CHAPTER TWO

~JESSICA~

My eyelids felt heavy, and I struggled to open my eyes. Damn mornings and the sun rays weren’t making it even better for me—I was not an early bird. 

I was in a prone position, my stomach flat on the mattress, as my hands were trying to get a hold of the end of the mattress, but was I kidding? This mattress seemed bigger than my own. I shot my eyes open at the realization that this was definitely not my room. 

That's when the last night's memories settled in. I came to this man's penthouse. I quickly rushed to the glass window and was shocked to see that I was at the top of the building.

"Fuck, how did I get here? Jessie think.” I started head-slapping myself out of frustration as I tried to remember.

“I don't remember anything.” I panicked and spotted papers on the table. 

‘I do.’

That was my voice; it was the only thing that came to mind. I nearly choked as I read what the document said. I was married to Mr. Clinton; the document even had my signature, proving it's authentic.

“What?” I screamed in disbelief and threw the papers away. And that's when my attention turned to my finger. I even had a ring on my finger.

“Fuck, I fucked up.” My attention turned to my naked body.

“This is what I get for trusting Loren.” I cursed and quickly searched for my clothes, but they were nowhere near. 

I walked into a room, which I assumed was the wardrobe. I put on oversized pants and a shirt. Walking back to the room, I spotted my purse and I grabbed it in haste. Good thing everything was in. 

I almost opened the door when I realized I still had the ring. I removed it and placed it back on the table before I made my way out of the room in haste. It seemed to be a one-bedroom penthouse as just as I walked out of the room, it was a big area with sofas and a big-screen TV.

“Good morning, Mrs. Clinton.” A middle aged woman came from the kitchen. By her dressing, I figured her to be a maid. 

“Mr. Clinton rushed to a meeting; he will be back soon. What would you like for breakfast?”

"Nothing, thank you; I'll be leaving now.”

“No. I mean, you could stay a little longer,” she offered.

“I have work; please excuse me.” I ignored her requests and left. 

I walked down the stairs, lost, but managed. I tried my best not to remember what had happened last night—clearly, he took advantage of me. But to the extent of marriage, it might be a prank.

I was still standing outside the apartments, waiting for a ride, when I heard someone shout my name.

“Flora!” I shouted as I ran to hug her; she was my classmate—a law student. 

“Oh my God, it's so good to see you. I heard what happened. Are you okay?” She asked when pulled away.

"Yeah, I'm fine. How was the graduation? So you are a lawyer now?” I congratulated her.

“Everything was amazing, just like we planned. I wish you were there. Oh, I'm happy I’m over it. Now I just need to get a good law firm. Oh, I heard you need to go and do last year again in order for you to graduate.” She didn’t sound sad to me at all.

“Yeah, we'll see how life goes. Do you stay in one of these apartments?” I tried to change the topic.

“Yes, well, not yet, I came to look for an apartment. I'll be moving here as soon as I get that job,” she confidently said.

“I’m sure you will.”

“What are you doing here?” She asked a question I didn’t know how to answer; luckily, my ride arrived.

“Story for another time; my cab is here, and Flora, I’m sure you’ll get that job; you’re an amazing lawyer.” I hugged her before I left.

“Perfect timing,” I said to the cab driver as I greeted him.

****

I had arrived back at my old apartment.

"Maggie, hey!” I waved at my neighbors as I walked to my door. I put in the key, and surprisingly, it wasn’t locked—did I perhaps forget to lock the door? 

Well, I’m sure I locked it; only one person had a key to my apartment, or did someone break in? Then, as I walked in with so much fear, I found him seated on my sofa—Jade. 

“Where the fuck did you sleep?” He asked as soon as I got in. He sounded angry.

“Excuse me?”

“I came here so early, but you weren’t here. Did you start hooking up with men like your friend?”

“Wait what? You were here so early to do what? And I’ll not have you talk about my friend in that manner.” I was confused, as this is the same man who I found out yesterday was married.

“And how dare you stand here and ask such a stupid question after yesterday, really?” 

"Listen, I messed up.”

“This is not messing up, Jade; this is the end of it, and to think I could agree to be your side chick makes you delusional because I’m not going to be your side chick. Now drop my key and leave.” I was fuming in anger.

“Babe.”

“No, leave Jade.” I stood firm in my decision.

“I’m sorry, I can explain.”

“Explain?” I swallowed. “How do you explain this exactly? You’re married to another woman, Jade. At least you could have the decency to break up with me before getting married, but what did your stupid ass do? You just went ahead and walked down the aisle with her, saying, ‘I do’ knowing damn well I was still your fiancé.” I was breathing heavily, and now tears were rolling down my cheeks.

"Babe, calm down,” he said as he walked towards me.

“Stop! I don’t want you—close.” I was shivering in anger; my last word was barely loud.

“You need to let me explain. I was forced—I was forced to marry her.”

“That’s just an excuse?” It sounded like a question.

"No, it’s not; you know I love you; I can’t just throw away four years just like that.”

