Twenty five
JANIS’ POV
The moment the screeching tires of our car came to a halt, I didn’t even wait for a nano-second to pass by before lurching out through the doors of the car.
I slammed the doors shut behind me causing Stravis to flinch as she was fixing up the loose buttons of her blazer.
“Sheesh Janis, the house isn’t running away you know!?” I heard Stravis yell at me for my rough demeanour.
I shut all her wordings out. The only thing I could hear right now was the heavy pounding of my heart in my rib cages.
It felt like my heart could jump out of my body any minute. My tremor was at its summit and my breathing would frequently clog in my chest.
I swiftly pushed open the huge doors of the mansion and dashed upstairs with my trepadised feet.
Jax’s words still echoed and resonated within the walls of my ears.
He wanted to take Jerome away from me and he was damn serious.
His entire physique and aura spoke of a deadly and threatening wealth.
It was evident in him. He wasn’t dressed as a poor man but as a billionaire.
My useless sister still made matters more worse for me by going ahead to insult him.
She literally just added more fuel to the already heated up inferno.
Tears brewed up in my eyes and distorted my vision as I raced through the hallway.
I can’t let Jax take Jerome away from me. He is my son too.
Why is Jax doing this to me?
I was experiencing a serious nervous break down as I reminisced on Jax’s statement. He told me he was ready to fight me in court and I should get ready to loose the battle.
That definitely wasn’t an empty threat. He meant every word.
He would stop at nothing to claim Jerome and get full custody of him but I couldn’t let that happen.
I imagined that meeting Jax again in the future would bring some sort of relief to I and Jerome but now it was turning out to be a nightmare.
He is outrightly accusing me for hiding Jerome from him when all I fucking did was to search every nook and cranny for his bloody ass.
I literally spent my time, money and resources in searching all over the city for him with the little information I had of him but he suddenly disappeared into thin air.
And now he showed up out of the blue to claim Jerome for himself.
I can’t let that happen.
I lurched myself through the doors of Jerome’s room, startlimg the maids who were attending to him as they all whipped their faces towards my mortified features whilst I loomed by the doorway to the room.
On seeing Jerome, my heart melted and a smile broke out on my lips.
“Jerome” I gasped, walking towards him.
On spotting me, Jerome leaped for joy and scurried towards me, leaving the maid who was trying to feed him his cereal.
“Mama” he exclaimed in a happy tone.
I scooped him up at once and hugged him so deeply, burying my face in the crook of his neck whilst he played with my hair.
“Did you miss me huh?” I asked, nuzzling my nose against his.
He tittered and giggled uncontrollably which got me smiling even more.
“All of you leave now. I’ll take care of my son myself” I ordered them in a stern tone.
They scurried out of the room and I locked the door behind them.
My eyes focused back on a cheerful Jerome and tears brewed up in my ears as I watched him and his gimmicks.
Jax really was hell bent on taking our baby away from me.
I mean Jerome is so attached to me. He can recognise my voice anywhere and I’m deeply attached to my son.
I can’t bear the pain of not being around him anymore or loosing him to Jax.
“Jerome I love you so much. You have no idea how much mummy loves you. Though your birth was unexpected but I made sure to not let that affect your upringing. I’m ready to fight the entire world for you my dear son” I sobbed, not being able to hold back my tears anymore.
I crumbled into tears before Jerome. “I won’t leave you sweetie. I won’t let anyone take you from me either. You were given to me by the Almighty himself. I can’t let anyone take what’s mine”
Planting kisses all over Jerome’s face, I watched him giggle and his laugh was rather infectious.
“Nobody will take you from me sweetie. Nobody” I kept on repeating to Jerome who was obviously oblivious to everything happening.
He just enjoyed my kisses.
I can’t let Jax fulfil his devious plans and take Jerome away from me.
Never.
I was going to fight him tooth and nail and nobody was going to stop me from winning.
* * * * * * *
Stravis let out a tired groan as she carried her bag and Janis’ bag inside the house.
She could not believe Janis had dumped her bag on her to carry. She was even more stunned by the way she left the car.
“Could it have had something to do with that lowlife Jax?” Stravis thought to herself.
“She did seem tensed and frightened today on meeting him”
“Uh ma’am can we help you?” A soft feminine voice interrupted Stravis’ reverie.
Stravis veered her eyes to face the maids standing in front of her and her nose scrunched in disgust at them.
“No stay back. I’ll do it myself. You all stink of sweat and poverty” Stravis cursed.
“Where is Janis?” She questioned with a raised brow.
“In a room with Jerome” One of the maids answered.
Triumph surged in Stravis and she leaped for joy within her.
She had crafty motives of her own and now she was going to show their mother how irresponsible Janis was.
