AUTHOR'S P.O.V
The moment Jessy pressed her lips onto Arthur's, his world stopped. Suddenly all their memories came rushing in front of him, he remembered those days when he was still with her. The feeling was nostalgic to him. Before he could process what just happened, Thea's face came flashed in his eyes, he instantly pushed Jessy away.
He was taken back, with what just happened. He couldn't believe he nearly fall into the moment, he mentally punched himself repeatedly, but he was grateful and relief that he didn't kiss her back.
Jessy felt like she had been slapped multiple times. She couldn't believe what she just did, what she had just ruined again. She brought her hand to her mouth, feeling guilty that she just caused more damaged, not only to her, but to an innocent family.
"What the fuck did you just do, Jessy?!" Arthur nearly shouted at her, but prevented from doing it because his only son was sleeping on the other side of the house.
Jessy couldn't look at him in his eyes, she was ashamed of herself for what she just did. "Arthur, I'm so sorry. I didn't know what I was doing"
Suddenly Arthur felt stressed. He was not sure whether he needs to tell Thea about the incident or just abandon the idea. He didn't want her to get stressed, even though he didn't kiss Jessy.
"I'm really sorry, I was just.. I was not myself. It was so wrong of me to do that, Arthur I'm really sorry"
He shook his head and looked everywhere but her. He was disappointed in her. They made an agreement from the very beginning that no strings attached, right now their job is being good parents for Josh.
"You had no right to do that," he was trying to stay calm as much as he can. "I don't tolerate unwanted incidents like that, ever again"
His words felt like a sharp knife to her. It did hurt her. But he was right, she has no right to kiss him. He made it clear to her that he no longer has that same feeling to her 4 years ago. He is no longer hers. She was just being hopeless.
"Next time you try to pull something like that again, I warn you.. I won't hesitate to make you regret it"
Jessy gulped down as he said that. He never raised his voice at her, let alone threaten her like that. But Arthur was serious about it. He doesn't want anything like that to ever happen again. Jessy no longer has a place in his heart, no matter how much he loved her back then. Right now, she is just the mother of his son, nothing more.
"And one more thing," he said after a while. "I'd appreciate it if you don't tell my wife what just happened. I will tell her myself"
Jessy could see how much Arthur loves Thea just by how he talks about her. Her heart crushed as she realized she has really lost him. Her place is replaced by Thea. There's no chance for her to have him back.
"Are we clear?"
"I-I understand. I promise it won't happen again," she promised him, and she mean it this time.
"Keep your words and we will be fine," he rose up from his place, no longer wanted to stay here any longer. "I best be leaving now"
He didn't wait for her to respond to him, he left her room to the main door. Jessy rose up and followed him behind. Arthur was about to leave when Jessy stopped him.
"I'm sorry, Arthur"
But what she received in reply was a slam on the door, making her flinched. Arthur didn't bother to look at her, he just wanted to go home to meet his wife, and think about the way to tell her what just happened.
"Arthur?" Thea called him as she saw him looking lost. "Are you okay?"
Thea couldn't help but wondering why Arthur has been acting weird lately. He looked anxious, and sometimes he came up to her like he wanted to say something but ended up not saying it anyway. Everytime she asked him what was wrong, he would tell her everything was fine.
Arthur has so badly wanted to tell her what had happened that night, he hates keeping secrets from her. But he didn't want her to stress over the fact that her husband was kissed by his ex-fianceé, even though he didn't kiss her back. He didn't want her to worry about it, even though it killed him inside everytime he told her nothing was wrong. She has had a tough day dealing with morning sickness and stuff, he didn't need to add another stress for her worry about.
That night when Arthur came back home, Thea saw him looking stressed. She didn't ask him what happened, she assumed it had something to do with work. But then she found Arthur looking anxious whenever he faced her, or that's just her mind overthinking stuff.
"Arthur, come here" she gestured him to come. He didn't need to be told twice, he came up to her and she instantly pulled him into hug. "You're so tensed"
He went relaxed as he was greeted with the warmth from his wife, forgetting the stress that's weighing his shoulder for days.
"I'm just stressed.. with work" he hates lying to her, but he couldn't tell her about the kiss, at least not now. But he also told her the truth about being stressed over work. Things had been pretty stressful in the office.
"Is there anything I can do to help you?" she asked.
He felt bad that even Thea wanted to help him. He felt like he didn't deserve her kindness, after keeping secret to her about what happened.
"Your presence has helped me enough," he said truthfully. He wanted nothing but being in his wife's arm. "I just want to lie down with you"
"Okay, let's lie down then"
After getting into a comfortable position, Arthur instantly pulled his wife closer and buried his face on the crook of her neck, carefully not to press her stomach. Thea ran her hand through his hair, giving a gentle stroke through his hair.
Being in each other's arms has always been their favorite way to find comfort.
