Chapter 54: Was it you?
That morning, Jackie waited for Nicolas to come downstairs for breakfast. She told him about her worries.
They still haven’t found Lisa. She asked if he knew a thing about her? The latter said, she shouldn’t get herself worked up, Lisa was doing well.
Jerome stared at his father with resentment. He knew that his father’s quietness had got something to do with Lisa escaping from the basement.Property belongs to Nôvel(D)r/ama.Org.
He had left her there after he brought her dinner one evening and the next morning, he went there to give her breakfast, he couldn’t find her again, she had gone.
He searched every nook and cranny of the basement, but Lisa was nowhere to be found.
He couldn’t bring himself to ask his father, because he had never disclosed being part of the plot that got Lisa out of jail.
In fact, his father had asked him to tell him what he knows about his sister’s whereabouts and she snubbed him, asking him if he was assigned to look after her.
So when he couldn’t find her, he couldn’t ask him either. But one thing he knew was that she wasn’t taken back to prison and she wasn’t in some kind of danger.
As for asking his mother, that one was completely out of it. She knew next to nothing besides her kind heart.
Bill Winston was a free man again. Only his sister was still on the wanted list. Now, hearing his mother showing concern for her, makes him feel restless.
“I know you know everything about our daughter: how she escaped from prison, where she is and where you intend taking her to.
I also want to know. I want to see my daughter and know how she’s doing…” Jackie was going to start sobbing when Nicolas slammed his fist on the dining table.
“Shut the crap Jackie!” Nicolas yelled. He glared at his wife and hissed between gritted teeth.
“Mum isn’t a child. How can you yell at her like that? Don’t you even have a simple regard for your wife?” Jerome reprimanded him.
What kind of a man is his father? How did his mom endure her Marriage of twenty years plus with such a heartless man?
He yells at her, shuts her up, insults her and last time, he hits her. She ended up in a rehab only just because of him.
He had brought her only misery and nothing else. Why is his mother still with him? Why can’t she just divorce him and gain her freedom from this mistake of a husband that she married?
“Next time you poke your nose where it doesn’t belong, I will forget that I am your father. Is that clear?” Nicolas declared, glaring at Jerome with hostility.
If he hadn’t been pleased with him that he saved Lisa from prison, he already would have thrown the knife and fork he was using on his face.
“You think I am excited that I have a father like…” Jerome snapped at him but Jackie raised her hand and Jerome immediately stopped.
“Don’t talk back at your father, Jerome” Jackie reprimanded him. He shrugged and continued with his breakfast.
When Nicolas left, Jerome didn’t go to his classes. He saw his mother looking depressed. He knew she must have spent her time alone sobbing.
“Mum, please don’t get worried over Lisa. She’s fine I know” Jerome assured his mother. He went to her and cleaned her tears with a tissue.
How many times has this woman sobbed, shed tears because of the words and actions of his father?
And yet, she still loves him. She could sacrifice everything she has to see him happy. And in exchange, he would make her sob more.
“How will I not be worried? Lisa is my daughter and no mother would feel comfortable if her daughter was in such a dilemma like your sister is.
If she is still in prison, I will be sure that she will soon be out and be free again. But now, I don’t know where she is.
The police are after her. She’s been declared wanted. We can’t walk the street like every other citizen and it’s all because of your father, he only should be blamed for what happened” Jackie explained, her tears running down her cheeks.
Jerome sighed softly. Should he tell his mother the role he played in what made Lisa disappear from jail?
“I’m sorry mum, please forgive me” Jerome pleaded. If telling his mother this fact was going to make her feel a little relief, he would.
Jackie’s tears seemed to pause. She squinted and stared at Jerome, her eyes red from multiple tears she had shed that morning.
“Sorry for what? Why, what happened, what did you do?” Jackie’s question came in succession.
Jerome looked down, sobered but not regretting that he once tried to help his sister. She’s just too difficult to help.
Jackie raised his head to stare at her. But even at that, Jerome looked away, avoiding her gaze.
“I was the mastermind behind..” he trailed off. He couldn’t bring himself to complete the sentence.
Jackie wanted him to complete his words. Why did he trail off? She couldn’t make any sense out of what he said halfway.
Mastermind behind what? He hoped Jerome wasn’t going to cause him heartache like Lisa.
“I… I.. was..” Jerome stammered. He turned his back to his mother when the reality of what he did dawned on him to open up to his mother.
“You talk to me already, Jerome” Jackie became serious. She was afraid of believing what her mind was telling her that her son had done.
“I was the one who helped Lisa…” Jerome was not done when Jackie turned him abruptly to face her.
Is her mind right about what she’s thinking? Did Jerome have anything to do with how Lisa escaped from prison?
“Was it you that aided Lisa’s escape from prison?” Jackie asked, giving her thoughts a voice.
Alex Foster didn’t place a call across to Ella to ask her how she’s doing. Rather, he called Ms Cooker and asked how Ella was doing.
He also called Khalid and told him to be extremely careful when driving madam around.
That day, Rosa received a call from Ruby’s school, she was asked to come because Ruby was having a fever.
He was given some pain killers but that was not enough. He needed to be given proper attention.
Rosa became disturbed. She went to Alex and told him she needed to go to Ruby’s school, he was having a fever.