Anhedonia

He Hates Us

"Jayvee Kim, you have a visitor!" The warden struck the bars with his baton to get the guy's attention. Jayvee quickly got up and he walked to the gate while the warden unlocked it. "You've got two visits today, you have some privileges huh?"

"The first one is my lawyer and this one is my wife."

"Wow, are you going to hurt her again? If that so, just give her to us. We could make her happy instead." The bald guy licked his lips while the other inmates laughed.

Jayvee looked over his shoulder, gnashing his teeth. He wanted to say something but chose to stay quiet as he was still going to stay for another day inside with them so he better not confront them and stay silent until he gets released. But he promised himself that he would get back to them once he got out.

The warden ushered Jayvee towards the visiting room with the documents in his hands. "You've got 10 minutes." He said before pushing Jayvee inside and locked the door outside.

Rosie offered a small smile when he saw Jayvee. "How are you?" She asked as soon as Jayvee sat in front of her.

"Good now that you're here."

"Jayvee—."

"I know. I'm just happy that you let me see you for the last time."

"Why do you speak like they are going to execute you?" Rosie chuckled but Jayvee didn't and he just stared at his wife. Rosie felt a bit awkward with that stare and she looked away.

"Rosie, I'm sorry." Jayvee started the same goes with his tears, welling up from his eyes. "I'm sorry if I never became a good husband to you. I'm sorry if I made your life miserable and I'm sorry if.." Jayvee paused and choked back his tears. "If I used you to hurt Jerry."

Rosie snapped her head back to the guy with furrowed eyebrows. "What are you talking about?"

"I thought he's the reason why my brother left, and I took you from Jerry because I want him to be miserable."

"What?"

"When I found out that he was so devastated when you left, I followed you to London and start my plan of stealing you. Then one day, he came to me, but I lied to him and hid you because I thought he's the reason why I lose my brother." Jayvee continued. He regretted everything he did to Jerry and to Rosie, for ruining the chance for them to get back together just because he wanted to get his revenge. But it turns out that the reason for his hatred wasn't Jerry but his father. "And I'm sorry if I hurt you both."

Rosie's lips formed into a small yet genuine smile. "It's okay, though I couldn't understand what you're saying about your brother, but I think the best thing to do is to forgive and ask for forgiveness too. I made a mistake but I will never regret it because Akiro was the best thing that has ever happened in my life."

"I know." Jayvee sighed, wiping his own tears. "That kid was so tough that he always stood on his ground just to protect you." He chuckled upon remembering all those times that they had a fight and Akiro will always stay with her mom no matter what and with his small figure, he used to attack Jayvee just to protect his mom and that is the strongest and bravest thing that the kid could do.

Jayvee lifted up the papers and put it on the table, he grabbed a pen on his side and looked at Rosie for a few seconds before smiling and signing the divorce papers. Rosie was just watching him and she could feel something unexplainable inside of her while watching the guy she failed to love even after all the things he did to her.

She knows that even if Jayvee has another plan why he pursued her, she knows that Jayvee's feelings towards her were real and she failed to reciprocate it.

Jayvee wiped his tears for the umpteenth time before looking up to the woman and smiled. The kind of smile that is full of pain but still happy. "I'm letting you go now, Rosie. You deserve to be happy and be with the man you love." He said as he slid the paper under the small space. "I love you, Rosie and that is the truth."

"I know." Rosie smiled at him before taking the documents and stood up. "I wish you good luck in life, Jayvee." She said before turning her heels and leaving.

Jayvee watched the woman disappear from his sight until the door closed and he started sobbing hard.

Rosie wiped her tears before she walked out of the place and got inside the car. "Let's go to Manoban." She said to the driver who quickly obeyed and started the car and drove away.

When they got to the Manoban's house, Rosie smiled widely when she saw her son playing with Jeremy in the living room with Legos.

"Kids." She called. The two kids simultaneously looked on her way and they both smiled and stood up.

"Mom!" Akiro exclaimed, running towards the woman and wrapped his short arms around Rosie's torso. "I missed you!"

