Jennifer found herself left alone throughout, with Susan taking a lot of bed rest and Lilian tending to her. For some reason, it felt to Jennifer like Lilian didn't want to talk to her anymore, but she tried to keep the thought aside.
She hadn't offended her, that she was sure of, so she just attributed it to her having so much on her hands.
"What are you thinking of?" Stephanie suddenly said, as she occupied the dining seat next to Jennifer's.
"Uh..not much." Jennifer said. It was surprising how Stephanie was now a lot calmer while talking to her, and she was kinder.
"You just don't want to share it?" She asked with a chuckle. "I understand." Stephanie stood, a slightly hurt expression on her face, but Jennifer called her back.
"I was just thinking of Elijah. He seems occupied."
Stephanie giggled and sat next to her again. "Do you really like him? I mean, I thought of you as a gold digger, but...you don't even seem to wear any exoensive stuff. You married him because you like him?"
"Not really actually. It just sort of happened."
Stephanie leaned forward. "He got you pregnant?"
Jennifer gasped at it, making Stephanie break into a laugh. Jennifer amused her to no end, her innocence was unusual.
"He just...helped me. So to say."
"Help?"
Jennifer nodded. "Well, my father almost married me off to some man for a few thousand bucks. I know it sounds bad...but yeah. That happened. Elijah just heped me out of It by marrying me instead."
Stephanie's eyes widened. "I am so sorry I didn't know."
"Nobody does. Everybody just thinks we were together..or..you know. He doesn't want anyone to know either." Jennifer said, a smile creeping up to her face.
Stephani nodded, marveling at it. She found it weird that something like that could have even happened.
"You most have been so hurt with my allegations." There was a tinge of regret in her voice, and also apology.
"You don't have to feel sorry, there has been much worse things I had to deal with."
"Still doesn't make me feel any less guilty." Stephanie said then stood. "How about we start over?"
Jennifer laughed. "What do you mean?"
Stephanie extended her hand. "I am Stephanie. Jason's wife. You must be Elijah's new wife. Congratulations on your wedding."
Jennifer looked up to her, pleasantly surprised. She then accepted the handshake. "I am Jennifer. Nice to meet you."
Mariah walked in just then, her eyes bulging at the sight. Why was Stephanie even talking to Jennifer?
"I see you both solved it. I am glad." Mariah said, smiling.
Stephanie nodded. "You would be a fool to not like her."
Mariah took it personally, but she did not let her expression falter. "I know, right? She is so sweet."
Stephanie nodded. "I think I just had a brilliant idea, Jennifer. When it is time for dinner, we will talk about it. For now, I am going to freshen up. You too, go freshen up. Elijah might just come back soon."
Mariah clenched her teeth as heat rose to Jennifer's cheeks and she lowered her head.
Stephanie excused herself and walked away, as Mariah also left, her nails digging into her palms till she almost drew blood.
Ivan drove slowly after the visit to the site as Elijah sat at the back, his mind occupied. He now felt a little strange just going back home without a small souvenir, or something. He had asked Jennifer what she liked but she hadn't said anything.
"Ivan?" Elijah said, adjusting on the seat.
"Yes, do you want something, Sir?"
Elijah cleared his throat and adjusted again, even though he didn't need to. "Are there any...female stores we can stop by? For fashion or..you know."
Ivan looked up at him from the windscreen. "You want to get something for Jennifer?"
Elijah quickly shook his head. "No, susan. I want to get a gift for Susan. To congratulate her on her pregnancy."
Ivan nodded. "There is nothing to hide about you wanting to buy something for your wife, though."
"I don't." His voice was defensive, which was unusual for him.
Ivan laughed. "I think it is hightime she gets someone on her own side, though. I mean, someone who is there for her."
"I have been there for her."
"Someone who loves her, then. Her father never liked her and her mother was too intimidated. I think she doesn't only need someone who can love her, but someone who can bravely love her."
Elijah swallowed. Bravely love her? Did he want to love her?
"Jist pull over at a store." He said and leaned back, resting his head on the window.
They soon got to a large store and Elijah got down, leaving Ivan alone.
He walked around for a while, before he finally gave up and asked the attendant to suggest a good gift to congratulate a pregnant women.
She directed him around the store, showing him a lot of things he could pick, until his eyes fell on a necklace in the jewelry showglass.
The necklace was a simple round mexklace that shone and came around to form a long pendant. He could almost imagine Jennifer wearing it, her hair behind her as the color contrasted with the necklace.
"I want that." He said, pointing to it.
The attendant nodded and walked to it, then brought it out.