"Your mum visited me today" Thea broke the silence.
"She did? What did she want?"
"Nothing, just wanted to check on me and her future grandchild. She said she can't wait to help me delivering our baby" she giggled.
Elisa has become Thea's doctor for her pregnancy. The moment Arthur and Thea announced their pregnancy, Elisa had requested to be their personal obstetrician. She was super excited when they came to the hospital for Thea's first antenatal care. She felt nostalgic with the whole thing, she remembered being Mathea's doctor too, 25 years ago, back when Mathea was pregnant of Thea and her twin.
He chuckled. "That's my mum for you. You are like her favorite daughter"
Thea smiled as he said that, feeling lucky to have Elisa as her mother in law, and a mother figure too.
"If my parents were alive today, I bet they would have loved you a lot. Especially my mother"
"I didn't get the chance to get to know them, what were they like?"
One thing he regrets is not knowing his in laws. Sure he has seen their pictures but he wished he knew what they were like. He wished he could get to know them, the 2 people who brought the love of his life into this world.
"They are.. the best thing that's ever been mine" she started while trying to remember her parents. "My father, he was definitely my first love. He wouldn't let anything bad happen to me, especially when it comes to boys. He kept an eye on me whenever boys got closer to me" she chuckled at the memory.
Arthur could imagine her father being protective over her, even if he was still alive.
"My mother, she was my absolute hero. She taught me everything about life, about love. If it wasn't for her I wouldn't have believed in true love"
Sometimes he wished that they were still alive, because by the way Thea talks about them, they seemed to be some great people. He wished he would have known them sooner before the arrangement even happened. He remembered meeting them when he was young, but he wished he would have met them when he is older and show them how much he loves their daughter and will do anything to make her happy.
"You know, I'd sell my soul to have them back. So I can tell them how incredible my life now, to thank them for everything they did for me"
Suddenly Arthur felt sad to hear it from her. The girl has had a tough life, she lost everyone she loves, but she is still here, being strong for herself. Sometimes he wondered what did she do to deserve this.
"I promise I will make you happy"
She looked at him. "You already make me happy, this is the happiest I have ever been. For being with you and carrying our baby"
As much as he loved what she was just saying, he couldn't help but smiled at her. "You do realize how cheesy you sound right now? Who are you and what have you done to my Thea?"
It's not everyday he gets to see his wife being cheesy.
She chuckled. "I think it's from the hormone"
"I can tell," he said then pressed a kiss on her lips. "I love you, my Thea. I fucking love you, I'd sell my soul if it takes for you to be happy"
Again, she was overwhelmed with how Arthur treated her. She's forever grateful to have experienced this, being loved by the love of her life.
"Who's sounding cheesy now?" She grinned, making him laughed.
The next morning, Thea woke up feeling the need to pee. She carefully got up from the bed and ran to the bathroom. She's getting used to wake up earlier just to pee, it's been going for the past 3 months ever since she's pregnant.
It was only 4 in the morning, Arthur was still fast asleep on the bed. Knowing she couldn't fall back to sleep, she decided to read a book, just to kill the time. She took one book from her bookshelf when Arthur's phone vibrated to a text. Instantly, her eyes shift to see his phone screen. It was an email from Mark, his secretary. She nearly got back to bed when her eyes stopped to another text.
It was from Jessy.
She didn't want to touch his things without his permission, especially with his phone. She respected his privacy. But this time, she was curious so she took the phone and read the text on the notification center. The text was from 6 hours ago.
I know you're still mad at me. I'm so sorry, I really do.
She couldn't help but wondering what happened. Why is Arthur mad at Jessy? What had she done to him? There are so many questions in her head.
She put the phone back on the bedside table and decided to go downstairs instead, hoping to have something to do. She walked out of the room and carefully walked down the stairs. The house was ridiculously quiet, and the sky was still dark outside. No one was awake yet.
She went to the kitchen to make herself a cup of tea and looked through the cabinet if she could find something to eat. She found a protein bar and some cheese stick, so she took them to the living room and switched the TV on. She couldn't find anything good to watch so she turned to Animal Planet instead.
"Darling?"
Her heart just jumped and she nearly screamed with the sudden voice. "Shit, Arthur you scared me!"
She looked around to find Arthur walking to her with his eyes half closed, letting a yawn.
"What are you doing here?"
"I needed to pee, but then I couldn't go back to sleep so I came here instead"
Arthur frowned at his wife. "You're supposed to be sleeping. Come on, go back to bed"
He didn't wait for her to respond to him, he carried her up in his arms.
"Arthur, put me down. I can walk, you know"
He didn't listen to her and going upstairs to their room instead. He kicked the door opened before closing it back behind him. He gently laid his wife on the bed then crawled to his side. He turned the side lamp off then kissed her wife's forehead.
"Next time you can't fall asleep, wake me up"
***