Power Over Her
The phone slipped from Mrs Haward's hand, crushing it to the ground and shattering it into pieces. Everything started making sense to her.
"Julia is my husband's daughter?" Mrs Haward repeated the words on her lips, and it felt like multiple needles went through her heart.
She was using the excuse Jason was adopted to say he was not qualified for the position he holds right now in the family, only to find out he is the rightful heir by marrying the daughter of a Haward.
"No this can't be happening, does Jason know the reason he married her that quick?" Mrs Haward thought.
She picked up her phone, assembled it, turned it on, and called a friend. After talking for a while on the phone, she took a shower and went out to meet her friend.
At the office, Jason sat behind his desk in deep thought. He recalled the incident that happened eighteen years ago. He was just six years old by then.
His father, Mr Johan Haward, had gone to work and his mum, Mrs Haward, left him alone with the nanny, taking James and Mirenda with her to the children's park. Why she chose to leave him behind, to date, Jason doesn't know, but his life changed forever from that day.
Jason was arranging some puzzles when the nanny came to him. She carried him and headed upstairs and into the bathroom. His eyes were wandering around unsure of what was happening. The nanny put him down in the bathtub and began to undress him. Seeing the nanny was taking his clothes off, Jason assumed the nanny wanted to bathe him, but he had already had his bath.
"I have already had my bath," Jason said in his little boy's voice, but the nanny only placed her finger on his lips, asking him to be quiet and completely undressed him.
She took off her clothes in front of Jason and also sat in the bathtub smiling. Jason froze, not sure what was happening, until she started touching him. Jason tried to free himself, but he was just a little boy. His father entered the bathroom and saw what was happening. He had returned for something he had left, and he heard Jason's cries. Jason was rescued, and the nanny was sent to prison, but the trauma has stayed with him to date. Jason was home-schooled after the incident because he couldn't go back to school. He had kept his distance from women since making his guards run his errands to limit the chance of interrupting with ladies. He had never felt any attraction towards them but, for some reason, he wanted to keep Julia around.
"Was it because Julia was afraid of him?" Jason thought. Julia trembled with fear anytime she saw him.
Jason called Henry and asked him to come over. While waiting for him, he recalls the reactions of Julia, anytime she was around him. In the car to work, Julia was sitting so close to the door and kept pushing towards the door even when there was no space behind her. In the elevator, she pushed herself to the corner, hiding behind one of the guards. The corners of his lips curled, realizing he found her behaviour amusing.
"Is that why he likes seeing her," Jason wondered.
There was a knock on the door and he answered. Henry walked in.
"Mr Haward," Henry said and extended his hand for a handshake, which Jason accepted.
They both moved away from the desk to the sofa and sat there for their conversation.
"You sounded urgent on the call; hope you are doing okay," asked Henry.
"I got married," Jason replied and Henry raised an eyebrow, surprised, as he was not expecting to hear that, but he remained composed.
"Okay, that is advanced progress, but how do you feel about that?" Henry asked.
"Ha, we sleep in a separate room. If that is what you want to know," Jason replied.
"Okay, tell me, how are things between you two?" Henry questioned.
"I know I still have that feeling of dislike towards women, but she, I want to see," Jason replied.
"That is good progress," Henry commented.
"She hugged me once, long story, and it felt good. I don't know what happened but I... I ... kissed her neck and ended up pushing her so hard. I am sure she fell. I didn't look back when I stormed out of the room," Jason narrated.
"Hmmm," responded Henry, as he wrote in his book.
"When you see her, how do you feel inside?" Henry asked.
"I feel calm inside, and I know I hate it when people treat her badly," Jason said. "For some reason, I get angry when I see other men around her," he added.
"I see," commented Henry. "How about her, how does she feel about you two sleeping in separate rooms and not getting kisses and hugs like married people do?" he asked.
Jason wanted to tell Henry he hadn't chosen to get married. He woke up legally married to her but kicked against it.
"She is scared of me. She gets terrified anytime she sees me. She trembles with fear," Jason said. "When I see her like that, I feel different inside," he said.
"I see; Do you feel like you want to protect her?" Henry asked.
"No, it's a feeling of satisfaction," Jason said.
"Dominance," Henry said.
"What!" said Jason.
"Mr Haward, from everything you are telling me now, I believe you like this girl, but it is because you can dominate her. Have you ever hit her?" Henry asked, and Jason turned his gaze away from him.
"Yes, just once, and I had her tied up to a chair too. It bruised her skin and I felt bad about it," Jason replied, sounding remorseful.
"What made you feel bad, hitting her, tying her to a chair or her skin getting bruised?" Henry asked.
"She has beautiful skin. It's flawless, and I felt bad messing it up," Jason replied.
"Get close to her," Henry suggested, realizing his dominance was not for violence but an attraction.
"What!" Jason exclaimed.
"Go on a date with her, even if it's just once. Let's talk again after," Henry suggested with a smile.
"I know you hate restaurants and stuff like that because of the media. Try a set-up in the limo," Henry suggested. "You will love it," he added with a smile, and Jason gave it some thought.