"I missed you too, honey." Rosie tugged up the kid and showered his face with kisses which made Akiro giggled cutely. Then she noticed Jeremy watching them with a smiling yet sad face. "Come here, Jeremy."

"You should greet our mom!" Akiro hissed at him.

Our mom.

Those words made Rosie's heart melt and made Akiro already treat Jeremy as his brother. Which is good because they will be real brothers soon once the adoption papers will be signed.

Jeremy made his way to Rosie reluctantly and he stopped in front of the woman, playing with his fingers shyly.

"We're going home to your Dad." Rosie told the kid.

Jeremy's eyes flickered as he looked up to Rosie. "He's alive?!"

"Of course, he's alive." Rosie laughed and she bent over to level the kid and put down Akiro before kissing Jeremy's head. "Now go pack your things, we're going home to your new house."

"Yey! I'm going to see Dad!" Akiro exclaimed excitedly as he ran upstairs, tugging Jeremy with him.

"Whoa, slow down, kids." Hayley said when she came out of their room and saw the two boys running in the hallway. "Hey, how are you?" She asked the woman on the bottom of the stairs.

"I'm good, actually I just came to the correctional facility."

"What? You visited Jayvee?"

"Yeah, he asked their family lawyer if he could talk to me for the last time." Rosie replied as they both walked towards the living room and sat on the sofa side by side.

"Why? Did he threaten you again?" Hayley asked worriedly.

"No, he signed this and gave it to me personally." Rosie showed the folder to Hayley, suppressing her smile to break out.

"Oh.. he finally signed the divorce paper."

"Yes, and he told me that he's letting me go now."

"Finally." Hayley sighed in relief. "You both deserve to get the freedom. I hope that he will change once he gets out."

"I heard that he's going to London once he gets out of prison."

"As he should so you and Jerry could finally start over now, by the way. How is he?"

"He confined himself to the room when we got home." Rosie's shoulders slumped down upon remembering Jerry. He was so distant and so silent the whole remaining days he stayed in the hospital and it was really hard for Rosie to reach out to him while he kept shutting her whenever she tried to get inside Jerry. But that doesn't mean that she'll stop, it just gives her more courage to try and try again till Jerry gives in.

"He'll be fine, just give him a little more time. As soon as he remembers everything, I will beat the hell out of him, I promised." Hayley said and they both laughed.

"How about Liam? Does he know?"

"No, and he didn't have to know. I don't want him to get mad at Jerry so it's better to hide the situation from him."

"But he deserves to know, Hayley."

"I know, but as much as possible. I don't want him to change his treatment towards Jerry. My best friend's memories will be back and once it happens, we're never going to talk about this situation to him or to anyone else in general."

"Okay then, I just hope that he'll be nice to me. I don't want to face the same thing you've went through when you lived with Liam before the wedding." Rosie said and again, they both laughed. Living with Liam before the wedding was the worst days for Hayley and she never wanted to remember it again.

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"Say bye to Akisha, boys." Rosie told the two as they are already outside the Manoban house.

"Bye!" The two boys waved their hands giddily to Akisha.

"Ugh, finally. I can have peace in my house." She groaned and rolled her eyes playfully. "Bye boys!"

"You're going to miss us." Jeremy grinned smugly.

"You wish." Akisha retorted.

Hayley and Rosie bid their goodbyes before getting inside the car and the driver leaves the driveway of the Manoban into the road.

While the two boys are so excited to meet Jerry, Rosie didn't know what she should feel. First, Jayvee finally signed the divorce papers. Second, the kids will see Jerry after almost a month of staying in the hospital and she didn't know what Jerry will react. Third, now that she's finally free, the wedding will be soon coming and she didn't know what she would feel regarding that matter.

After 20 minutes of getting lost in her own trance, the car stopped in front of a big house. The maids greeted them and took all of their things from the trunk while the three headed inside.

"Where's Dad?" Akiro asked, looking up to his mom.

