Chapter 184 A Promise

Caleb took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He had gone straight to the hospital from the airport only to hear she was discharged earlier that day, her mother and sister had taken her to her apartment and now he was standing outside her bedroom door.

He could hear their voices from inside and he knew that as soon as he enters that room they were all going to verbally attack him, so he took a few minutes to prepare himself, after breathing in for the sixth time and letting it out slowly he opens the door.

"Well, well look who finally decides to drag his head out of his sister-in-law's ass long enough to check on his wife and child." Her mother said in a scornful tone. "Four days! You disgusting bastard, my sister was in the hospital for four days and you show up now? Why? Go back to your precious Janice, Maya doesn't need you here." Her sister Tamara barks in a hostile tone.

But Caleb just snorts, shakes his head, and took a seat. "I'm here for my wife and child, not you two." He said looking at his phone. "Your parents should be ashamed raising someone like you." Her mother sneers.

"Stop right there, I'm the one you're angry at. Direct your anger at me but don't you dare mention my parents. My parents raised four amazing kids, I could've chosen to be like Ty or Fabian but I didn't. I chose to be different, I chose my own path. My parents have nothing to do with who I'm today." He said in a cold tone.

"But couldn't you have chosen to become someone they can be proud of?" Maya asks in a soft tone. "Oh, my parents are very proud of me, thank you very much." He snorts again. "They're proud of who they think you are," Maya said again in a low tone.

"Well, at least your high blood pressure has stopped you from shouting at me too." Caleb chuckles. "And if you two are finished shouting could you please step outside so I can talk to my wife." He asks again without looking at them. "Like hell, there's no way in hell we're leaving her with you." Her sister growled angrily.

"It's okay sis, I too need to talk to him alone," Maya said with tears in her eyes. "Maya, I don't think….." "Please," Maya said biting her lips. "Alright, but we'll be right outside okay." Her mother said massaging her hand.

"Are you in love with her?" Maya ask when they were alone. "In love with who?" He asks without looking at her. "The Easter bunny." She said in a sarcastic tone. "Who do you think I'm talking about? The one you went to Atlanta to be next to." She snaps.

"I didn't go to Atlanta to be with anyone, I went there on business." He said in a calm tone. "You can feed everyone with that lie but I know better." "Of course you do." "So are you?" "Am I what?" "In love with her." "Nope." "Are you in love with me?"

"I marry you, didn't I?" "Only because your parents forced you to." "My parent didn't force me to do anything." He said clicking away on his phone. "You said you would rather be with her than me, did you mean that?" "When I said it, yes, because you sympathized with her after she was almost raped, then turn around and say she wanted it to happen."

"Did you mean it when you said that I was your biggest mistake?" "Well, it was definitely a mistake marrying you without first getting to know you better." "Yes, but did you mean….." "I was angry, I said a lot of things I didn't mean so can we just move on? Now tell me, why were you in the hospital?" He asks still clicking away on his phone.

"I fainted." "Why did you faint?" "My pressure was too high." "And why was your pressure so high?" "I was angry at you for leaving okay, very angry, the more I thought about what you said the angrier I got, and the next thing I knew I was waking up in the hospital." She said with tears in her eyes but he felt no sympathy for her.

"Alright I understand but for our daughter's sake could you at least try and keep your emotions in check." "Okay but you've to do something for me." "And what would that be?" He asks in a dry tone.

"Stay away from Janice." "Excuse me?" "You heard me, Caleb, you want me to keep my pressure down, then stay the hell away from that woman." "Fine." "You've to promise." She said with a pout.

"A promise is a comfort to a fool." He said in a cold tone. "Now I'm going to take a shower and spend some time with my child." He said getting up and walking out the door. "You have no intention of staying away from that woman do you?" Her sister asks as he passes her. "Of course not, but I wouldn't tell her if I were you." He said with a wink.

"You're such a disgusting pig." She sneers. "Thank you." He said over his shoulder.

Thank you all for reading

And for your patience

Life's struggles sometimes get in the way

of my writing,

Food for thought

What you'll be tomorrow

Depends on the choices you make today.

(Psalm 90)