“Then why did you agree to it?” I wiped away my tears as I calmed down.

“Because she’s dying.”

“What?”

“Lucy, the girl I married is dying. She has stomach cancer. She wanted someone to spend her last days with,” he explained. 

“Did you really think I'd just throw away four years just like that?” He took steps towards me and reached for my hands.

“I love you, Jessie; we have a life together.” He said, looking straight into my eyes, “I really do; I will not let anything stand in our way. She has a few months to live; after that, we can get married and start our lives,” he said, and I believed him. How can I just wake up to find him suddenly married to another woman? I knew something was wrong. He wiped away my tears.

“You just need to trust me; for now we can secretly see each other, but as soon as she’s gone, we can get married, okay?” 

“But—but you called me a prostitute.”

“I only said that for her to believe I was completely over you; I didn’t want her to suspect anything. Do you trust me?”

“I do.” I trusted him. I knew he could never do such a thing to me. Before we started dating, he was my  friend.

He pulled away and sat me on a sofa beside him.

“I heard they canceled your graduation. I’m so sorry.” 

“It’s okay,” I said and he took me in his arms in a cuddling position.

“Did you quit your job?”

“I did, but I got it back,” I said, and he seemed calmer than usual.

“It’s okay; I trust you,” he said, holding me even tighter. While I thought of either telling him about hooking up with his uncle or not.

****

It’s been days; I haven’t heard anything from Clinton, and I just prayed I never would, as this was for the best. Soon, I was going to become his nephew’s wife. 

Jade and I have been hanging out a lot now, although it’s just at my place. I sometimes reach there and find that he has ordered food for us; the sex and movie dates were something to die for. 

Jade was not working; he was supposed to take over his father's business in another city, but he decided to stay. He said he would take over when Lucy died, so he took me with him. 

I was happy with the way my life was going again, and he promised I would continue my studies in that city. Jade, being a billionaire's child, had everything—money, cars—so his life was already easy.

I was smiling, responding to a text from Jade. He was telling me he missed me when he left the time I got here; he spent his whole day with me.

"Okay, now I want to know the gist; what got you smiling like this?” Loren, my friend, asked as she walked in. I was in the dressing room, getting ready for work.

“It’s Jade; he’s just too sweet,” I said.

“Wait, you and this Jade guy are serious, so you settled for a side chick, really?”

“It’s not for long, Loren, I told you. That girl is dying. When she does, I take my man,” I said. I had already explained everything to her.

“But the both of you are married, and don’t you think that girl would die if she found out her husband was cheating on her?”

“She won’t; we are careful,” I said and sent a text to Jade, telling him I was now working. 

“I’m not in support of this, honestly.”

“Just be happy for me, okay? Jade is the man I planned my life with; I can’t lose him to some sick girl, not ever,” I meant it. I put on my makeup. 

“I’m trying. Anyway, you look gorgeous, and guess who’s asking for you?”

“Who?”

“Our big client is Jack. The boss said you’re not stripping tonight; you’re entertaining Jack, as he doesn’t want anyone else but you. I heard he paid a sum for you tonight, as almost all the men wanted you tonight,” she informed me. Of course I was likable—my body, walk, and tease were on point, but that was all thanks to Loren—she taught me everything.

“Noted,” I said as I finished applying the lipstick and admired myself in the mirror. I looked gorgeous. I was only in a thong and bra, which barely covered my boobs as they were big since I had implants.

I walked out after Loren told me I looked pretty. My walk and confidence are things everyone admires. Almost all the men in the club turned to stare. 

I spotted Jack, the biggest client, seated by the bar on the VIP table. His table was filled with drinks and he sat alone, waiting for me. He was giving me his back, so he probably didn’t see me.

"Hello, handsome,” I whispered in his ear as my nails caressed his chest. He turned to me and faced me.

“Jessie. My Queen,” he nervously said. I winked and sat beside him.

“Do you know how much I paid tonight just for your company?” He asked as he gulped down a shot of whiskey and poured another.

“How much?” I asked in a teasing tone as I took the ice cubes from his shot with my nails, which he seemed to find sexy, and I crunched on them.

“Fifty grand,” he revealed and took my fingers in his mouth and licked off the water. I knew my boss was making so much from me; that’s why he promoted me.

“But it’s worth it; I could double it if he asked me to,” he said. There were many men who would order for me; the one with the higher bid got to spend time with me.

“Let me show you how worth your choice was,” I said and stood from my seat and sat on his lap, my fingers running down his chest as they were already inside his shirt. He had his eyes closed, breathing heavily. 

I brushed my lips against his. “Open your mouth!” I commanded as he did; I let the ice from my mouth drip into his mouth, and he groaned in pleasure and held my waist as the cold liquid ran down his chest from his mouth. Just as I was about to tease him some more by biting his lower lip, someone abruptly pulled me from him, and before I knew it, Jack was on the floor, wincing in pain as he held his mouth. Someone had punched him.

“Don’t you fucking ever put your dirty hands on my wife.” 

It was Clinton.