The Unwanted Marriage

Chapter 43

THEA

A few weeks after that day, Arthur would take me to meet Josh every once in a while. He started to include me more into Josh's life, he talked to me more about him, which I really appreciated it that he meant when he promised to let me in.

As for Josh, he was always excited to meet me. He enjoyed spending time with me, even he wouldn't leave my side whenever we were together. It warmed my heart that he loves my company, because I love his company as well. I guessed he considered me as his new best-friend.

Meanwhile, both Arthur and I were worried about Jessy. Her chemo had started for a few days, and each time she would have to leave Josh with us, or to her parents' house, as Josh was not allowed to come to the hospital. Sometimes he would ask for her, and each time we tried everything to distract him until Jessy came back.

Arthur was also worried with the side effect of chemo that took over Jessy. She became even more lethargic, often got tired to do things, and she somehow started to lose her appetite and refused to eat. Jessy told us it was normal to have that side effect, she had been through that many years ago too. But still, we were worried about her health.

It had became a new norm for me to have spent times with Jessy. I had started to accept her in my life, she would be there, for the long time. She was Josh's mother after all, I would have to see her often. Even so, we had gotten closer too, I knew she needed female company too so sometimes I came to visit her when she was in the hospital. She didn't have many relatives in town, her parents lived an hour away from where she lived.

"How does it feel, to live your life?" Jessy asked of all sudden.

I blinked and looked at her. I visited her in the hospital and stayed for a few hours while Arthur picked up Josh in Jessy's parents' house.

"What do you mean?"

"You live a perfect life, I guess. Being healthy and happy," Jessy closed her eyes, she looked like in pain. "I want that too."

I never considered my life perfect, it was beyond far from it.

"My life is far from being perfect. Sure I'm grateful for my health, but I used to live a tough life before I married Arthur."

"What was your life like back then?"

I rested my back on the sofa. I didn't quite like telling people about my past, but I sensed that Jessy needed a motivation to live her life.

"My world fell apart when my parents passed away from a horrific accident, I was 20 back then," I started, remembering those hard days when I lost them. "I went through a phase where I lost all ambition to live. I had no one else, except Arthur's parents, who's kindly enough to take care of me after I lost my parents. I had to marry a man who hated all my guts, living with him in the same house but different rooms. I had to live my life where I was put in a loveless marriage. That was a horrible feeling."

She opened her eyes. "Your marriage was arranged? But.. I see the way you both look at each others, you love each others."

"We do now. But when we first got married, we didn't like each others. Especially Arthur. He despised me."

She knitted her eyebrows like she couldn't believe the story. Even I would too if I was here. Looking back at it now, it still felt unreal how different our lives turned to be.

"Then I was hit with another news that I actually had a twin sister, whom had passed away 2 years ago. I didn't even get the chance to meet her. How sick is that?"

"I'm so sorry, Thea, I really do." Jessy said genuinely.

"It's alright. There's nothing I could do to have them back, I'll just have to let them go and live my life. I have to live my life for the sake of my self. That's what you have to do too."