Stravis quickly walked up the stairs and raced for their parents room.All text © NôvelD(r)a'ma.Org.
She was honestly eager to spill the news about Janis.
“Mum” Stravis exclaimed, bursting through the doors of her mother’s bedroom and giving her a fright.
Mrs Walter jerked and gave a sigh of relief on noticing it was Stravis.
“What’s wrong sweetheart? How did the function go?” Mrs Walter asked, scooting a little for Stravis to sit next to her.
Stravis dropped the bags on the sheets of the bed and stared at her mother doe-eyed. “You wouldn’t believe what happened today in the function!”
“Tell me dear. Did you meet Mr Lester?”
Stravis shook her head in reply. “Not at all. But I met the father of Janis’ son Jerome” Stravis chirped.
Mrs Walter gave her curious orbs. “Stop the joke Stravis. You know Janis doesn’t like all that”
“I’m not joking. I met Jerome’s father at the function this night and honestly he is nothing to write home about” Stravis jeered.
“How so? What do you mean?” Mrs Walter gave her a puckered up brow.
Stravis seemed as happy as a lark in belittling her sister.
“His name is Jax and he is a pauper. So fucking poor. He can’t even afford good clothes goddamit. Mum this man wreaks of poverty. Janis flaunts herself around and she is so picky in choosing a partner yet she ended up fathering a poor man’s son” Stravis scoffed without batting an eyelid.
“C’mon don’t say that about other people. I’ve warned you about this habit of yours several times. Don’t talk down on people. And you might be wrong in your assumption of him you know” Mrs Walter chided Stravis.
“I’m not lying mum” Stravis rolled her eyes. “Do you know the worst thing about this man? He is two faced. He pretends to be rich and flaunts himself around but he is nothing”
Mrs Walter seemed so confused by Stravis’ speech about Jerome’s father.
“Are you really sure of all these?” She threw her question at Stravis.
Stravis nodded with a beam on her face.
“I can’t believe how low Janis had to stoop to sleep with a common pauper. Like out of all the rich and famous in the city, she chose to lay with a nobody. Janis acted so shamelessly. She didn’t even think of how her actions would affect the reputation and prestige of both the family and the company. God I feel irritated at her behaviour” Stravis spat acrimoniously.
Mrs Walter was dumbstruck at Stravis’ revelation. This sounded so unlike Janis.
What really had been going on in her daughter’s life?
“That’s not even the biggest news. The man wants full custody of Jerome and he is ready to take Janis to court to gain him” Stravis dropped the bomb.
Mrs Walter had her jaws dropping to the floor on hearing that.
Her eyes widened and she was robbed of her speech.
“Are you serious?” She almost exclaimed at Stravis.
Stravis nodded once more.
“What the hell? That’s too extreme. How can he possibly think of separating Jerome from Janis after two whole years of being absent? We need to solve this issue before it escalates. Did Janis meet him in the function too?”
“Ofcourse. Why do you think she hasn’t come to see you yet and fill you in on how the function went? She is too pale and depressed. She is in the room with Jerome right now. Probably crying her eyes out” Stravis chuckled darkly.
“For once be sympathetic to other people’s troubles. Janis is your sister. Don’t make fun of her predicament because you aren’t in her shoes” Mrs Walter scolded Stravis.
Stravis huffed and shrugged her shoulders at her mother. “I am sympathetic mother. It’s not my fault Janis slept with a low life. She is getting exactly what she deserves”
“It’s not her fault too that she slept with someone that isn’t in her financial status Stravis” Mrs Walter replied as a matter of fact.
“Stop addressing people who are less financially buoyant as low lives. We are all human beings. Don’t blame your sister for something that was beyond her control. In the future, you could find yourself…” Mrs Walter wasn’t allowed to complete her statement as Stravis quickly interrupted her.
“I’ll never be in such position or predicament mother because I move with sensible people. I don’t move with people who are below my financial status. I move with the rich and powerful. I’ll never be in Janis’ predicament” Stravis retorted.
“However you choose to put it. Just be more understanding to other people’s feeling and troubles. Anyways that aside, go stay with Janis” Mrs Walter instructed.
Stravis had a facial features morphed into a frown and her brows deeply knitted. “Why? She seems like she needs to be left alone”
“I know” Mrs Walter sighed.
“Just go check on how she’s faring. She needs moral support right now. I’ll discuss this with your father when he gets back and try come up with a solution to this issue. Probably I’ll go meet the man… uhm… Jax and talk to him amicably to stop this issue from escalating” Mrs Walter concluded with a stern resolve across her face.
This was a very sensitive issue and she couldn’t afford to see Janis depressed because of it. It had to be treated with caution to avoid the issue blowing out of proportion.