The Royal Contract

Chapter 1184 - 1184 "Ready?"

1184 “Ready?”

He came home slightly later than usual since there was a situation in the office that required his attention. But as soon as he entered their new home, he had a whiff of the delicious aroma that came from the kitchen. It smelled like one of his favorites.

He could only assume that his wife must have cooked it. However, he could not think of anything special. Was it their anniversary? But he checked his calendar and realized it was not.

“It is not her birthday either.” He muttered as he walked into the kitchen to greet his wife. But the room was empty. He saw the freshly prepared meal on the stove and inside the oven. But his wife was nowhere in his sight.

He moved to the living room, going straight to the balcony. But he was alone on the first floor. He doubted that his wife would be in his office or workout area.

He had two options left. His wife could be outside or in their bedroom. Therefore, he tried his luck with the latter choice, taking the stairs two steps at a time.

As soon as he entered the room, he called out her name. “Jacky.” Finding their room empty again. Then, he walked toward the bathroom door that was closed.

“Jacky, are you in there?” He yelled when he tried the knob, and it would not open.

He figured she must have locked in from the inside. Eventually, he tried to listen by sticking his ears to the wooden surface. But he did not hear a sound. He closely listened to the splashing of water or any typical sound, but there was none.

He still did not want to think of the worse when she did not answer. So, he tried to knock and called her name again, wondering if she did not hear her. He thought maybe she was in the tub with music in her ears.

.....

“Jacky?” Calling her name again. “Are you ok in there?” This time, he had to make sure as he knocked louder this time.

Finally, he heard her shuffling behind the door. Then, her muffled voice echoed on the door. “I will be out in a minute.” She finally said to him.

But he noticed that something about her voice was not right. She did not sound like she was crying. But a hint in her voice told him she was nervous about something.

Did something happen at work? Or could it be their friends? But he would have heard something if it was about them. He could not relax until he saw her face.

Since the accident, he was glad that his wife was slowly recovering from the trauma of losing their child. He could see her old self again. However, she had fallen into the routine of going to work to distract her, leaving him to do the same.

Still, they tried to return to their usual pattern, but he realized it was still not the same. But he was not giving up. He knew it was just a matter of time before things returned to normal. He would get his wife back.

“Ok.” He responded as he waited for the door to open. “Take your time.” Not wanting his wife to feel pressured.

But he could not stop his feet from stamping on the floor as he leaned on the doorjamb and crossed his arms across his chest. He wanted to relax, but who could blame him if he also felt slightly anxious?

Finally, he heard the lock unclicked before the door swung open. Then, the beautiful face of his wife showed up by the door. She looked like she had seen a ghost which was not a good sign.

“Hi. Sorry about that.” She said as she put her hands on his shoulders and tiptoed to kiss him on the lips. “I didn’t realize that you were already home.” However, she did not seem surprised.

“I am sorry. I was a bit late. But I saw that you already cooked dinner.” He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her closer to his body as he studied her face for any hint of what was going through her mind.

“Are we celebrating something?” He immediately added, wanting a reason why she was acting strange.

“Nothing in particular. I got home early and thought of cooking your favorite.” She explained as she moved her hands around his neck, acting relieved that he was there.

This time, he knew that there was something wrong with her. He wondered if she would ever share that with him as she leaned forward and accepted his embrace.

She lowered her head into his chest and shoulder as if using his body to support herself. He could feel her weight as he took her further into his arms.

“Is there something wrong?” He finally asked as his instinct sounded an alarming bell inside his brain, notifying him that he had to get to the bottom of this before it worsened.

She remained silent, resting her head on his chest as if listening to his heartbeat. He could not help but wonder what she had heard as his heart pumped with apprehension. Did she feel his pain too?

Despite acting strong, until now, he still also felt the pain of losing their child. He guessed that void would forever be there in his heart. No considerable time could patch up the hole their terrible experience had created.

“No...” She quickly answered, but he sensed the hesitation. “I don’t know.” He finally heard the most genuine answer from her.

He pulled her toward the bed and helped her sit down on the bed’s edge. Then, he took the space beside her while he wrapped his arms around her shoulders to show his support.

“Tell me. Maybe I can help.” He encouraged her to share whatever was bothering her. It was clear from the darkness in her eyes that she was deeply in thought. He just could not read them.

He ran his fingers through her hair, hoping it would soothe her and make her feel comfortable telling him what was going on with her. He could not help her if she kept her problem to herself. They would be back at square one.

She finally tilted her head until her eyes reached his. Then, she forced a smile on her lips before taking a deep breath. He hoped that was a sign that she trusted him enough to speak out.

“I...” She paused as she looked away and stared at her hands on her lap. “I took several...” But she started flailing her hands as if frustrated with herself.

Then, she stood up, slightly confusing him with her action. “What is it?” He asked, urging her to continue.

But instead of saying anything, she pulled his hands and nudged him to go along with him. “Just come.” She finally uttered, forcing him to stand up and follow her.

She guided her toward the bathroom and led him inside. Inside, he scanned the moderately sized space. Unfortunately, he did not find anything amiss in the shower area or the floor at first glance.

What was he missing?

Then, his wife stopped by the mirror, by the sink. Then, he saw the sticks lining up on the countertop. Was that? He wondered if that was similar to the one used to determine if a woman was pregnant.

But what was Jacky doing with it or the lot? He saw more than one stick. How many did a woman need? He could only speculate as he stared at them.

“What is going on?” He finally asked as he walked closer to the sink. What was he supposed to do with it? What is Jacky trying to tell him?

He did not want to guess because he still did not know what this would do to his wife. What if it said negative? How would Jacky take it? If it was positive, what would it do to Jacky?

He was anxious about the result of the test. But the real question was, why was Jacky taking the test in the first place? Did she think she was pregnant?

Did Jacky have the sign saying that she was? Or was she just delusional?

“I was going to buy us some dessert in a pastry store just a few blocks from here when I felt something was wrong with me. Then, I stopped by the pharmacy and grabbed these.” She pointed to the test kits.

“Then, what happened?” He asked, wanting to get to the root of the problem. He could sense her anxiety as she stood behind him, refusing to face the sticks before them.

“I am afraid to look at them. I have been staring at them but terrified, peeking at the result.” She confessed to him as she held on to his arms for support.

Her eyes finally looked at their reflection, and he could see her fear displayed openly on her face. Somehow, he knew that his eyes also reflected the same feeling.

But he also understood that in the end, they still had to find out the truth, no matter how difficult and painful the results might be. “Can I be honest with you?” He grabbed her hand and put them on his lips. “I am afraid too.”

“But if we worked together, we can fight our fear together.” He assured her, knowing that was the only way they could get through this.

He looked at her one last time before he took one stick from the counter. “Ready?” He asked, even though he knew that they were not.