Jonathan's POV
Clothes were laying around. One cup of tea was empty, while the other one was half full.
I picked the letter up.
I began reading again.
I don't know how many times I've read it over the past few days.
But the moment I stop, the house feels so empty.
Not being able to hear Janet's laughter, feels like I don't have a heartbeat.
Even now if I closed my eyes, I could see Janet running around.
Nicky calling Janet to eat as she would never eat on time.
Placing a cup of tea beside me as I would be busy on my laptop.
Or the dining table chair pulled out slightly, a hope she had, I would come for dinner.
I began to sort out already sorted folders.
Then I went to the bathroom, and again stared at myself.
I looked like I had aged overnight.
Bags were under my eyes.
I smiled on seeing my unshaved face
Veronica hated me with a beard.
"Come and tell me to shave…I'll shave this very moment."
"Didn't you always say my beard pricked your skin when I kissed you?"
Then I recalled the time I scolded her.
Flashback
"Jonathan," she said. "Stop it. I told you I don't like beards. They're prickly."
"Nicky," I said, a little annoyed. "Don't say this again. Imelda likes beards. If as her fiancé, I won't follow her preferences, then who will?"
A small hurtful laugh crept out of my mouth.
"I actually said that to her?" I scoffed. "Her husband said he has to follow his fake fiancé's preference, over hers?"
"No wonder she left me."
Then my eyes fell on the note board on the table.
I found three more taxi numbers with the same sequence.
I picked up my phone and began to check the numbers out.
"Sir," the taxi driver said. "I'm certain I picked a woman and a child from the building, but I don't remember the exact location. I think it was the fifteenth street downtown."
"Thanks."
I sighed as for me any location is equal to everything.
I drove off and reached the location.
I drove around, knocked on some doors.
All in vain.
At the end of the day…
It was another street.
Another closed door.
Another person saying, 'they don't know.
"Why is everyone acting like she never existed? Not one person said, she looks familiar."
Then I saw the sun was now orange.
My throat was also dry.
Again it was the wrong location.
None of the locals recognized her photo.
"No,"
"Never seen her."
"You're at the wrong place."
"Shouldn't you report with the police if your wife is missing?"
Yes, I should.
If only I wasn't Jonathan Rollings.
And Imelda Harmon wasn't my fiancée in public.
Today I realized silence could be heavier than answers.
I was in the kitchen when I heard the doorbell.
Now I didn't react as I knew she had left me, and until I win her back, she's not coming back to me.
My focus had shifted.
I was no longer searching for her.
I was sorting the events out.
Trying to make out where I hurt her so badly, she couldn't even tell me she was hurt or angry,
I stood there holding the door open as Imelda strode in like it was her home.
She threw her purse on the table…a thing Veronica hated whenever she would come over.
"Jonathan," she looks at me with a frown on her forehead.
Her gaze scanned the room. She examined the clutter. The clothes on the floor.
She smirks.
"Well, when she was here, at least the place was…clean."
Then she turned towards me.
"Look at yourself."
"Who'll say you're the CEO of Rollings Designs?"
"You have to stop this…depressed Romeo façade."
"Jonathan, why can't you see this?"
"It's all so clear. She left you."
"Honestly, the way she ran off, I'm amazed she's such a weak woman. And she used to say she loved you."
She scoffed.
"This is her love? A simple kiss and she.."
"Forget it…who am I speaking about? A poor girl who just couldn't wait to enjoy the life of a rich wife. She only had to wait one more year."
"One more year??" I scoffed. "She's been waiting for seven years, and you told me only five years, now you say one more?"
"You know," I said with pinched eyebrows. "I'm beginning to doubt your intentions."
"Did you ever plan on letting me go back—"
"Oh, Jonathan," Imelda said, sounding a little hurt. "How could you say that?"
She kept the glass on the table in anger, it almost tumbled off.
"By now you should know I'll only be with the man who loves me, and we have no love for each other."
"And, don't put the blame on me."
"What do you mean by that?" I said. "If not for your deal, would I have concealed our marriage?"
"Jonathan," she said. "You're the one who didn't acknowledge her. You're the one who stood by as others humiliated her. Why would she stay back for you?"
