Sweet Revenge: Jace & Emerald

“You take care of my Mommy, Daddy Liam,” Ace said when he was about to ride in the car. He kissed his mom goodbye, even though he wanted Emerald to ride with them in his father’s car.

“No problem, young man. You know I’ll do that even if you don’t remind me.” Liam replied, smiling. He will take Emerald to her office, and Jace will send Ace to school.

“You take care, dear,” Emerald said, waving her hand at her son before she went to her car with Liam on the driver’s side.

On the other hand, Jace gets furious after hearing his son call Liam Daddy. However, he knew Ace was still too young to understand him and that the man had not done anything wrong to harm his son. He gripped the steering wheel tightly, his knuckles white, as he navigated through the familiar route to his son’s school. Beside him, Ace sat quietly, sensing the tension and his dad’s uneasiness.

“Dad, can we listen to the radio?” Ace’s voice was soft, almost hesitant.

Young Higginson forced a smile, glancing at his son briefly before turning his attention back to the road.

“Sure, buddy.” He reached over and switched on the radio, but the cheerful tunes did little to alleviate the heavy silence. He occasionally glanced into the rearview mirror, half expecting to see the pickup that had become a constant source of frustration as he drove. He couldn’t shake the image of his wife laughing with Liam. Even thinking his name made Jace’s jaw clench. ‘Why did she need to carpool with him, of all people?’ he asked himself.

“Dad, are you okay?” Ace’s voice cut through his spiraling thoughts.

“Yeah, son, I’m fine,” he replied, trying to sound convincing. “I’m just a bit tired.”

The boy nodded, looking unconvinced. He looked out the window, watching the houses and trees blur past. Jace took a deep breath, trying to focus on the road, not the scenarios playing out in his mind. He couldn’t help but wonder what Emerald and Liam talked about and what jokes they shared. ‘Did it go beyond just carpooling?’

In the mirror, a pickup caught his eye. There it was: Emerald’s vehicle trailing behind. Jace’s grip tightened again. He looked at Ace, engrossed in his world and humming along with the radio.

“Is everything okay at school, buddy?” He inquired more to distract himself than out of genuine curiosity.Content (C) Nôv/elDra/ma.Org.

“Yeah, Dad. My teacher said I did well on my art drawing.”

“That’s great, son. I’m proud of you,” he said, his voice softer. He ruffled Ace’s hair, forcing a genuine smile this time.

As they pulled up to the school, Jace’s eyes lingered on the pickup as it drove past. Emerald was in the passenger seat, her head tilted back in laughter at something Liam had said. Young Higginson’s chest tightened.

“Dad, we’re here,” Ace said, unbuckling his seatbelt.

“Right, right.” Jace shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. “Have a good day, son.” He leaned over to give Ace a quick hug.

“Bye, Dad.” The boy hopped out of the car, slinging his backpack over his shoulder, and ran towards the school entrance.

Jace watched until his son disappeared into the building. He sighed, leaning back in his seat, feeling the weight of his jealousy pressing down on him. He knew he had to talk to Emerald, but the words were elusive. Starting the car again, he drove off, his mind in doubt and frustration.

Jace drove aimlessly for a few minutes, trying to shake the image of his wife laughing with Liam. He finally pulled into a quiet park, hoping fresh air would clear his head. Stepping out of the car, he walked over to a bench and sat down, staring at the distant horizon.

Memories of times with Emerald flooded his mind-from when he first saw her until they lived together. He remembers how much he wanted to touch and engulfed her in his arms, reassuring her that he was there for her. However, he also recalls that he could not provide her comfort or express his genuine emotions. ‘My stupidity!’ he exclaimed internally when he remembered how foolish he was for taking revenge on someone who had done nothing wrong.

His phone buzzed, pulling him from his thoughts. It was a text from Emerald.

Emerald: I will be late going to your company. Liam and I need to go somewhere.

Jace stared at the message with a bitter taste in his mouth. He knew he needed to confront his feelings but wasn’t sure how to begin. He decided to call his friend. Kyle had always been good at giving no-nonsense advice. He dialed the number and waited.

“Hey, man! What’s up?” Kyle’s cheerful voice came through the line.

“Hey, I need to talk. Got a few minutes?”

