Chapter 259 Impossible! Impossible!!
Another message from Tarquin popped up.
Jennifer hesitated, a wave of weariness washing over her. She wasn't usually one to pry, but the subject matter—James—ignited a spark of curiosity within her.
Tarquin: [Dr. Johnson, please don't misunderstand.]
Tarquin: [I wouldn't dream of prying, but there's something you need to know, something incredibly important.]
Tarquin: [You received a package today. We were supposed to deliver it to you, but Dr. Smith intercepted it. We ended up opening it by accident tonight, and… well, let's just say we discovered something shocking about Dr. Smith.]
Tarquin: [Dr. Johnson, what I'm about to tell you might be difficult to hear, but I can't stay silent. Dr. Smith… he's been deceiving you.]
Upon seeing these messages, Jennifer's gaze instinctively flickered towards James.
'Could he really be keeping secrets from me?' she thought.
Normally, she wouldn't have given these messages a second thought. But the mere mention of James had her hanging onto Tarquin's every word.
She scrolled down.
Tarquin: [The package contained a number of photos, all showing Dr. Smith in compromising positions with another woman.]
Tarquin: [Dr. Johnson, I'm so sorry to be the one to tell you this, but it seems Dr. Smith is betraying you.]
Jennifer's blood ran cold. Her heart hammered against her ribs, her breath catching in her throat.
She snuck another glance at James, feeling a tightening in her chest.
"Is everything okay?" James asked, noticing her strange expression. "You look a little pale."
He reached for her hand, his brow furrowing as he felt how cold her skin was.
Jennifer flinched, as though his touch had burned her. She shook her head frantically. "I'm fine! I just need to use the restroom. Keep watching, I'll be right back."
"Are you sure you don't want me to come with you?" James asked, his concern growing.
"No, no, I'll be fine," Jennifer insisted, shaking her head again. She shoved her phone back into her purse and hurried down the aisle, her movements abrupt and uncoordinated.
James watched her go, a puzzled frown etching itself onto his face. Something felt off. It was as if Jennifer was hiding something from him.
He tried to focus on the movie, but his thoughts kept drifting back to Jennifer's strange behavior. After a few minutes, he gave up and slipped out of the theater, deciding to wait for her outside.
Jennifer, however, hadn't gone to the restroom. Instead, she'd made a beeline for the mall's emergency exit, a secluded stairwell tucked away from the crowds.
She slammed the door shut behind her, ignoring the musty air as she frantically retrieved her phone from her purse.
Her fingers trembled as she scrolled through the messages, her heart sinking with each passing second. Then she saw them—the photos Tarquin had sent.
Even the small thumbnails were enough to send a jolt of horror through her. She clapped a hand over her mouth, desperately trying to muffle a scream.
"This can't be happening," she whispered, her voice trembling.
She didn't need to open the images to recognize James, his face unmistakable as he held another woman in his arms. And the woman… she looked awfully familiar.
Jennifer's heart lurched in her chest, a wave of nausea washing over her.
She quickly shut off her phone, her breath coming in ragged gasps. Her mind spun, her thoughts scattering like frightened birds.
"It's fake," she muttered, her voice barely audible. "It has to be fake. James would never betray me like this."
She shoved the phone back into her purse, but her hand slipped, sending the device clattering to the floor. It landed with a sickening crunch, the screen cracking on impact.
Jennifer froze, her body stiffening. She slowly sank to her knees, her trembling fingers reaching for the phone.
The screen, though marred by a spiderweb of cracks, still functioned.
Seeing the damage, Jennifer felt a sharp pang in her chest, as if a piece of her own heart had shattered along with the screen. The pain was so intense it took her breath away.
She remained huddled on the floor for what felt like an eternity, her mind a whirlwind of confusion and disbelief. Finally, she gritted her teeth, forcing herself to breathe, to think.
'It is a prank. It has to be. Tarquin is messing with me.'
She stood up, her legs shaky, and took several deep breaths to steady herself. With a trembling hand, she unlocked her phone and opened the photos.
The images expanded on the screen, revealing every excruciating detail.
Jennifer gasped, her hand flying to her mouth as she stared at the photos, her eyes widening in horror.
Time seemed to stop. The air thickened, pressing down on her chest, stealing her breath.
It was Harmony.
'But how? Why?'
Jennifer stumbled backward, her back hitting the concrete wall with a thud. If it hadn't been for the railing, she would have tumbled down the stairs.
"No, no, no," she whispered, her voice cracking. "This can't be real."
She frantically swiped through the photos, each image a fresh blow to her heart. By the time she reached the last one, tears were streaming down her face, hot and heavy.
The photos captured James and Harmony in a series of intimate moments. Harmony playfully pushing James, their bodies pressed close together. Harmony collapsing into James' arms after being bitten by a snake, their faces inches apart, almost kissing.
The photos were blurry, taken from a distance, but there was no mistaking the figures in the frame. It was James. And Harmony.
And then there was the photo of James laying Harmony on the ground, his head bent over her leg as he sucked the venom from the snake bite.
To an outsider, it would have looked incredibly compromising.
Jennifer stared at the photos, her heart shattering into a million pieces. Tears streamed down her face, soaking her collar.
She stood there, frozen in place, her body numb, her mind blank.
Time seemed to stretch endlessly as she remained still, a silent embodiment of grief and betrayal.
A janitor, who happened to be making his rounds, stumbled upon her standing in the stairwell. He was startled to see someone there, especially someone so obviously distraught.
"Ma'am, are you alright?" he asked, his voice filled with concern. "What's wrong? Did something happen?"
But Jennifer didn't respond. It was as if she hadn't even heard him.
The janitor waved a hand in front of her face, his voice growing louder. "Ma'am? Can you hear me?"
Finally, Jennifer stirred, her eyes flickering back into focus. But the moment she returned to reality, the pain struck her with full intensity. Her hand instinctively clutched her chest, and her body swayed unsteadily.
"Ma'am, are you sure you're okay?" the janitor asked, his brow furrowed with worry. "Did you just get some bad news? Look, I know it's hard, but you can't give up hope. Especially with all the medical advancements these days. American doctors are the best in the world. I saw a report on TV just yesterday about this brilliant doctor…"
Jennifer's heart clenched. The janitor was talking about James. Her James.
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