Today for the first time I realized how good Imelda was in turning lies into daggers that were sharper than real daggers.
A bitter laugh escaped my lips as fragments of memories flashed by my eyes.
Every party, the same.
Veronica would be standing in the corner holding a tray of drinks.
I recalled when someone said.
"Oh, you hired the widow again."
I heard it clearly.
I knew she wasn't a widow as I'm alive, her husband.
I even took a step forward.
But…
Got stopped by Imelda.
Another time, important guests including Sanders were there.
She was again in the corner.
She was looking at me.
As if saying, "Just look at me once.
I could also see the pain on her face when she saw Sanders was out and not in jail.
I saw everything…
But, still looked away.
And Janet…
When she ran towards me with her bright eyes.
"Daddy–"
But before she could reach me…
Imelda's voice called out.
"Adrain, come over honey."
And he clung onto my leg, making me bend down and lift him up in my arms.
And when I looked back at her.
Janet…
Had lost her smile, and walked away quietly.
And most of all…Imelda.
How she manages every time…
Every single time.
Whenever I was ready to talk to Nicky or be close to Janet…
She would appear.
A call.
A touch.
A grab of the arm.
Her pretend fiancé's words.
"Jonathan, could you please help?"
"Jonathan, could you please drop me off?"
Every time she called, I would leave no matter what or how Veronica and Janet were.
"Imelda," I said in my mind. "If I find out everything you did was deliberate, I won't spare you."
Maybe I was quiet for too long or she really changed.
"Jonathan," she said, sighing like a little girl. "You got me wrong."
She got and sat on the arm rest.
"Let's go back to your mansion," she said, placing her hand on mine. "Focus on your business. You're so close to getting the Blue Heart Project. Do you want Veronica's hard work to go in vain?"
Then she went back to her place.
"I know why she left."
"What??" I said, shocked.
"She got kissed by a stranger, of course she'd be angry. Let her cool down, she'll come back once she's out of money. How much could she have gotten from that job of hers? Sanders is happy and he's the only one who can get you that project. Now come on…"
Imelda was looking at me with a weird gleam in her eyes.
More like she was ready to pounce on her prey.
I don't know why, but seeing her look…something snapped inside of me.
Flashbacks of Janet's sad face when I wouldn't look at her but let Adrian call me 'dad'.
Veronica's letter…every word was like her face sneering at me.
The taxi failures…each close moment made me go further.
Then I recalled Imelda saying, 'One more year…
"One more year," I said in a barely audible voice, just to myself. "Back then she said, 'five years, and this extra year, she never mentioned."
I sat upright.
"She was waiting for me…"
"Huh?" Imelda said as I spoke.
"Seven years…"
The throbbing sounds in my head disappeared.
Things that looked confusing…
Seems to be making sense now.
"I didn't lose Nicky the day she left….I lost her the day I chose something else over her."
"Jonathan," Imelda said. "You misjudged me. I was only saying for your better. Blue Heart Project is almost in our grasp. Once Veronica finds out, she'll come running back. But if you go after her now, she won't come back."
I began to wonder.
Why does she always hold my hand, stop me from talking, or interrupts whenever I'm about to stand up for Veronica or talk to her.
From day one, she's been pressuring me with the project.
And recently there's one thing that's been bothering me.
The biggest issue with that is the timing.
It somehow doesn't match.
"And, why…everything that's going wrong in my life, leads to Imelda…"
Ever since I got the mansion, she's always found ways to make me stay there…away from Veronica.
From the time I agreed to her deal…she's been controlling me.
"Imelda," My tone was cold, and steady. "I told before, I'm telling again. Don't come in between me and Nicky."
Imelda was obviously shaken as she began to stutter.
"Jonathan…I..I don't know what you're saying…Come between you both…when…when did I…anyway, don't dig too deep."
With that she left.
As the door closed behind her,
Silence came back.
This time it didn't feel empty.
It felt…wrong.
As much as she says she doesn't know what I said or she never came between us…
I knew she was the only reason..
But that didn't minus the fact, I still felt someone was helping her.
But who?
And why do I have the feeling, whoever it is…
Either knows me, or someone around me.