Half of the truth

Floor seven did not make a sound as the couple gazed at each other. Jackson's eyes were red with hurt when he looked at Jennie and the baby in her hands.

"Is he Leon's son?" He said in tears and anguish.

"Hubby, I can explain. I swear this is not how I wanted you to find out. I tried so hard to get the words out and tell you the truth, but I couldn't dare to break your heart." Jennie cried.

Now Jackson understands why Leon protected this mansion so profoundly and why he saw so many nannies inside the villa when he entered. It was the reality that the son his wife had with Leon resides in this mansion.

"Babe, please give me a chance to explain. It was a mistake. I didn't intend to hurt you this way." Jennie said with so much ache in her voice that the words could hardly come out clearly.

"This is not true. Jennie, I beg you in the name of God to tell me this is not real. Tell me you did not do this to me. Please tell me it is a lie because I am afraid that the truth is ripping me from the inside. Jennie, my heart hurts. It hurt so bad. Why did you do this to me!" Jackson said without holding back the tears flowing down his eyes.

'They say a man should never cry. But if he does, his tears are not allowed to be seen out in the open, and he should hold it all in and be strong for those that look up to him. But how can a man be a man when his world is shattering before his very eyes?' Jackson thought with bitterness.

Jackson stood empty and null as he watched his wife holding a baby that should have been theirs from the very start, and his only emotion at that moment was grief.

"You lied to me." He mumbles.

"Jackson," Jennie whispers.

She covered her mouth with her hand as she sobbed with a heavy heart and a pang of guilty conscience.

"You said you love me. We were going to be a family next year. But your words were nothing but lies! I feel like a fool. I told you to tell me the truth, but you misled me for a year plus." Jackson coldly said with a wet face.

"Babe, please. I meant every word that I said. I love you so much." Jennie cried, choking on her spit at her eyes shaded with tears.

She took a step forward, but Jackson pulled back a bit. He could hardly look at the person standing before him without feeling like ripping his heart from his chest.

"Don't come any closer. I loved you with everything. I give you my all. Everything that I had to offer I gave to you without thinking twice, and now I feel like I have lost all of me. You broke me, Jennie." Jackson softly uttered.

Jennie trembled at the cold and distant gaze in her husband's eyes and felt empty, like half of her existence had been torn from her. When she stared into his eyes and saw nothing but brokenness that hurt her heart much more than a stabbing pain.

"NEH, NEH!" The baby screamed.

The little guy struggles in his mother's hand as he loudly sobs, swinging his hands and feet uncontrollably.

The sound echoed in the room, and Jennie stood frozen, not knowing what to do. She did not wish to hurt Jackson any further, having him see her feed another man's child.

"He's crying. You should feed him." Jackson said more calmly this time.

The sound was throbbing his heart, but he knew the child was innocent in all of this mess.

Jennie took out one of her breasts to nurse the baby. The little guy clung on tightly to her bosom and sucked.

Jackson weakly smiled as he watched the mother and child, wishing this were under different circumstances and favorable situation.

"All this right here should have been us. Haha, funny how life messes with people." He wistfully utters in a disturbed tone.

Jennie did not say a word. She had so much to tell him, but the words kept getting stuck in her throat when she realized that anything she says at this moment would break him more than help the situation.

There was nothing more hurtful to him than watching Jennie breastfeed. Therefore, Jackson did not utter another word. He gazes at Jennie and the baby for a brief moment before walking out of the room.

"Owh" The sound of a baby crying vibrated into the hall as Jackson walked toward the elevator. He was almost in the elevator when he heard a door open, and the screaming cry of Jennie's son became louder. However, beneath all that noise, he could still make up her voice.

"Jackson, stop! I love you!" she shouted out as she stood a few distances away from him.

Jackson withdrew his finger from pressing the button. "His lazy eyes softly gaze at her, and his chocolate lips curve in a weak smile.

"I loved you for twelve years, and it was the best moment of my life. But it is over now!" Jackson said, staring at her one last time before hitting button one.

"No, no. God, no!" She cried.

Jennie rushes toward the elevator and pushes the button, but it was taking too long to open. Without thinking twice, she used the stairs. With every step Jennie took down the staircase, she could hear her baby cry becoming faint. However, she did not stop. Her only thought was to reach down before the elevator can arrive at level one.

Halfway down the stairs, Jennie missed a step and twisted her ankle. "Ouch," she cried. But that did not stop her from persevering with her bruised limb. The ache Jennie felt in her leg was intolerable, but for her, it was not unbearable as the one in her heart.

Jennie finally reached the last stair with a sweaty body, messy hair, wounded leg, puffy eyes, and a broken heart.

"Miss, why are you in a hurry when your leg seems to be hurt? You need to seek treatment for Doctor Marie right away. Boss won't be pleased with your current state." the maid stated.

"The man who brought the document, is he still here?" Jennie asked, totally overlooking what the maid had said.

"He left a while ago. Miss, please allow me to take you to Doc. Marie."

Jennie ignored the servant's statement and leaped toward the front door and headed outside.

"Jackson! Jackson! I am sorry! Please don't leave me!" She screamed.

The maids followed Jennie outside and met her seated on the floor, weeping bitterly. Their judgmental eyes gazed at her like she was insane in the head.

"Miss, who are you calling?" one of the housemaids asked.

Jennie did not answer or gaze up at them. All she wanted now was to travel to the time when she had the opportunity to tell Leon no.

Jackson walked a little further down the road. He had been trying to get a stable reception for him to call an Uber, but his phone signal remained at no bar.

His leg weakened at every step that he took forward, and Jackson couldn't stand the ache in his body and his heart. So he stopped moving forward and took a seat on the ground underneath the burning afternoon sun.

It wasn't long after he had bent his head to touch his knees that he felt a gentle tap on his shoulder.

He lifted his dizzy eyes to see who it could be, and his dry mouth curved into an honest smile.

"I thought you left a while ago," Jackson said as he stood up to his feet.

"Well, I thought I should wait for you since it is extremely troublesome to get a cab in such a place. I saw you from the car V-mirror walking disorderly, so when you stopped and sat on the ground, I decided to come for you." The cab driver said.

Jackson gazed to his right and saw the bight yellow taxi not far from where they stood.

"Uh, I guess there is a light at the end of every dark tunnel." Jackson weakly mumbles.

"What?" The driver confusedly asked.

"It's nothing. I appreciate you staying back for me. Thank you."

The driver smiles at Jackson. Afterward, they head towards the car. It took a few seconds for them to be seated in the vehicle. Once the driver turned on the engine, the radio began to play.

"Do you care about my heart, breaking it without thinking twice. Did you truly love me all these years, or was us nothing but a fantasy in my head?"

Jackson listens to the aching lyrics of the music playing, and all he could do was close his eyes and sink deep into the piercing pain he felt in his soul.