Forced Marriage: Escaping Her Monster

Jerlina thought they' be going to the Corporate Office of the Fitzgerald Lumber Corp. located in the port city of Latson, but she was taken to the Registered Office in Peyton. The old building is there for more than a century as this was used by the Fitzgerald family.

Scarlett told Jerlina that TJ uses this office still although he has a lavish office in the Corporate office building too. She explained how even after expanding the business to an international level, he still is the same and uses the office as a tribute to his adoptive father.

"He was adopted by Mr. Fitzgerald?" Jerlina was surprised.

Scarlett let out a deep breath at Jerlina's question. It seemed like Jerlina knows nothing about Jeremy.

She used to be in the 'gang'! She used to follow around Jerlina in their "patrols". She watched how Jerlina never gave a chance to TJ. But she never refused him either.

At least tell him that he has no chance with you and put him out of his misery – she wanted to shout it to Jerlina.

She thought Jerlina was a snob. She even argued with Jeremy to stop liking that 'prick who thinks she is something' when she is just an uppity.

But Jeremy never let anyone talk one word against her. He was mesmerized with her as if she put a spell on him. She believed Emma when she cried that day saying how cruel Jerlina treated her and how her brother is blind to see the "real Jerlina". It proved her preconceived notion about Jerlina.

Emma used to say how Jerlina thinks Jeremy is a thug and someone unworthy to pursue her. But she was not willing to let him go because she can have Jeremy as a spare in case she cannot find anyone rich to date and marry.

The funny thing is she would argue with Jeremy after her "talks" with Emma, but Emma will pretend as if she didn't even understand why they talk about Jerlina with Jeremy.

They got along well back then – right till she stopped believing Emma's words; right after she grew up mentally. Emma's words rarely matched her actions.

Then she realized, people cannot be judged based on one thing or another. All humans have layers.

So what was the reason behind Jerlina's behavior in the past?

Bobby told her today that Jerlina was surprised she was one of them. "Back then...Were you right Kitty, when you said she was a snob?" he asked with little doubt. "Did she think we were too low for her?"

"No," she assured Bobby although she was a little doubtful after she saw the way Jerlina screamed at Jeremy the other day.

Daisy only had good words to speak about Jerlina as long as she remembered. Daisy said that Jerlina lost her baby and she thinks Jeremy caused it. That would screw up anyone pretty badly. Now that she has a chance, she wanted to get to know Jerlina more.

Jerlina could see Scarlett was disappointed. Jeremy is a local hero and everyone here knows about him. But what she knew about Jeremy came from Emma.

Right...Emma – a very unreliable source. At that time, she thought since she is his sister, her words would be more trustworthy than the local gossips.

Jerlina wanted to know how wrong she was about Emma in the past. She never told her that she used to sneak food for her brother. She gave the impression that they were one big happy family who'd sit and chat around the dining table each day.

"I used to be friends with Emma and she told me how her mother loved Jeremy - even more than her father, and how much TJ is a Harrison first. She said their father had to keep TJ out of jail by spending a lot whenever he almost kills someone because they said a word against their family..."

"Pfft..." Scarlett scoffed and Jerlina paused. Scarlett looked amused. "What else?"

"She even insinuated that Jeremy and Mr. Fitzgerald were in...you know...THAT kind of relationship. I never knew he was adopted."

"WHAAAT?" Scarlett slammed the brake right in the middle of the road. "Fudge it!" she turned and checked the baby. Making sure the baby is fine, she parked the car at the side of the road.

Jerlina patted her pounding chest. The sudden braking reminded her of her last accident. But she took in a deep breath. She wanted to tell her story to at least one person. She knew TJ's people won't believe her word over Emma's, but this is the truth.

Emma is a manipulator and a liar!

"She didn't plainly say that, but the way she talked about their relationship... I don't think I misunderstood her whether you will believe me or not. I can't explain well, but-"

"Aww, sweetie...you don't have to explain. I understand what you're saying. Trust me. Emma... she is...ahem! What else did she say?" Scarlett asked.

She now understood what could have happened between TJ and Jerlina back then.

Cr@p... If only I bothered to talk to Jerlina then, a lot of misunderstandings would have been solved!

"You believe me?" Jerlina widened her eyes. "I thought-"

"Oh, I believe you... and one more thing... Emma told me about some troubles between you and her. The school management sided with you but she said-"

"She..." Jerlina bowed her head. "That incident... I was in the wrong, but that guy spoke for me and since I was a model student, I was naturally believed..."

She let out a deep breath. That was the biggest mistake... well, the second biggest mistake she committed in her life. Since that guy's lie helped her, she didn't speak out the truth even after Emma begged her. And it was not worth it. She suffered a lot after that.

"Oh? What happened actually?" Scarlett wanted to know the truth to make sure how much Emma lies.

"That..." Jerlina rubbed her face. "I've never talked about this with anyone before... But..."Jerlina decided to come clean. Somehow Scarlett seemed trustworthy to her. Or she just wanted a release from feeling guilty all the time.

"It was an assignment... I usually finish my assignments a week before, but I somehow forgot that one assignment. I remembered the previous day, but I..."

That was her biggest mistake that led to everything that went wrong in her life. She like most teenagers was very hormonal and wanted attention. Her father never paid attention to her and to seek attention, she did a stupid thing.

She knew it was stupid at that time, but she did it anyway because... she was a desperate teenager who wanted her father's attention and very stupid.

She dressed in one of her stepmother's provocative outfits and sneaked into the pub. She thought she'd be caught and they'd call her father, but no one cared. She even bought beers and they sold it to her when she showed some random ID she found in school! That ID was probably fake and yet no one cared.

She got wasted after just a bottle... she talked with a random dude...and... That was the night she lost her virginity.

Stupid! Stupid!

It hurt... That dude was very big down there and... he tried to stop her, and when she insisted he tried to be gentle, but it hurt. She didn't enjoy it at all.

She forgot everything about that poor dude who was cheated by a high school girl. He thought she was an adult. But if anyone knew, he will be jailed although she was the one who instigated it, and so she never talked about it.

She never will talk about it.

But the sad truth is... although she wasn't home even after midnight, no one from her home searched for her. Even her dad...because – Poor Gina had a fever and she wanted her dad by her side.

When Jerlina got home expecting a lecture or even grounding, she was very disappointed. She wept and it was that day she decided that she will not hurt herself for any reason, especially to gain attention. She blamed no one but herself for her stupidity.

"Jerlina?"

Scarlett's voice snapped Jerlina out of her reverie.

"Yes..." she continued.