My Wife, My Man?

Chapter Forty-two

"Friends show their love in times of trouble, not in happiness." Euripides

I didn't hear it right, that Jack asserted himself as his brain failed to interpret what had just left his father's mouth. "You did what?!"

"Surprise!" A smirk rested on his father's lips.

"Surprise?! So, was this your surprise?!" He couldn't withhold his anger and found his knuckles turning white on the steering wheel. "Dad, why in the world..." He shook his head, choosing to keep calm in a situation that brought no calmness.

There was no use in getting all worked up, especially not when they were less than an hour away from home. He let out a sigh, trying to release his mind from the frustration that roamed it.

"You know what?" His anger could not be hidden even through his forced calmness. "Forget it, it's not happening."

Daniel's reaction was typical. A gentle smile shaped his lips, showing the amusement he found in his son's anger. "Relax." His smile turned to tease. "It's just for a few days."

"A week, you mean," Jack corrected in frustration. "You very well know that I can't stand the sight of her. She drives me crazy yet you... You invited her to my house?"

Daniel puffed a chuckle, amused by his question. "Oh, I remember very well. Besides, you did say your house was big enough."

"For you, Dad, not her." Jack didn't know what else to say to his father to make him understand. "Look, Dad, I don't want that daughter of Jezebel anywhere around me. You came with her, you'll find her a place to stay, but not at my place."

"Daughter of Jezebel?" Daniel's brows were raised as if to instigate him into an outburst of anger. "Perli's nature is really rubbing onto you, huh?"

"What do you mean by that? This has nothing to do with..." he paused from ranting out in anger. "I know what you're trying to do, Dad, but you really need to come to terms with the fact that I love Perli, and I am married to her."

"Love?" Daniel found humour in his statement; his brows raised.

Jack said nothing, not wanting to engage in another sort of argument with him. There was no use of this argument anyway, his decision was final. That, he made clear as he unbuckled his seatbelt upon their arrival home. "Look Dad." He turned to Daniel before he could exit the car. "She's not setting foot inside my house and that's final."

There was something about the way Daniel smiled that seemed to have contradicted his authority — as if to say something along the lines of, "We will see about that". Yet that didn't bother him, because he knew as stubborn as his dad could be, he could be as well. Hence, for a moment, they walked into the house in silence.

Jack felt amused the moment he opened the door. He noticed the few changes which Perli had made around the place. As he had expected, she didn't listen to him at all. He noted the smile upon his father's face, who seemed to have equally found amusement in the new appearance of the place.

"Perli?" he called for her, his voice bouncing about like a ball pulled down from a string.

There was no answer, only a quiet response of all that seemed to have been still around the house. He didn't think much of it, knowing she was probably too far to hear his call. He turned back to his dad, who for some odd reason, had a certain look on his face that he failed to comprehend.

He decided to tease him about it, hoping to fish out some sort of reaction from him. "Hmm Dad," he took on a low and serious tone, "you look quite constipated."