark saw her unreadable expression and decided to tell her another important truth. According to Maddy, this might be the thing that will keep her away from Jerry. And so he wanted to make it clear to her.

"Your car is ready...that Camry?" he added seeing her confused stare.

"Camry? How did they fix it? Wasn't it totaled?" Jerlina asked with a hiccup.

"Totaled? No! There was a fault in the airbags and it deployed randomly. Otherwise, some scratches needed paint job... want to see the pictures? I was the one who drove your car to the garage... I took pictures to see if it needed a tow truck...wait...It's somewhere here..." he scrolled through his phone.

"Jeremy said there was a semi-truck approaching on the road and so tried to stop you, but... Ah, here it is..."

Jerlina got Mark's phone and squinted her eyes to look. It was exactly the place where she was rammed at and as Mark said her car didn't even have dents. 

"You drove the car?" she asked as she remembered the car not starting up when she tried.

"Yeah, we had to jump the car since the battery died, but otherwise it was fine..."

Mark continued speaking and Jerlina's stomach churned. 

I was there... His car rammed on my car and... there was a loud noise I heard then. Was that the semi-truck?

  Are they even telling the truth? Or are they gaslighting me?

But what benefit does Mark have to lie to me?

Maybe because I was scared that day, everything seemed frightening? I had backache even when I left the cabin. So did my miscarriage start then? Was the doctor right when she said that the accident could not have caused the miscarriage? Even Daisy agreed.

Maybe because she thought about that day, her stomach started to hurt exactly like that day. She poured herself some more scotch and emptied the glass.

I don't want to think about that day... I don't...

Mark saw her getting distressed and regretted bringing up that incident. It seems like she is still a bundle of nerves regarding that day and no matter what he says, she'll only suffer.

Maybe it's too soon to talk about that?

"Hey, dearie... I heard that you thought Jerry was out to get you because of that school fight between you and Emma, but why didn't you even doubt that it could be related to the pub incident?" he decided to change the topic. 

She wasn't that distressed talking about the past.

Jerlina, who was about to retch thinking about that day, got distracted by the question. "Why..? Because Emma said her brother will get back at me for her and I didn't think about anything else... And also, when I saw TJ in front of my school days later, he didn't have a beard but the guy I met at the pub had a goatee..."

Honestly, that was one of the reasons she never doubted the guy she slept with could be TJ – the beard. But...

"Bwaaahaaahaaa" Mark laughed out loud making Jerlina bow her head. Honestly, she was stupid. A guy cannot grow a beard in three days but can shave off his beard. 

"If only a magical tool to shave beards in minutes was invented back then! Poor men... they had to wait a week to have their beards shaven... In those days, a guy cannot lose his beard in three days..." 

Mark went on laughing and Jerlina pouted. "And Emma-"

"Ah, yes... that cunning girl..." Mark's face turned serious. Jerlina wondered if Mark doesn't like Emma, but then his usual smile returned to his face.

How did this one end up with that guy? 

Jeremy has a good eye for choosing his mate. He just needs the conviction to make her his.

"I envy you, dearie... if copying an assignment is the biggest crime you committed and you thought death was an appropriate punishment for that... you are a saint compared to us weasels..."

"It is a crime though..." Jerlina said and Mark smiled wryly.

"I don't understand your thinking...It's nothing compared to... I put a bullet right between my father's eyes, point blank, just because I didn't want a tattoo... I am lauded as a hero for that. Do you think I will consider what you did a crime? Jerry too..." Mark shook his head and Jerlina went silent. 

"But I get it... she made you believe that..."

"Yes," Jerlina nodded. "She's an evil person. I hope she gets all the unpleasant things in life..." 

Jerlina started grumbling like an old man. Mark sent the waitress to get Jeremy since he could see Jerlina is drunk.

He wasn't surprised to see Jeremy running there in just minutes. And his face was swollen at places. He fell in love and is getting hit by a useless guy.

"Why did you get her drunk? She's still recovering..." Jeremy was not pleased to see her slumped on the table.

Mark watched Jeremy running to her and checking her. As he picked her up, Mark came to him,

"Any man who is willing to send his woman to another man is scum and a coward. And... just now I heard that he is Harold Feldstein's nephew... that accident Emma got involved in... He was the one with her... Your father knows who he is, your sister too, probably..."

Mark sighed seeing Jeremy's leaving back. 

Think hard, Jerry... Let go of the Harrisons.