From Grass to Grace

CHAPTER 2

"Dorin!!! " Jake exclaimed in shock and saw her jump out of the bed to gather her clothes while the man was hurrying too, looking for clothing to cover his nakedness.

"Dorin, what's this? Has it gotten to cheating on me? " He was astonished, betrayed, and pained at the same time.

"Oh, you are back. When did you come back from the hospital? Why didn't anyone tell me you were back?" she looked destabilized. Her eyes could not meet his: they were just hovering around the room. 

"Dorin! How could you? Don't talk about my being in the hospital like you care, did you visit me once? Oh, this is what you were doing while I was away right? Sleeping around? Really? "

"It's not what you think. I was really busy and couldn't make it to the hospital… "

"Busy fucking some random guy? "

"I am no random guy Mr whatever you call yourself. Of what use are you in this house if you cannot satisfy your wife? ". The man she was with responded from behind her. He was fully dressed now and Jake could see from his outfit that he was a rich man. 

Luxurious suits, shoes, wristwatches, and his aura all screamed money, and immediately Jake knew his place but still fought back. For the sake of the only woman he still loved. If only she would show remorse and promise not to do it again. He would forgive her wholeheartedly and take her back. 

"Mr. Rich guy, I can see all you've displayed and I'm sure you know I have none of that but this woman is one thing I have and love so much. I am not about to lose her to you, so please stay out of our matter okay? " Jake warned him strictly as very little was left of my damaged pride as a man. 

He felt small sitting in a wheelchair with tattered clothes, and there was his rich wife with her rich lover staring down at him like he was some piece of garbage. 

"Honey please, can you stop this, and let's reconcile? I'm ready to take you back okay? "

"Take me back? To where? To your poverty-stricken room? Or the house you don't have? Just please make sure you knock before opening the door to my room next time, okay? Goodbye, wheelchair husband" she giggled and Jake caught a glimpse of the man kissing her again before they banged the door on his face and locked it up.

That was not his wife. That wasn't the scared fragile woman he married five years ago. Or had she been pretending all along? Though they didn't start with a beautiful relationship, it was a one-night stand.

Her boyfriend had broken up with her that night and she was hopelessly crying when she came into the bar Jake was working in as a bar attendant. 

She asked for drinks and kept crying as she got them. His heart went out to her, so they talked as she drank and he drank with her, soothing and comforting her till they both got drunk and ended up in a hotel room that night. 

The next morning when he woke up, she was gone and he felt so bad and empty, almost regretting what he had done. He didn't even know her name. One month later, she was back crying again. This time she was pregnant with his child due to the one night they had. 

Jake was devastated as he finally regretted approaching her in the first place. She took him home and her father who didn't want his image to be tarnished in society sponsored their marriage and they wedded before anyone found out she was pregnant. Then he was told to pack into their mansion as their son-in-law. 

Her father was always neutral and did not support any side but his mother-in-law never agreed from the beginning. She also cursed him that he had destroyed her daughter's life by coming into it in his poor state and he lived regretting every single day the company and condolences he offered to a rich man's daughter.

But when my twins came, he was most grateful to the heavens for giving him such beautiful kids. He was never really in love with his wife and he was sure she wasn't either but they had respect for each other and understanding too. 

But today, he met an entirely different wife from the one he had known for five years. Shutting the door in his face and speaking to him in that manner was something he could not still comprehend. 

With a distraught heart and a heart-wrenching spirit, Jake wheeled himself to his room which was at the other end of the corridor. 

This building was a subdivision of the main house which was just opposite it. It had five rooms in it excluding the sitting room, kitchen, and other rooms. 

There was his room, his wife's, and the children had different rooms even though they slept in one room most of the time, the other room was for the maids and nanny while the guards had their quarters outside. 

The Main House which was called 'The White House' was a magnificent building that housed Earl Mayor and his wife, Grace Mayor, parents of his wife. He rarely went there except on errands and he had lost count of the number of rooms they had over there. Still, his mother-in-law would come to their building to suffocate his space just like today. 

While in his room, Jake thought of what to do to escape the ache that was in his heart. He was worried, it wasn't long before this thin thread he was hanging onto snapped cut and left him to face the repercussions.

The door to his room opened and he hoped with everything that it was his wife coming to apologize but it wasn't. It was just the maid who had brought him home, what was her name again, Samara? 

"Sir, your food is ready. Please eat something" she said to his back which was towards her and he wondered who else used honorifics on him in this household. Even the other maids and guards avoided calling his name, he knew they were unsure of what to call him since he was practically almost a maid like them.

"Thank you, but I'm not hungry. Please take the food with you" he said quietly. 

"But sir… " she began to protest and he spun his wheelchair so he could face her. 

"Get out" he ordered and hated the look on her face. It could've been a concern but he saw it as sympathy, and mockery and it pained him. 

But she just stood there by the door stubbornly and refused to get out as he had ordered.

"I understand your anger at being paralyzed. Anyone could be angry too"

Jake laughed bitterly. How could she say she understood when she knew nothing of what he was going through? His wife just cheated and he couldn't do anything about it. 

"You don't know half of what I'm angry at so just leave". 

"Very true. But I know for a fact that there are kids out there who are hoping that one day their father will man up and get them out of this creepy place that is always full of tension. If you don't want to survive for yourself, do so for your kids sir. They have so much hope in you. Please eat, I'll be back for the plates" she finished and walked out as Jake sat staring at her retreating figure. 

That was politely insulting if he did think about it too much but it sure made sense. It did. He still had his kids to fight for. He was going to work till he could take them out of this place.

Minutes later, Samara was back to get the plates. She smiled at him when she saw that he had eaten everything and he turned his embarrassed face to the other side of the room. What was this maid's problem with him? Why was she on his case? 

Just as she was about to leave the room, he heard a voice shouting. It was his wife. 

"And you are cheating too, Jake! What is a maid doing in your room?" She screamed and began shouting and crying at the same time. 

Jake turned to her in confusion as the tray of plates dropped from Samara's hand with a loud crash. That scream was what brought his mother-in-law running to his room. 

"What are you saying, Dorin? I just caught you in bed with another man and you have the guts to stand before me and claim I am the cheating one? Snap out of it". He screamed in anger. 

"What's going on here? " my mother-in-law had arrived at the scene. "As for you, those broken plates will be paid for with your salary". 

"I caught them both, she was sitting on his leg, kissing him, and serving him food," she said, obviously searching for lies to cook up. 

"Which legs, Dorin? The same ones I can't even walk with? Are you out of your mind? You are the one I just caught in bed with the dark guy who has brown hair and now you are shifting the accusation to me? " He said in disbelief and built-up anger but she didn't even answer him, instead turned to her mom. 

"Mom! Are you sure his legs are crippled or he is just pretending to get our sympathy to cover up for his incapabilities?". She was crying now. Crocodile tears and he watched the drama unfold before his eyes. 

"Henry! Come with one of your men" his mother-in-law screamed calling her bodyguards and they came running. 

"Lift that man from the wheelchair let's see if he is crippled or pretending? " She ordered and everyone in the room gasped in disbelief and fear as the bouncers began walking towards Jake.