Forced Marriage: Escaping Her Monster

Jerlina lowered her eyes and looked away. Jeremy held her closer fearing she might run away. He thought she sobered up and his heart raced thinking about what he just did. 

I confessed!

"We..." her breath tickled his neck as she was nestling there. "Us... it's not... "

"We are not possible?" he asked. He didn't want to look at her face in case she is sober.

"It's..." she struggled to say the words. "that day... I don't think I can forget..."

Jeremy rested his chin on the crown of her head and hugged her close. He knew what day she is talking about. 

"I didn't...I didn't mean to... I didn't know you were with a child... but that's not an excuse..." his voice trembled and he squeezed her close to him. 

"I am sorry, Jerlina... I am sorry..."

He started trembling still holding her and his tears dripped on her hair. 

"And I thought you were just shocked and wanted to go to the hospital... I couldn't see any wound on you and the airbags didn't actually hurt you...I am sorry, I assumed... "

Jerlina could feel her hair getting wet. She could process some of the things happening around her. She had little control over what she says and does, but her brain was operating in some capacity. 

He confessed!

Her mind went blank with how honest he was. But his heartfelt words made her cry for some reason. She didn't want to process that information and skipped from thinking about it. 

Thinking about love, all she remembered was that day she lost the baby she loved and wanted to protect.

And next he started apologizing.

Although her brain was functioning with a ten percentage capacity, she could understand that he is hurting.

And she, who was blaming him for her miscarriage till then, didn't want to see him hurt.

Maybe it was the alcohol, maybe it was her missing brain functions, or maybe because of the truths she learned, she didn't want to be blaming him for what happened that day.

  She silently listened to him.

"Jerlina...I didn't see you were going through excruciating pain... and I was just... you were in pain and I just focused on getting your signature... I am sorry... It's my fault... I wronged you... I hurt you... I know you can't forgive me, but please know that I am terribly sorry about it... You did nothing wrong and yet you were the one who went through unthinkable pain while I... I am responsible for that... I made you feel scared and insecure... you lived in fear because of me and... I wronged you..."

'You did nothing wrong and yet...'

Those words he uttered... those words that were spoken from his heart... the words she wanted to hear from Gerard... It was TJ who was saying that to her. And she could feel that he carried the weight of the guilt in his heart till then. 

He too is broken just like me. 

She could slowly feel less tired and felt like she was sobering up. Tears started to flood her eyes. 

"Just..." she tried to look up, but he pressed her on his chest. "You're not going to say that my car's airbag was faulty?" she asked. 

His apology didn't have a single excuse. Although he could have said a lot of excuses, he didn't. He didn't know that she was pregnant and he had no obligation to protect her. She couldn't believe she was thinking that he is too much of a good guy. 

"But... you weren't supposed to be out...I failed to protect you..." Jeremy was a little stunned by her question, but he answered. Her voice wasn't slurring anymore and he figured that she is sobering up.

"Do you know where I was going?" she asked and got out of his hold. She wanted to look at him in the eyes when she spoke to him. "I was going to meet Gerard. And do you know why? Because I was going to tell him that I was pregnant to stop the wedding. If I didn't know there was a wedding, I wouldn't have tried that hard and escaped. And did you ever wonder how I found the car keys?" she paused seeing him knitting his brows. 

His entire face was bruised and his lips and cheekbone had started to swell. His beard covered half his face and she didn't know where else he was hurt. 

Did he let Gerard hit him because of the guilt he felt? That was not necessary. With what moral superiority did Gerard hit TJ? Didn't he abandon me?

"I found them on the table... I bet you didn't accidentally leave it there, did you?" she asked. "It was as if someone deliberately planned for my escape by provoking me and giving me a way to leave. I don't know what intentions they had. Do you know?" she asked. 

She knew Emma's name from her mouth will only make TJ angry and so she spoke in a roundabout way.

Jeremy knew she was talking about Emma and for some reason, she made sense. His password could have been figured out by Emma if she gave it a try and she could have gotten the keys from the locker. And only Emma met with Jerlina and she provoked her by telling her about her wedding. 

Is Jerlina implying Emma knew she was pregnant? Or...

"What do you think Emma had planned?" 

  "I don't know..." Jerlina spoke softly. "I heard there was a semi-truck..."

Jerlina paused as she could feel TJ's hand around her back stiffening. She feared he would shout at her or worse hit her for insinuating Emma planned to murder her.

She tried to get out of his embrace, but he held her close.

"Sleep..." he patted her head gently.

She actually implied that the 18-wheeler was there to kill her and Emma arranged for it!

Jeremy got a little angry, but then he thought there are a lot of coincidences there that cannot be ignored. The presence of the 18-wheeler that day was already doubtful with the driver dead and if someone planned for Jerlina to leave the cabin, then it definitely is a murder attempt. 

Thankfully he was able to stop her from getting on the highways.

But who planned it?

Emma was fine that day and why did she suddenly get depressed and wanted to meet with Jerlina? Did someone manipulate her to make sure Jerlina leaves the cabin?

Her mother..? Her father..? Harold?

Jeremiah Harrison... was it you? In your wish to establish your connections with the contacts of Cooper, did you do it? Did you find out Jerlina and Gerard were together? Did you think Jerlina might come between Emma and Gerard and decided to end her life?

If I find out there is any truth to it, I will end your life with my own hands breaking my promise to my mother!

Or was it from Gerard's side? They seem to be scum too.

I will spare no one once I find out the truth.

Jeremy gritted his teeth and held her close.