#THE_SACRIFICE
EPISODE 5
Jade slowly walked into the house to find her mother sitting on the couch waiting for her return. She noticed the de-ep scowl plastered on her face. Her face was drawn and red in anger. It looked like she had waited all night for her return.
Jade cautiously walked closer in small steps. She didn’t know how to face her mother. She had not only disappointed her mother, but she has also disregarded everything her mother had taught her while bringing her up.
“Good morn…” Jade’s greeting got stucked in her throat as her mother raised a hand to st©p her.
“Mom…I’m sorry” Jade said with her head lowered. She was too afraid to look up at her.
She was shocked when her mother threw a sl@p across her face. She raised her hand to t©uçh her palm printed cheek which was gradually swelling. A tear sli-pped down her cheeks, not for the fact her mother had hit for the first time, but for the fact that she deserved it.
“I didn’t give birth to a child who could easily sell her b©dy” Jade’s mother said as her b©dy shook in anger.
“I didn’t raise a foolish child, Jade. My daughter is a smart and beautiful girl who deserves the world, not a girl who threw herself in the be-d of a random man she didn’t know all in the name of love and money. You Jade,….you broke my heart. You shamed my upbringing. I hope he’s worth it” She said with teary eyes before walking past Jade.
She wanted to un-derstand how Jade felt, but she couldn’t. She was disappointed. She wanted to console her child and cry with her because she knew how Jade was feeling right now.
Jade was her child. A sweet and innocent child she’d give the world to if she could. But she just couldn’t stand to look at her right now. Maybe later she would help her get throu-gh this, but definitely not right now. She felt suffocated. She looked at her palm which she had used to hit her child and her heart ached. She regretted hitting Jade for the first time. And that sick Cale had better be worth her child’s sacrifice or else…
Jade stood at the same sp©t she had been standing earlier still holding her cheek. Tears flowed freely down her face. She had hurt her mother, broke her trust and pride. She hated herself even more. But what was she supposed to do, when the man she loved was dying. She’d do the same had it been her mother. But how could she still live with herself after this. How will she tell Cale, that she had sle-pt with another man for money to save him. He’ll be hurt, but she hopes he gets to forgive her and not res£nt her.
She wouldn’t know how to live if he hates her after this.
Jade j£rked back to reality when her phone started ringing. She quic-kly answered it when she saw it was Helen, Cale’s mother calling. She had come home to freshen up before leaving for the hospital to check up on Cale.
“Hello Jade” Helen called in a lively voice. Jade let out the breath she didn’t know she had been holding when she heard Mrs Stuart voice…She was sounding like her usual self and that could only mean one thing.
“Mom”
“Jade where are you? Cale just regained conciousness. Hurry down here okay” She said excitedly.
“Okay mom. I’ll be there soon” She replied. She felt a weight has been taken off her shoulders. Her man was alive.
*******
Jake hurried home so he could refresh himself before heading for the office. But what he really wanted was to see his grandfather. He walked into his grandfather’s room after knocking on the door.
He stood by the door as he greeted with a bow, “Grandfather” ma-king his grandfather humphed, shooting him a mock-digusting look.
“What woman grazed your be-d last night, you rascal” Grandfather Beau asked his grandson as he took off the automated sphygmanometer from his arm.
“Grandfather you haven’t been spying on me have you?” Jake asked his grandfather not denying the fact that he had spent the night with a woman.
“Do I really nee-d to do that?” Grandfather Beau asked eyeing Jake. Wasn’t it obvious only a woman could keep his grandson from spending the night at home on his first day back in to the country. He sighed at the thought that this grandson of his might not change anytime soon.
“You should go take a shower, you look like you had it rou-gh” He said with a dee-per meaning, ma-king Jake roll his eyes at him. His grandfather shouldn’t give him that look, wasn’t it obvious he got his traits from him.
“Jake be careful at the office. Hillary’s back” Grandfather Beau warned, as a dark glint flashed across Jake’s eyes.
