Josh’s Pov
When her name was called, I was in the middle of pitching an investor on Gentex’s potential. Even though I had my back to her, the moment I heard her voice, I knew it was her. I thought I was hearing things at first, but then she spoke, and time froze as I remembered how the organizer introduced her:
“Brandon Fraser’s fiancee.” I jerked my jaw forward to see Jessica staring back at me. She was as surprised as I was, realization hit me, my mind wasn’t fooling me.
Although a part of me didn’t want to turn, I was curious. Thalia was still alive and well. I shifted my gaze to her as she delivered a bold speech. The visage was that of Thalia but the voice I was hearing was not that of Thalia.
Jessica approached me, shocked, and shouted, “Thalia, that’s thalia,” but I was too focused on the woman giving the speech to give her a reaction. I began walking through the crowd, Jessica behind, attempting to get as close to the front as possible, I had to be certain.
Jessica screamed out her name as soon as she concluded her speech. It took her a minute to turn around, and we were able to confirm that it was definitely her.
She started strolling towards us beautifully and elegantly, her eyes fixated on me as she held her tummy, her full pregnant tummy, as if she wanted me to see it.
She had a mocking expression on her face like she knew every sh*t that had happened a few months before and was laughing at me.
For a brief while, my ears were deafened while my mind fought to comprehend what was going on in front of me. The woman in front of me was presumed dead or missing. Jessica screamed something to her but my ears were too crowded for me to understand.
All I saw was her attempting to smack Thalia, but Thalia instantly grabbed her hand and held it. Security walked towards them, but Thalia stopped them with her hand. I was on the verge of bursting open as everything was happening.
She was Brandon Fraser’s fiance and she was pregnant for him. The very man that I needed to jumpstart my company.
She let go of my wife and moved closer to me, “Josh, you look fat,” she mocked.
“Shut up! You are supposed to be dead,” Jessica yelled at her like a madwoman.
She laughed out, and asked, “I ask again, did you send people to kill me because you both look like you’ve seen a ghost,” she joked, sending the crowd into laughter.
“I’m going to have you arrested, someone call the police!” a very enraged Jessica pleaded. “This woman right here made my husband go through her murder trial when she was alive and hiding!”
The crowd murmured and began taking pictures and videos.
“Josh please calm your wife before she evaporates,” Thalia stated. She was so close to me that we were only inches away from bumping tummies
“How… How..,” I tried to say some words but I sounded like a dying engine.
“Speak up, Josh, don’t be timid,” she said, turning to face Jessica. “Oh, and your lawyer was notified of my whereabouts, but if she kept that information to herself, you should arrest her.”
My mind wandered to Kim; our last encounter had not gone well, resulting in me blocking her. The folly of sleeping with a lawyer, yet the b*tch was meant to remain objective about the issue and avoid involving sentiments.
Because my eyes were so wet from looking at her pregnant belly, I turned my head towards the lovely marble floor because my eyes were watering and I was afraid I’d pass out if I kept gazing at her belly.
I made sure the woman in front of me never got pregnant, I made sure she believed she couldn’t conceive a child, but there she was pregnant, while my wife couldn’t even afford a miscarriage.
A tuxedo-clad gentleman approached her and whispered something in her ear. “No, just a minute,” she responded as she turned to face me. “My ex-husband hasn’t spoken a single word.” I raised my eyes to meet hers, and I could see the venom and resentment in her eyes.
Jessica instantly moved in between us, recognizing that I was tongue-tied, speechless, and in the middle of processing everything.
How did Thalia and Brandon meet? When did they meet? Was it something that happened before or after the divorce? Brandon was not the kind to pursue Thalia or the other way around. What exactly was going on? My head began to spin, and the room became heated.
“Wow, the great Josh Nelson has been turned into a deaf person,” Thalia laughed.
“Shut up!” Jessica screamed angrily at her.
“What are you two doing at my fundraiser, by the way?” Thalia inquired.
We both kept our mouths shut because there was no way we could tell her we were there looking for her husband-to-be’s support. Not after the hell, I put her through or how I tortured her. The shame was too much to bear.
“Is there something going on here, or has someone captured both of your tongues?” She asked.
“It is none of your business what we are doing here,” Jessica replied.
Thalia chuckled, she had so much confidence, she was not the Thalia that I used to abuse or the Thalia that couldn’t even maintain eye contact or defend herself. It was a new Thalia before us.
“It Is my business, however, this is my party, or did you two wander in like lost puppies?”
Jessica’s breath was vibrating, she was aching to hit the woman in front of her but security guards moved in again.
“Josh, let’s get going; we don’t have time for the new prostitute in town,” Jessica responded with a phony grin. “Wow, Brandon Fraiser, the man wh*re, you’ve truly degraded, he’s slept with every woman in town.”
“Has he ever slept with you?” Thalia enquired.
“Please excuse me? Do not insult me in any way.”
“That’s a no, or Brandon has superior taste,” Thalia remarked.
“You’re a wh*re!” Jessica yelled out in frustration.
“Yet you were the one who was sleeping with a married man, whereas I waited for the divorce and then f**ked Brandon, and now he’s ready to give me his trillion empires and I’m pregnant for him,” she sneered.
“What did you get for f**king Josh?” She asked.
Jessica was quiet, I could hear the rattling of her bones as she made a fist. She received nothing except regret for the past six months. I just stood there and watched her get her a*s handed to her, unable to defend my own wife.
“Let’s go!” she exclaimed, tears streaming down her face and marched ahead of me.
“Please don’t,” Thalia said, “where are my manners? Please accept my heartfelt apologies for forgetting,” she murmured as she clutched her chest. “I’ve heard of Gentex, and I’m sure that’s why you’re here, isn’t it?” She inquired but received no response.
“Do not be shy; if you require Mandel’s assistance, I can speak with Brandon.”
“Just shut up and stop with the nonsense!” Jessica screamed angrily. “We don’t require you or Mandela’s assistance. Take it and slam it up against your snout!”
The entire audience was stunned, and her choice of words was rather unappealing.
Thalia began clapping “Wow! Investors, that ment ality will not help you. Josh, control your wife!” Thalia’s voice grew louder. But all I could do was gaze down in shame.
“In any case, if your plans change, you can contact my secretary to schedule an appointment,” she stated and gracefully walked away. The crowd stared at us shocked as my wife kept yelling at me to move my embarrassing a*s.
