Web Fic
Chapter 134
Jason shoved his hands deep into his jeans pockets, gazing down at her before he uttered, “Who said I’m waiting until next year to get a divorce?”
Oh, the nerve! Kristin chuckled in disbelief, “Do you really need to tell me that yourself? And don’t pretend, Jason. Can you honestly say you never mentioned kicking poor Estrella to the curb when the time comes? You’ve really grown some backbone! Now you’re bold enough to do the deed but not to own it, huh?” Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.
The things Jason had spat out during his fights with Estrella were never directly relayed to Kristin, but the household staff were all too eager to report every detail they overheard.
Noticing Jason’s mood darken, Kristin hastened to clear any misunderstanding on Estrella’s behalf, “With so many eyes and ears at home, Estrella didn’t need to breathe a word of it to me.”
Jason remained silent. He knew Estrella was too proud to complain to his mother about the harsh words he’d thrown at her. All she wanted was a child, nothing more.
Seeing his silence, Kristin pushed further with a triumphant air, “Lost for words now, are we?”
Her persistence seemed to weigh on Jason. His eyes narrowed as he said, “Mom, aren’t you worried that Estrella only wants a child? That she might take the kid and demand a divorce?”
Jason’s blunt question left Kristin speechless. It wasn’t that she hadn’t considered the possibility, but having it thrown in her face like this made her realize that he wasn’t entirely without reason. It seemed his reluctance to get Estrella pregnant was his way of clinging to their marriage out of fear she would leave him once she had the baby.
After staring at Jason for a while, Kristin suggested, “Then you should treat Estrella better, show her some warmth. She’s always so generous with her smiles around you and never holding a grudge.”
Jason snorted, hands still in his pockets, “She’s always generous with her smiles to everyone.”
Kristin had no words. Just moments ago, Kristin was full of confidence, but now she suddenly felt the conversation was going nowhere.
Usually, she was quick-witted, especially when schooling Jason. Why did he manage to leave her at a loss for words?.
Furrowing her brows in concern, Kristin truly worried about the possibility of a future divorce for the couple.
They had known each other for so many years. Why couldn’t they just get along?
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After a thoughtful silence, Kristin proposed, “Even so, you can’t keep giving Estrella the cold shoulder. She’s not just anyone. She’s your wife.”
Pausing, a sudden idea seemed to strike her, and her eyes widened, “Why don’t you have Estrella sign a prenup, promising she won’t ask for a divorce after having a child?”
Jason looked down at Kristin but said nothing.
Seeing him just staring, she continued with a half-hearted smile, “I guess that wouldn’t be right either, huh? It does seem pretty distrustful, making it seem like there’s no trust between you two.”
She had never contemplated the thought of Jason and Estrella actually getting divorced. She hoped that when things cooled down, she’d see her son give Estrella the grand wedding she deserved, making up for the simple marriage certificate ceremony they had
before.
After her spiel, Jason gave her a smile, “Mom, you usually don’t seem all that bright, but today, your IQ is through the roof. Not a bad idea.”
It wasn’t like he hadn’t had Estrella sign agreements before. What difference would another make?
Kristin, relieved by his praise, clutched her chest and exhaled, “So the idea holds water, huh! If it’s solid, then you and Estrella better sign it quickly! Get that paperwork done and start working on having kids.”
She added as an afterthought, “But don’t tell Estrella this was my idea.” She couldn’t afford to upset Estrella. If anyone was to take the blame, it would be her son.
Jason rolled his eyes skyward at Kristin’s anxious demeanor. Like mother, like son – Bryce was no different, selling out their own kin cleaner than anyone else.
and
Kristin patted his arm. “Alright, let’s go inside for some cake.”
They entered the house to find Estrella and Bryce playfully wrestling, their faces smeared with frosting. Jason felt a complicated pang in his chest. His wife seemed to get along with everyone in the Nelson family except him.
As the partygoers laughed and indulged in cake, Kristin took the opportunity to follow Estrella out to the yard under the pretext of dodging the children’s frosting-smearing
antics.
Estrella called out when she saw Kristin emerge.
Kristin wiped her face, remarking, “You missed a spot.”
Then, changing the subject, she ventured, “Estrella, you wouldn’t think of divorcing Jason after having a child, would you?”
Without needing to ask, Estrella knew Kristin had just come from talking to Jason, and of
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course, Jason had deflected the issue onto her. After a long look at Kristin, Estrella replied with a laugh, “Whatever happens between us is always up to him.”
She did have that intention, but she couldn’t possibly admit it! It was one thing to confront Jason but entirely another to confess to Kristin.
Kristin seemed satisfied. “As long as you don’t have that idea, that’s good. You know, it’s not easy for two people to come together in this big world, especially after knowing each other for so many years.”
“Sure,” Estrella agreed. She thought it was time for a change after so many years.
Their conversation in the yard continued as the birthday party came to a close. Guests bid farewell to the hosts, Keith and Amber, and left for their homes.
Jason and Estrella said their goodbyes to the old couple, who made them promise to work on their relationship and to ‘complete their mission’ soon. They nodded and agreed, but as soon as they left the house, they parted ways, one turning left, the other right.
Jason’s hands rested casually on the steering wheel as he followed Estrella’s car. The thought of the preemptive strike she had launched with his mother soured his mood. It seemed she truly had the idea in her head – to get a divorce.
Jason’s mood was as dark as a brewing storm, rolling in from the ocean and threatening to sweep everything in its path.
After a drive that lasted a touch over twenty minutes, their vehicles pulled up to Sandalwood Oasis. Estrella stepped out first, followed shortly by Jason. They entered the house one after the other. Marie, ever the cheerful soul, greeted them with a beaming smile, “Mr. Jason, Ms. Estrella, you’re back! I bet the old manor was all hustle and bustle
tonight!”
“Quite lively,” Estrella replied.
Jason remained silent.
After a brief exchange with Marie downstairs, Estrella ascended the stairs. Opening her. room door, she found Jason’s gaze inadvertently meeting hers. Casting him a fleeting glance, she shrugged off her coat and hung it neatly on the rack.
Breaking the silence, Jason asked with a hint of detachment, “Why didn’t you wait for me this afternoon?”
Estrella, with her back to him, replied nonchalantly, “I just went ahead, nothing to wait for.” She half- expected him to confront her about possibly tattling on Kristin, but he didn’t bring
it up.
Jason watched her back, his mind teetering on the edge of speech, yet each time, he found himself reeling the words back in, unspoken.
Later, when Estrella emerged from the bathroom, refreshed from her shower, Jason was
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no longer in the room.
She didn’t reach for her phone or seek him out. Instead, she simply dried her hair and slipped into bed, surrendering to sleep.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
In the dead of night, a series of thunderous roars ripped through the silence, jolting almost the entire city awake. Estrella was no exception, startled from her slumber.
As her eyes snapped open, a flash of lightning and a blast of thunder illuminated the room, and there, in the stark brightness, she caught sight of a pair of deep, intense eyes staring intently at her from just an arm’s length away.