Forced Marriage: Escaping Her Monster

But then it immediately went away as he never told Emma that he likes Jerlina. Had she known that her brother likes her friend, she'd be supportive and not let her petty vengeance get the best of her. 

But...

Jeremy recalled Mark's words. If the boy who was with Emma that day was Gerard, why did the both of them pretend to not know each other in front of him? 

Jeremy had an impression that the boy had powerful connections and that's why Jeremiah Harrison made sure he doesn't find out his name. And every footage that could have proved his guilt was scrubbed off from records somehow.

That year, he was barely nineteen and in no way had the standing he has now. Everything he has now, he gained them after he met his Luna. But he was planning to make that boy face justice. That well-protected boy was a minor and since it was his first offense, he won't face harsh punishments. 

But Jeremiah protected that boy and even withheld that boy's name from him and called him names ad asked what right does he has to let another one face justice when he is a delinquent. 

He, in no way, was a saint, but he never killed anyone who doesn't deserve it. He had never hurt women unnecessarily and certainly would never touch a pregnant woman even if she hurt him. 

When he found out how depressed that woman's husband was and all he wanted was closure for his wife and child's untimely death, he asked Emma for the boy's name. He assured her that all the husband wanted was a sincere apology and that boy would be let off since the husband didn't even want to proceed with the judicial process as he was so depressed.

But no... even Emma refused to give him the name. By how adamant she was, he had the impression that she is infatuated with that boy and was trying to protect him. She was just a wide-eyed fourteen-year-old teenager, after all.

It was a turbulent time in Emma's life as her father almost disowned her since he didn't want his reputation to get ruined.  Jeremiah said if that boy is outed, Emma will be thrown as the scapegoat by that boy's family and he won't let the Harrison name thrown into the mud.

Jeremy had to give up outing that boy since Emma's health deteriorated because of the stress.

A year later Jeremy found out that the husband ended his life unable to overcome his depression. He lost everything in just a day and it was too much for him to bear. In a way, that boy was responsible for the death of three people.   

Jeremy gently caressed Jerlina's back and she seemed to have calmed down a little. Her breathing was steady and he thought she'd fall asleep soon.

He sank back to his thoughts.

Gerard was that boy and he has Feldstein connections? Figures why Jeremiah was ecstatic when Emma introduced Gerard as her fiancé! Haha... he lusts for the connections with molesters and perverts now? Birds of the feather...

And Emma... she didn't...

"Joel... Joel..." her soft voice interrupted his thoughts.

"Yes," he kissed her head. Having her in his embrace made his heart, body, and soul warm. He wished this moment lasted forever.

"Joel, I love..." 

Jeremy's heart started racing. He knew she is not going to say that she loves him, but still, his name and love in the same sentence uttered by her gave him the good kind of butterflies in his stomach.

"Joel... Joel...I love saying this name..." she said and he chuckled. 

He didn't feel disappointed since he didn't have any expectations. 

"Joel...Jo-el... Yo-el..." she started giggling.

"You can say it as much as you want if you like it," he kissed her forehead. He wanted to keep on kissing all over her, but he knew he would lose control. He didn't want to repeat what he did days back and scare her.

"Why do you keep on kissing me?" she asked and pouted. 

"I want to..." he said and pecked on her lips. 

Did she already forget she started this?

Yes, he is taking advantage of a drunk woman... but, she is cute...and she is his wife.

"Why?" she asked and he placed his forehead on hers. 

"You want to know?" he asked and she nodded.

"Yes."

"Will you even remember it in the morning?"

She was silent for a while and then giggled. "I won't. I am horrible when drunk..."

Jeremy deliberated in his heart whether he should tell her or not. He didn't know what will happen between them and he had a feeling she would leave him. But he decided to tell her. She won't remember and he won't get another chance.

He tried to speak, but his voice didn't come out.

The truth he protected in his heart; those simple three words...  he didn't know it would be that hard to say.

That moment he spent with her years ago should have been just that – a grain of sand in his pile of memories. It's not like she is the only woman he spent time with.

But that moment didn't turn to be a grain of sand at the beach. It turned to be the grain of sand stuck in an oyster. That little grain of sand started to form into a pearl and became strong and beautiful. He kept that oyster shut in the corner of his brain trying to stop the growth of the pearl, but that pearl didn't stop growing. And now it has already been a well-formed, perfectly spherical pearl.

"Why, Joel?" 

Should I reveal it to her?

"Because I love you."

He said and a very odd feeling rushed over him. He felt refreshed... like how a dirty road would be cleansed after a rain shower... 

He observed her reaction. He knew she is not sober and he cannot expect anything from her, but still, his heart raced.

"You love me..." her eyes solely focused on him and he could not say what she was thinking. 

"Why?" she asked next and he felt like a fish out of water. Which reason should he say?

"Simply because you're you..." he held her cheek and looked in her eyes. "I love everything about you. Your strength, maturity, resilience, kindness, your will to succeed, your hard work, your humility, your patience... your weakness,"  he wiped the tear rolling down from the corner of her eye. "Your eyes, your beauty, your voice, your scent..."

His voice trembled and his eyes clouded. 

"You're a smooth talker, Joel..." she said with a sniff. 

"I mean what I say... " he smiled at her wiping the corner of his eyes.

"Now that you know that I love you, what should we do?" he looked at her. He could say she was a little stunned.