___________
Jade arrived at the hospital, but she stood at the lobby in a daze, not sure on how to face Cale. What should be her reply if he’d asked her how she got the money for his surgery. How would she look Cale in the face and still tell him she was all his, after sharing a be-d with an unknown man. A man she didn’t even know his name. A man whose every k!ssand t©uçh made her feel different and plead for more.
All she wanted at this moment was to see Cale’s face and make sure he was fine, but she was too scared to. Too scared to lose him when he discovers what she had done. Though she had done it for him, but it’s only natural for him to feel hurt.
“Jade?” Mrs Stuart nudged Jade by the side, when she got tired of calling her. Jade was startled at the sudden jab she felt on her side. She turned her head to the side to see Mrs Stuart frowning at her.
“Good morning Mom” Jade greeted with a curt bow.
“Why were you so lost in thought?” Mrs Stuart asked Jade curiously. She had been calling her, but she didn’t get a response.
“Nothing. I was just worried about Cale. How is he doing?” Jade asked trying to change the t©pic and Mrs Stuart didn’t miss this. But she also didn’t push it.
“He’s fine all thanks to you. I’m so grateful to you Jade. You saved Cale at the nick of time. Thank you” Mrs Stuart said with a genuine expression.
“You don’t have to thank me. We both love him, so it’s only natural for us to do the best we could for him” Jade said feeling somewhat embarras-sed over Mrs Stuart appreciation. She didn’t think it was necessary for her to do that.
“Jade, do you mind telling me how you got the money?” Mrs Stuart asked Jade the question that had tugged on her heart all night. She hoped Jade had not gone to a loan shark for help. She feared those kind of people were highly dangerous, and she didn’t want any sort of harm to come to her.
Jade was shocked by Mrs Stuart sudden question. Though she had been expecting it, but Mrs Stuart was a bit too abrupt about it. Couldn’t she have waited a bit?
Jade darted her eyes back and front as she racked her br@in for a believable lie.
“I…I got a loan from Amy and her…cousin” Jade said stutteringly, ma-king Mrs Stuart stare at her doubfully. Jade has always been a bad liar, and she was oblivious to the fact that her eyes darts and her nose turns red when she tells a lie. Mrs Stuart concluded Jade did not want to tell her about it, so she didn’t push it. She only prays Jade doesn’t get into trouble. Because she wouldn’t want Jade to be hurt because of this.
“Tell me when the loan is due for payment. I’ll love to help pay it back”
“No! It’s fine, I can handle it” Jade refuted.
“Jade I’m not asking you. Help me give this to Cale. I’ll be in the doctors office briefly. And cheer up, Cale is fine” Mrs Stuart said with a small smile as she patted Jade on her shoulders and handed her a small nylon bag before leaving.
Jade took a de-ep breathe before ma-king her way to Cale’s room.
*******
“I’m so thankful you’re alive” A female voice sobbe-d in one of the hospital rooms, as she sat beside the be-d with her head resting on Cale’s che-st.
“Come on baby, you don’t have to cry. Am I not fine now?” Cale replied as he consoled the crying beauty, slowly patting her hair.
“I was so scared. I didn’t know what to do. What would I have done if I’d lost you” She continued in sobs as she covered her face with her palm.
“C’mon everything is fine now. Just st©p crying. I hate to see you cry” He comforted her as she bobbe-d her head and wiped her tears.
“Now that you’re fine. We should hasten our plans to get married okay? My father will be back soon and he’s asking us to get married as soon as possible” She said as her eyes lit up.
“Okay that’ll be great. I can’t wait to make you all mine” He said with a small smile as he moved slowly from the be-d to plant a k!sson herl-ips.
…
Married? Did someone say ‘married’? Was she standing in front of the wrong room? But why did those voices sound familiar. She definitely knew those voices. Why was her heart racing at the sound of their voices? Why were they talking about getting married? There had to be some sort of misun-derstanding somewhere.
.
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Are you feeling the heat?
The story will last for 2months or February ending.
WATCHOUT FOR EPISODE 6