Published: Dec. 22, 2019---Sept. 30, 2020

"What are you doing, Charlize? You want to hit my wife, who is pregnant. Whatever anger you have towards me, don't involve her in it." Jared told Charlize while he turned around to face the latter while shielding her with his back.

"Why are you protecting her? Isn't she a wife whom your grandmother forced you to wed?"

"You know, no one can force me to do anything I don't want to do."

"Don't tell me you love her, Jared. It is not you. The Jared I know doesn't like any woman. You only love your company. It is just the brat in her, which made you behave like this."

"Charlize, if you cannot accept that, I have fallen in love with her. It is your problem, but it is the truth." Jared then turned to face her and pulled her in his embrace. He guided her then to go in the opposite direction on which Charlize used.

"She doesn't love you as I do. Jared. If she did, she would not go out and date other men." Upon hearing Charlize's accusation, Katelyn stopped her stride, turned around, and said. " If you love Jared like you said, how come you are pregnant with someone else?"

"Jared, you know it..."

Charlize was not able to finish what she has to say as Jared told her to stop. The room then quieted while she and Charlize looked at each other.

Jared then holds her hand, but before they left, Jared told Charlize if she behaves in the future like she is today, a severe consequence in which she will never like will come her way.

After Jared warned a stunned Charlize, they both went back to the garden and see to their guest as if nothing happened.

When the visitors left after an hour, Katelyn saw Charlize's face looked at her. This time, there was no arrogance in her eyes. As if Jared's threat hits her hard to loose whatever hopes she has.

Blake's family stayed behind as ordered by Meme. It was then she cornered Blake in the hallway when he went with Jared in the wine cellar.

"Blake, I need to talk to you." Jared was the one who walked near her instead of Blake. He put his hands on her shoulder and said." Hon, whatever you are going to say, I tell you he is thinking of doing it too. He is just timing it. So, don't stress out yourself and walk with us back to the living room."

What her husband told her was able to calm her worried mind. It means Blake will not leave her friend pregnant and unmarried.

At night while they are preparing to sleep, Jared gathered her in his arms and then asked. "Who was the guy you dated before?"

The truth is, after Charlize's accusation, she was waiting for him to ask her about this.

She looked into his eyes; touched his face, and then tell him about the day she went with Nicole and Tess to meet David and Michael. This time she says all that had happened.

She told him of her wearing a wig to disguise. Even the one when she dropped her phone and Blake helped her, she mentioned it.

It was then he reacted because his cousin had a crush on a girl with Tess and Nicole. He then looked at her as if inspecting her features.

Though surprised at what she learned, she still kissed her husband and told him. "Blake doesn't like me in this color; he like the darker haired one, so don't be jealous."

"I am not, but you are right. Blake likes darker-haired women." Jared touched her lips while he said it.

He deepened the kiss, and she responded. "Is it true you love me, Hon?" He asked once they took a break for a breath.

"Will I be pregnant if I don't?"

"Maybe you only liked my body and because I am good in bed?" He asked the last words with pride in his voice, which made her, punch him softly on his chest.

Her action made him laughs," You also are not arrogant, aren't you?"

"No, I am not. I am just telling the truth." He told her in all his seriousness, which made her eyes, bulged, but he smiled and said. "Kidding aside, do you love me?"

She touched his face," Yes, I do love my Jared so...much."

"More than your admirer, Eddie?"

"Hmm..." She answered, but when she saw his face as if waiting for something, she added. "I never love Eddie, romantically. Besides, he never even comes here."

When she saw him still unsatisfied with her answer, she added. "You are my only love, my first and last love, my honey, my knight in shining armor. Without you, I don't know if I can even last a day as I feel all my vital organs connect with you."

"Thank you, hon, for loving me," Jared told her, and she saw this time he was satisfied with what she said.

"Hmm...I never thought my husband has an affinity with flowery words," she told him.

"I don't have, but all those words were from your efforts of thinking so you can come up with it. I should believe in you. Besides, you are not a person who likes to flatter someone to gain something."

"Hmm, my honey is so sweet. I could cry. If I am not in love with him already, with his words, she will." she thought and then looked in his eyes and said, "Always remember, you are my priority in everything."

This time she kissed him first. As always, he responded with no reservation. If she is not pregnant yet, she swears tonight she will conceive one.

After a week, Jared brought her to the dock. Her friends came out on the deck of a yacht before she can step on its stairs. They waved at her, and Nicole even raised a glass.

She looked at him as if asking him, "What are they doing here?" but he just shrugged off his shoulder and helped her to go inside the boat. Jared didn't bring her directly to where her friends are. Instead, they went to a room, and after a knock, a woman opened a door.

Katelyn turned to look at Jared, but she noticed another person inside before she can utter any words. It's no other than her Doctor, sitting on a couch. Jared then ushered her inside.

The Doctor checked her vital signs and once given a clearance to enjoy. They went up to the deck.

While they are walking, Katelyn can't help but be moved by her husband's concern. He even brought her Doctor to be sure everything is alright with her. She touched his arms, which made him stopped walking and looked at her," Is something wrong?" in which she answered," I love you."

He kissed her lips before telling her, "I love you too."

He was going to kiss her again, but the voice of Blake stopped him. "Please do it in your room, but after I have done what I plan to do."

It turned out that what Blake meant was his proposal.

