Chapter 22 Without Your Embrace, I Can't Sleep
"Mom, take good care of her; I’ll be back as soon as I can," Gabriel replied.
"Gabriel, let me make this clear, Jessica is your wife, and I order you to—" Danielle was still in the middle of speaking when the call ended abruptly, cut off by Gabriel.
"That rascal, I’ll deal with him when I get back," Danielle fumed.
Jessica's fingers dug painfully into her palm, yet the physical ache didn't register. Once again, she was the one left behind. Between her and Diana, it seemed he had made his choice without a second thought.
"You're just letting your imagination run away with you, silly," she scolded herself. ‘I should've known better than to set myself up for disappointment again. Why did I even bother hoping?’
Seeing Jessica's spirits low, Danielle took her hand reassuringly. "Honey, when he gets back, I'll give him an earful for you. For now, try not to think about it. Go lie down and rest upstairs."
"Okay," Jessica replied.
Just then, there was another knock at the door.
"Don't worry about me, Mom. I'm fine, honestly, I just need to lie down for a bit. There are so many guests waiting for you downstairs. You should go," Jessica urged.
"All right then, I'll go down. If you need anything, just send someone to get me."
"Mhm." Jessica nodded obediently, the picture of docility.
After Danielle left, Jessica asked everyone else in the room to leave too. The vast room immediately felt empty and echoing, as if even the air had turned chilly.
Indeed, it was cold.
Wrapping her arms tightly around herself, Jessica curled up, resting her head on her knees, staring blankly ahead.
She wasn't looking at anything in particular, just felt a heaviness in her chest, a tinge of sadness that brought her near tears. Yet, when she tried to cry, the tears wouldn't come.
Despite the bright, sunlit warmth that filled the day, inexplicably, she felt an exceptional chill.
She peeled off her coat and buried herself under the covers, wrapping the blanket around her tightly, as if warding off a draft. Still, Jessica shivered, a cold seeping through, relentless.
She had always been prone to feeling cold, suffering from poor circulation to her extremities, her hands and feet often icy. Even on a winter's day, with the heating on, her extremities might as well be frozen.
In the past, whenever she felt cold, she'd instinctively gravitate toward Gabriel. Though she never dared to burrow into his arms, just being near him was emboldening enough.
It was almost miraculous how his mere presence seemed to radiate warmth, allowing her a peaceful sleep.
But today, after lying wrapped in her blanket fortress for half an hour, she stared at the ceiling and the chandelier overhead, sleep utterly elusive.
Suddenly, her cell phone rang. Gabriel's number appeared.
Tears that Jessica had been holding back emerged unbidden at the sight of "Hubby" flashing on the screen, dropping silently, unexpectedly.
Turns out, she wasn't impervious to pain. She wasn't void of sorrow or distress. She had just been gritting her teeth, sternly telling herself not to cry, not to let the tears fall. But his name acted like a switch, triggering the release of her pent-up emotions.
The tears, now unrestrained, streamed down, splashing onto the phone screen.
Should she answer it? Or ignore the call? She wasn't sure.
Then, betraying her indecision, her fingers instinctively pressed the "Answer" button.
Jessica pressed the phone against her ear, and soon, a familiar voice came through, "Did you see the doctor? How do you feel now?"
"Yeah, I did." She lied.
"Just rest up there, take a nap, and I'll be right back."
"Okay." Jessica nodded.
Silence fell on the line.
Then suddenly, Diana's voice, unmistakably whiny, broke through, "Gabriel, I want some grapes. Can you peel them for me?"
"Yeah, you lie back. I'll peel them for you."
Having answered Diana, Gabriel turned his attention back to the phone. "If there's nothing else, then I'm hanging up."
Usually, she would have responded with a gentle "No," followed by a gracious smile before hanging up.
But today, something was off. Clutching the phone, she blurted out desperately, "I have something to say."
"I'm so cold. I've piled on the blankets, but I can't seem to get warm like I do when I'm in your arms. I can't sleep without you here." After Jessica's confession, a tense silence ensued.
On the line, even their breathing seemed exceptionally clear. One second, two seconds, three seconds... After a full ten seconds, Jessica hadn't heard any reply. Her words must have put him in a spot.
Her bright eyes dimmed in the prolonged wait, and she felt utterly defeated, like a clown who had lost miserably.
"Sorry, I'm hanging up." She hung up the phone like a soldier in retreat.
Immediately after, Jessica regretted it. ‘Idiot, what were you doing?’ she thought. It was as if she was a favorite concubine vying for the emperor’s affection.
It was crazy. She had just blatantly competed with Diana for his favor over the phone.
‘Jessica, you're losing your dignity.’ she chided herself.
After tossing and turning in bed, unable to fall asleep, Charlotte came in, "Jessica, Madam says the banquet is about to start. How are you feeling? Will you be joining Xavier at the table, or shall we bring something to your room?"
Without a second thought, Jessica replied, "I'll join Xavier at the banquet." She couldn't dampen Xavier's spirits on such a grand celebration of his eightieth birthday. "Charlotte, wait for me a moment; I'll wash my face and fix my hair."
"Of course, Jessica. Take your time; I'll be right outside," Charlotte said as she assured her with a gentle smile.
After tidying up her dress and hair, Jessica was about to head downstairs with Charlotte when something suddenly crossed her mind. She quickly asked, "Charlotte, is Gabriel back yet?"
"Not yet," Charlotte informed.
The midday feast was the main meal of the celebration, and Gabriel's absence would not go unnoticed. It would surely set tongues wagging. Even if people refrained from commenting in front of the Walton clan, whispers would inevitably spread once they're away.
Moreover, if Xavier got wind that Gabriel had delayed his return to rendezvous with Diana, there would be hell to pay. And if Xavier were truly enraged, Jessica wasn't sure if she could calm him down.
After weighing her options, Jessica called out to Charlotte, "Let's wait a bit longer. I'll go down once he's back."
"Jessica, if we delay the start, everyone will blame you for being insensitive and lacking decorum. You'd be taking the fall for Gabriel's mistakes, and it's certainly taking its toll on you," Charlotte said, looking at her with sympathy brimming in her eyes.
Why can't Gabriel appreciate such a wonderful woman like Jessica?
And it wasn't just him; even the old folks, with such an exceptional wife at home, chose to seek thrills in the arms of another.
In contrast, Xavier and Ximena Walton were the epitome of wedded bliss, never seen fighting, always showing deep affection for one another, with Xavier often yielding to Ximena.
Even after Ximena's passing, Xavier's unwavering loyalty meant he never considered remarrying, cherishing the memory of his one and only wife.
This waiting stretched into more than ten minutes. Jessica frantically dialed Gabriel's number several times. But to her utter shock, Diana picked up on the last call.
What's going on? Wasn't he supposed to be on his way back already? Why was Diana answering his phone?
Could it be that he was planning to bring Diana to Xavier's birthday celebration?
