Heart Broken
At 6 pm, Jason's plane landed in Florida, meanwhile, Julia was lying on the bed, eyes wide open and wondering why Jason did that to her.
Jason, after going through the checkpoints, hailed a cab to what used to be his apartment. It was 8.30 p.m. when he arrived. Nothing had changed about the apartment.
"Sir, you are welcome," said the security man with a smile.
"Thanks," Jason said and headed for the apartment entrance door.
He used the elevator to the 7th floor first. He still had the spare key to that apartment on that floor. He unlocked the door and entered. He went straight to his room and unlocking the drawer he opened the safe inside and took an envelope out. He left the bedroom and exited the floor locking it. He used the staircase to the 6th floor and entered the living room.
"You are finally back and your emotional bag of a sister is out. I thought I was going to stay in this apartment alone tonight?" Mrs Haward said without turning to see who had entered.
"Good evening mum," Jason said causing Mrs Haward to jump out of her seat.
"You? What are you doing here?" Mrs Haward questioned.
"I want my wife back. Where is she?" Jason questioned his voice very calm.
"I have not seen her," Mrs Haward replied sitting back on the sofa.
"I know James took her and I know he came to Florida with her, so where is she?" Jason questioned and took two steps towards her. "Don't make me ask twice," he said. "Please?" he added sounding sarcastic.
Even though his face carried no expression the temperature dropping to negative was enough for Mrs Haward to choose her next words carefully
"I will give you the address," Mrs Haward said terrified by the look on Jason's face.
She wrote the address of the apartment she had sent Julia to on a piece of paper and handed it to Jason.
"Here, you will find her there," Mrs Haward said as she handed the paper to Jason.
Jason took it and without a word left the apartment towards the given location. Mrs Haward locked the door the moment he left but she was not in the least bothered. She had already made Julia sign the documents transferring all the property over to her. None of her children was a Haward. Jason by his adoption could claim some entitlement but she and her children couldn't. Julia being the only true Haward, the property will automatically go to her meaning, Jason will become heir again and that is the reason why she made Julia transfer everything to her. She sat on the sofa, crossed her legs and smiled in satisfaction.
Jason hailed another taxi and headed for the location. It was 30 minutes after 9 p.m. when he arrived at the place. He frowned looking at the area with poor lighting on the streets. It sure was a dangerous environment. He knocked on the door but there was no response. The whole house was dark.
"Did Mrs Haward fool him?" Jason thought. "No, she will not do such," he thought and tried to turn the door knob and he realized it was not locked.
Jason entered and ran his hand on the wall to find a light switch as the place was very dark. He found one and pressed it turning on a small yellow light. He frowned seeing the empty room. He walked around and opened the first door whose light was also off. He turned it on and it was empty. He turned the light off and closed the door. He then moved to the door on the opposite side and opened it. He turned on the light and the first thing he saw was an empty bed. He entered and found Julia hugging her legs sitting on the floor in the corner of the room.
"Julia," Jason called out to her but she did not move.
Her hair was dishevelled and she was covered in dirt. He walked closer and saw the dress she was wearing had some part of it torn and getting a little closer he noticed the bruises on her left shoulder which was exposed. Only one name came to mind 'James'. He only hoped he was wrong about what he was thinking now. He touched Julia and she jumped in fright.
"It's me, Jason," Jason said and Julia lifted her head to look at him.
"Why did you do this to me?" Julia asked, her voice very hoarse.
It was obvious she had cried so much and probably couldn't cry anymore. Jason was silent, not sure how to respond to her question.
"Why didn't you tell me?" Julia asked another question and Jason was again silent. "Did you know I am a Haward?" she asked and Jason lowered his head.
"So, you knew. Why didn't you tell me yourself? That is why you started caring for me. Taking care of me, defending me?" Julia asked and tears streamed down her face.
Jason wanted to explain but his words were caught up in his throat as her words pieced his heart like a thousand needles. This is not how he planned on letting her find out.
"The pain and suffering that my mother went through was the doing of the man you called father," Julia said and Jason reached out to touch her.
"Don't touch me," Julia yelled standing to her feet. "Don't touch me," she put up her hands to stop Jason while leaning against the wall.
Jason who had to bend his knees to speak to her also stood up. He saw her torn dress and the bruises on her thigh.
"Who did this to you?" Jason asked even though he suspected James. He wanted her to confirm it.
"Jason, please stop pretending like you care because I know you don't. You don't love me. You were just putting up with me because you wanted to be heir to the Haward fortune," Julia said in tears.
Jason lowered his head as he could not say anything because he acknowledged her as his wife because of the letter from his father and he became the heir. He felt guilty for doing that to her. He didn't care about her before but things have changed.
"So, you just used me for your selfish gain," Julia said in tears. "And I stupidly fell in love with you," she said and Jason lifted his head to look at her but he didn't know what to say as he felt guilty with each word that came out of her mouth.
Jason didn't know how to defend himself. He had found out she was a Haward but he could not tell her yet. He acknowledged her as his wife and became the heir. He was guilty.
"You ask me who did this to me? Is it not what you rich do to the poor? Bully us with your money and power. That day on the 7th floor, I gave in because I felt defenceless against you. You are as guilty as your brother," Julia said.
Jason was drunk that day but he recalled her protest which he ignored. He took advantage of her.
"Please leave me alone. I don't want to see you again," Julia said still in tears.
Julia went silent and the next thing Jason saw was, that Julia was falling to the floor. He caught her before she could fall to the floor. He carried her out of the apartment and walked to the next bus stop. He got a taxi from there and took her to the hospital. Upon arriving at the hospital, he realized she was bleeding. The doctors confirmed she had been sexually abused. He would have found James and beaten him up for doing that to her but he had equally done the same making him and James the same. The man he called father equally took advantage of Julia's mother and abandoned them in a life of misery.
"Your wife lost her baby," came the doctor's voice and Jason lifted his gaze to look at him behind his desk inside the doctor's office.
"She was pregnant?" Jason asked in a very low voice.
"Yes. She was three weeks pregnant," replied the doctor and Jason's face turned solemn
"Can I see her?" Jason asked.
"Yes, I would let one of the nurses take you to her," replied the doctor.
Jason was sent to the private ward where Julia was lying on a bed with her eyes closed. She had a miscarriage after the attack from James who forcibly slept with her.
Jason stood there looking at her lying on the bed with an IV attached to her hand. His eyes were quickly filled with tears. He had never cried his entire adult life but finding out Julia was pregnant with his child and now the child was gone, his heart was broken and shattered into many pieces. He moved towards the seat and sat next to her. He held Julia's hand in his. His tears rolled down his cheeks.