"He's upstairs." She replied and took the kids' hands. "Listen to me boys, Dad just got out of the hospital so he's still vulnerable so I want you two to behave if he's around and.." She paused, looking at their eyes back and forth. "He's kinda... Uh how would I put it, uhm he lost some of his memories so he may not remember you two so please understand his situation."

"He lost his memories? So you mean he won't remember me?" Akiro asked. Rosie nodded her head with an apologetic look.

"It's okay, Akisha said that if a person loses their memories, there will be a chance that they will be back too." Jeremy said with so much optimism which made Akiro somewhat enlivened.

Rosie just smiled at the kid and she ruffled his hair. "Let's go and meet your dad." She said and held their hands tightly before taking the stairs and knocked to the door where Jerry confined himself when they arrived earlier. "Jerry?" She called. When she didn't hear any response, she knocked again and this time, there were footsteps coming to the door and it opened.

Jerry's eyes, void of any emotions, laid down to Rosie first, then landed on Akiro and shifted to Jeremy. "Who are these kids?" He asked though he already had an idea who they were.

"This is Akiro and this is Jeremy." Rosie introduced the kids.

"Oh okay." Jerry nodded his head and was about to shut the door but Akiro stopped it. "What?" Jerry asked coldly.

"Dad."

"What do you want?"

"Jerry." Rosie called meaningfully but Jerry didn't even bat an eyelash and he just glanced at Rosie before slamming the door on their faces. The two kids were both shocked and just stared at the closed door. Rosie heaved deeply to calm herself and looked down to the kids. "He may need a rest, why don't we check your rooms first then we will get back to him again later?"

"He hates us." Akiro mumbled, stopping himself to cry.

"No, he didn't." Rosie quickly said. "Didn't I tell you that he loses his memory that's why—."

"Let's check the room so we could put our toys and play with it." Jeremy said and it's obvious that he's forcing himself to smile. Rosie was thankful that Jeremy could understand the situation and tried to help her to make Akiro happy and not feel bad after what Jerry did.

"Oh okay." Akiro shrugged his shoulders, he glanced at the door and smiled sadly before walking away with Jeremy.

As soon as the two kids were inside one of the rooms, Rosie faced the closed door and knocked again nonstop until Jerry opened it and greeted her with a scowl on his face.

"What was that, Jerry?" She asked, trying not to snap at the guy.

"What?"

"Why do you have to treat them like that?"

"What do you want me to do? Pretend that I'm happy to see them whereas I couldn't even remember them?" Jerry asked mockingly.

"Yes! You could've at least pretend! You are hurting the kids!"

"It's not my fault if I don't feel happy to see them!" Jerry sneered and was about to shut the door again but Rosie stopped him from doing so and she entered the room. "What are you doing?!"

"Look." Rosie heaved deeply with her eyes close, composing herself. "At least be nice to them even if you're not happy. Those are your sons and they are happy to see you."

"I can't force myself to be happy, Rosie. I'm sorry. If you want those kids to live here then fine, but don't force me to act like you want me to be because I'm not f*****g happy with this and I'm never going to be happy with you!" Jerry yelled, throwing his arms in the air frustratedly.

Rosie looked at him in disbelief and hurt. The last thing she wants to hear from the guy is not being happy to meet his sons and to be with her. But she did, she heard him loud and clear.

She pursed her lips to stop it from quivering while nodding her head. "Okay then." She started, looking everywhere but Jerry. "I'm sorry if you're here in this situation wherein you can't be happy. We should leave you alone."

"Rosie—."

"No, you're right. I can't force you to act like I want you to be and it's not your fault. So yeah, I'm sorry." Rosie turned her heels and immediately walked out just before Jerry could say something. Then she walked straight to the room where the boys were just sitting on the bed. "Let's go, kids."

"I told you, he hates us." Akiro whispered before he jumped out of the bed and walked to his mom. Jeremy bit his lower lip before following Akiro and reached for Rosie's hand.

"Please bring me to my grandfather's house." Jeremy said.

"No, you're coming with me. We're going home to Australia and starting our new life there." Rosie said and the three left the room and they even walked past Jerry, who's standing in his doorway and watched the three leave the house.

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