Chapter 3 Why Do This to Me?

I see … Jessie felt her chest tighten and her breath become heavy at the emotionless response. Suddenly, the woman on the sickbed spoke. “Chase, is she your wife?” “Who are you?” Jessie had wanted to know for a while, and now she finally had the chance to ask. “Oh, I forgot to introduce myself. I’m Linda White, Chase’s first girlfriend.” Although Linda lay in bed, she smiled gracefully. She shared a smile with Chase when she mentioned that she was his first girlfriend. Watching this, Jessie felt like an outsider in their family. “First girlfriend?” Jessie stared at Chase, questioning. “Yes,” Linda said. “Thank you for taking care of Chase all these years. He’s always been a bit domineering. He must have made you angry often, right? Oh, by the way!” Linda picked up the baby from the crib and said to Jessie, “Take a look at my children. They’re twins, a boy and a girl. Chase just named them. The boy is Charles Thompson, and the girl is Lily Thompson.” Jessie widened her eyes, looking at the baby in Chase’s arms. “What did she say his name was?” She remembered the day she found out she was pregnant and hugged Chase hopefully. “Chase, you’re going to be a dad! We’re having a baby! I’ve already thought of names. If it’s a girl, we’ll name her Vanessa Thompson, and if it’s a boy, we’ll name him Charles Thompson. What do you think?” She hoped she had misunderstood, but Chase didn’t avoid her gaze, saying firmly, “His name is Charles Thompson.” “You j*rk!” Jessie raised her hand and slapped him, and Chase didn’t dodge, taking the blow. “You let her name her child using our child’s name!” The child was Jessie’s last defense. Tears streamed down her face. Jessie, like a madwoman, attacked him. “You monster! Why did God take our baby’s life? Why didn’t he take yours instead?” In her frenzy, Jessie pounded on Chase’s body. “He doesn’t deserve that name!” Chase grabbed her hands while instructing the guards outside, “Take her away.” Jessie became even more agitated. “Chase! If you don’t love me anymore, you can divorce me. Why do this to me?!” As Chase watched, his eyes turned cold. He remembered the despairing face of the corpse pulled from the water. Any guilt he felt vanished. Jessie, my love, don’t blame me. Let your pain atone for my sister’s! Feel the pain she felt! Experience her despair! I’ll make the killer pay for everything he did to my sister! Because you’re the killer’s daughter! … Weak from her recent miscarriage and emotional turmoil, Jessie couldn’t continue making a scene. Following Chase’s orders, the nurses hooked her up to a saline drip and gave her a sedative. Soon, Jessie fell asleep. When she woke from a nightmare, Jessie felt her strength returning, although her mind was still foggy. She had always been healthy and active; she was even in the college sports team back then. If it weren’t for the recent trauma, she might have been out shopping by now. She lay in bed, staring at the ceiling. She couldn’t accept Chase’s sudden change. Are our years together not as meaningful as his first love? Are all his promises lies? How long has he been involved with Linda? Since he already has children with her, why propose to me? Does my pain amuse him? Jessie couldn’t tell reality from nightmare. She wished it was all a dream. She wished that she would wake up, and everything would go back to normal. Her wedding would proceed smoothly, and her child would be born healthy. Chase would still love her, and there would be no Linda, no first girlfriend, and certainly no twins! But the familiar ceiling reminded her that she was still in the hospital, and everything she hoped for was just wishful thinking.Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDrâ/ma.O(r)g!