He had done it when the yacht neared the colossal statue of Liberty. After the revelation of the boat's name, which happened to be "Victoria," her second name? When everyone had congratulated her and Nicole told her a lucky person to marry a man who is not only handsome and wealthy but also devoted to her.

It was then a piece of music played. Blake walked towards Tess with a bouquet. He then bends on his knees to ask the latter for her hand on marriage.

Tess said yes, and the champagne bottle popped and poured in the glass. Then tears escaped from Nicole's eyes, which made her asked," Are you too happy with our friend?"

Nicole wept with her question, which made her tapped her friend's shoulder and said," You are exaggerating it too much, looked..." She told Nicole while waving her hands to people in the yacht. It was then her friend looked up and did as told.

Good thing, the visitors are just them, Lizzy with Teddy Junior, Mark, Chase, and his girlfriend, or so he said, her husband and the newly engaged couple. Except for the Doctor and her nurse, the crew, and the waitresses, it's just them, friends.

"Kate, you just don't know how I feel," Nicole told her in between sobs.

"I know, I too am happy to witness Tess's engagement finally. I also could cry."

"It is not what I mean."

"Ah? So, what do you mean?" confused, she asked.

"I cried because both of you are pregnant. You are married, and Tess is engaged. Wasn't I the one who was looking for a guy? It should be me who is pregnant and married."

"Ah! Now I know." Katelyn said after hearing her friends' sentiments. She pulled Nicole for a hug.

"Don't worry. We will look for a guy for you." Nicole then raised her head and looked at her after what she said.

"Thank you, but no need. Your husband would kill me if he knew you would go with me to one of my dates."

It was then she felt a hand encircled her waist. "Are you talking about me?'

She turned around and smiled at her husband.

"No, we were not," Nicole answered for her. This time Katelyn noticed her friend's voice was not quivering as it usually does.

It was then Jared saw Nicole's face, but before he can comment, the newly engaged couple came to their circle.

Tess hugged her and Nicole after they congratulated her. Upon seeing the latter's red-faced, Tess then turned to Blake.

She whispered to him, and he nods for an answer.

She and Nicole just looked at each other with questions in their eyes; especially Tess didn't divulge what she whispered to Blake.

It was a month after she found out when they went to fit the dress they would wear to Tess's wedding.

Tess told her she was trying to set up Nicole to date with her cousin since before her engagement, but it seemed the latter was not interested.

That day of her engagement, she asked Blake if he can introduce Nicole to his friend, but it seemed their friend was still not interested.

After a week, while she and Jared are in the gazebo, she found out who caught Nicole's interest. Jared was the one who told her.

She was sitting on a couch, with a faraway look when her husband asked. "Hon, who are you thinking?"

She let him sit down beside her before she answered. "It's Nicole. We don't have time with her lately, leaving her to eat alone most of the time."

"Who told you she is alone?"

"Of course myself, Tess and I didn't spend our lunch break with Nicole anymore."

"It's good you didn't." his comments raised her brows, which made him kissed her and then told her. "You will only disturb her dates with Mark."

"What? Nicole and Mark?" her husband nodded his head while offering her sliced of an apple.

"Why you didn't tell beforehand?"

"You will say again not only I love eavesdropping but also gossiping."

It's true; she did accuse him before listening to her and Charlize's conversation but Nicole and Mark?

"Honey, this one you should not keep from me. Tell me how come you knew about them while I didn't?"

"I asked Mark the reason he is always smiling when he is holding his phone. He told me Nicole is chatting with him. "

"Casually, he just told you that?" He nods, and so she asked." Aren't you a man who doesn't care about other people's personal life as long as their performance at work is excellent?"

"Mark is not someone else. You know that, and Nicole is your friend."

"Do you know when did it start?"

"It's been a while, maybe when Nicole got drunk, and I told Mark to bring her to the hotel."

"That long?" wide-eyed, she asked for the wonder of it all. She and Tess never had an idea, and Nicole never said a thing. She even pretends to look for another one.

"So, Hon, you should not worry about your friend being lonesome." Jared interrupted her thoughts. He then settled her on his lap to touch the small bulge on her belly. "Mommy is always busy with her friends' business. She forgot us."

"Hmm...Daddy's jealous again," she said while holding his chin to raise his face towards her and saw his mischievous smile.

Before she can react, Meme's voice calling their attention cut whatever it will be. She was going to leave Jared's lap, but he stops her.

She is still embarrassed every time Meme saw her in a compromising position with her husband even though it's the older woman who had told her before on how to seduce her grandson.

Jared, on the other, acts as if it is typical of him to behave being affectionate.

"As if she and his grandmother don't know him to be indifferent with human emotions before, but it makes him more adorable."

She then kissed him, forgetting Meme's presence, who patiently wait for them to take a breath.

"To see you both happy, I can say I am happy to leave this world."

They both looked at their grandmother's direction on what she said. "Meme, don't ever say that," she said as she got up from Jared's lap, and this time he didn't stop her. He too gets up, and they both hugged Meme.

"Remember, you still have to babysit for your great-grandchild," Jared told his grandmother, which brought a smile to their elderly.

Afterward, they walked back to the house with Jared in between them, his arms in each of their shoulders.

End of the Story

Thank you so much, my dear readers, for the support and patiently waiting for my updates, I appreciated it too much. I hope all of you enjoyed the story of Katelyn and Jared and also please give time to read my other stories, RETAKE and Disguised for Love.❤❤❤