“Of course. What’s going on?” Jace took a deep breath and explained everything-Emerald’s carpooling with Liam, his growing jealousy, and the text she had just sent. He felt a bit better just by voicing his concerns. “Man, that sounds rough,” Kyle said after a pause. “Have you talked to Emerald about how you’re feeling?”

“Not really. I don’t want to come off as paranoid or controlling.”

“I get that. But keeping it all inside isn’t helping either. You need to have an honest conversation with her. Trust is key in any relationship, but so is communication.”

Young Higginson nodded, even though Kyle couldn’t see him. “You’re right. I’ll talk to her later.”

“Good. And hey, try to keep an open mind. It might be nothing, you know?”

“Yeah, I hope so. Thanks, man.” he said, but he knew too well what was happening between his wife and Liam before they met again.

“No problem. Anytime.” Jace ended the call and sat longer, thinking about his friend’s words. He knew he had to trust Emerald, but he also needed her to understand how this situation affected him.

He got back in the car and drove to work, trying to focus on the tasks ahead. The morning passed in a blur of meetings and emails, but his thoughts drifted back to the conversation he needed to have with Emerald.

He fetches Ace from school, returns to his office, and works again. All those times, he keeps himself busy to bury the jealousy that has been eating him. He is aware of his past actions towards his wife and knows that confronting her now would not be beneficial. He knows that, so he plans to keep his cool and listen to her as much as possible, as long as he conveys his feelings.

Jace stood at Emerald’s office door. She was busy typing on her computer. He had decided that this conversation couldn’t wait any longer.

“Hi,” he said, trying to keep his voice steady. Emerald looks up with a creased forehead. “Can we talk?”

“What is it about?” Young Morgan inquired, but she quickly returned her focus to her computer, which hurt Jace’s feelings. He thought that his chance of getting her back was blurry since Liam was around.

“Us.” Emerald’s finger stopped typing, and her eyes flew to him.

“How many times do I need to tell you that we have nothing to talk about?” she replied before she continued typing.

“Emerald, please listen to me.”

“I’m done listening to you, Jace.”

“No, you’re not. You consistently push me away whenever I attempt to communicate with you.” As he approached her table, Jace spoke softly. “I love you, Emerald; I always do.”

“I already told you you never loved me. If you did, you would not have done what you did to me.”

“I know. All I’m asking is for you to allow me to show you how much I love you and how regretful I am.”

“And you thought it was that easy?”

“No. I also know it would be hard for you, so I decided to do everything slowly. To woo you while I show you how much you and our son mean to me.”

“Then what are you doing here? Why do we need to talk when you already decided to woo and wait for me?”

“It’s because of that guy!” Jace exclaimed, making Emerald silent. “It’s because I’m jealous of him. He was there when you and our son needed me most! He has been with you when you started your motherhood.”

“You won’t be able to bring those times back, Jace.”

“Yes! That’s why I’m acting like this. I feel like that bastard knows you more than I do. When I am your husband, and you are my wife.”

“We’re never a couple, Jace.”

“Still, we’re married.”

“Not in the true sense of it. At least for you. Because when we were together, I was the happiest, being with the man I love. It’s all in the past, Jace, and we can’t turn it back. All we have to do is move on.”

“And what, you’ll live with that bastard?”

“I told you who Liam is in my life.”

“I know what you said,” Jace replied, struggling to keep his voice even. “But I need to understand why you spend so much time with him. It’s driving me crazy, Emerald. I can’t stop thinking about it.”

“He’s my friend. An important friend.”

“A friend you kissed and fucked.” Desperation tinged Jace’s voice as he ran a hand through his hair, feeling the frustration build. “It just feels like there’s more to it. You’re always laughing with him and enjoying his company. It makes me feel… I don’t know, insecure.”

“I can’t do anything about how you feel.”

“You can do something, Emerald,” Jace replied, which made young Morgan’s forehead crease. “Accept me again. Please let me take care of you and Ace,” he added pleadingly.

“You’re impossible, Jace. If you have nothing to say, you can leave. You’re disturbing me, and I want to finish my work in time.” Young Morgan said, looking deep into his eyes.

Young Higginson met her eyes, trying to see the sincerity in her expression, but he failed. She was stoic, and he couldn’t even guess what she was thinking.