"You can also have the package customized if you want, sir. Maybe a name or a message."
He nodded. "To my wife, Jenny." He said, surprising hinself. "I want that written on it."
The attendant nodded as she packaged the necklace and walked away with it.
He looked around by himself a little mre, before getting a light pink dress for Susan. He had it packaged differently, as the attendant brought back the necklace.
The words, "To my wife, Jenny" was written in cursives on the white casing in shiny black, making it extremely hard to miss.
"Thank you." He gave his card and she swiped it, before he collected it back and walked away, feeling extremely satisfied.
Jennifer freshened up just in time for dinner and came down to join everyone.
"I think we should throw a congratulatory party for Susan. She deserves it." Mrs. Morrison said once everyone was seated. Elijah wasn't back yey, but everyone was used to him not being around for dinner.
"What is there to congratulate her about? " Nichols said, rolling his eyes. "I think I did more of the hard work."
Mrs. morrison looked at him, then turned away. "I think we should. What do you think, Lucas?"
Mr. Morrison shrugged. "Why not? She is pregnant and we should celebrate her."
Mrs. Morrison nodded. "Since today is a wednesday, we can prepare from now and have it on saturday. That would be perfect."
"Finally a party." Stephanie said with a clap and Mariah sent an angry scowl her way. Stephanie was unfazed however, and continued to clap.
"Well, this house does get boring." Jason said, laughing.
Jennifer laughed with them too, but she kept on turning to the door, waiting for Elijah to return. The prospect of seeing him again, made her feel nervous to the bones.
"Jennifer? You seem distracted." Mrs. Morrison said, gesturing at Jennifer's food that was untouched.
"No, mother, I was just..."
"She is waiting for her husband." Stephanie said in a singsong voice, getting giggles from everyone except Mariah.
Mariah was becoming bitter with each passing second, especially at Susan who managed to spite her and rub her infertility on her face by getting pregnant. It hurt so bad that she will never even get to experience the doting love they were showering on her, and now that Jennifer was here, she would be relegated to the background once Jennifer gets pregnant too.
"No, that's not it, really. I am just..."
Stephanie laughed.
"At this point, I think we should really tell Elijah to spend more time at home. His wife misses him so much." Susan teased.
"I am his wife too, Susan and I think you should really mind the way you talk, like I don't exist." Mariah suddenly said, causing everyone to go silent.
"There is no need to go over the board that way. We were just teasing." Susan said im a small voice.
Mariah stood up, her fists clenched. "What do you think of yourself? Tease her somehwere else not when we are all here. It's just disrespectful."
"What is disrespectful is you doing that without any regards to us sitting here." Mrs. Morrison said, raising her voice slightly.
"Mother. Susan is saying whatever she wants to me and you are not saying a word."
"Don't speak to her that way, Mariah. Can't you see she is pregnant?"
"And I am barren! I am barren and that is why you are all treating me like I don't exist. Who does Susan think she is to say all of..."
Susan's eyes widened as Stephanie shook her head.
"Silence, Mariah. Go back to your seat right now!" Mr. Morrison said, in his calm, intimidating voice.
Mariah bit down on her lip and sat back down, realizing she had lost her temoer.
"I am sorry, Mariah. We won't do that again." Jennifer said, her voice sincere and apologetic.
"Why are you apologizing to her, though? She just went all out on us because we said you were missing your husband. You have every right to miss him, don't you? You are his wife. Answer me, Jennifer. Don't you have the right to miss him?" Stephanie asked, her eyes carrying anger as she leaned forward on the table towards Mariah who was shocked.
"Of course, she does."
Everyone turned to Elijah who just walked in, his face expressionless.
"If Mariah wants to miss me, she can. If Jennifer misses me, no one..." His voice trailed off as he turned to Jennifer. He couldn't help the slight shift in his eyes as he looked at her. "No one should stop her."
Stephanie made a dramatic hit on the table. "Exactly, Mariah."
Mariah cleared her throat. "I didn't mean it that way. I just...it is just that I am a bit stressed these days." She looked from Elijah to Mrs. Morrison who only shook her head.
At this point, Jennifer wasn't even listening anymore. Her happiness was threatening to spill over.
Elijah said nothing as he came to sit beside Jennifer, carrying the bags. He removed the one for Susan and stood up, then gave it to her. "Congratulations on your pregnancy, susan. I didn't get to congratulate you properly this morning."
She smiled widely and accepted the gift. "Thank you so much, Elijah."
He had just settled back down, keeping the other bag next to him when Stephanie spoke up.
"What is the other bag for?"
Jason nudged her to keep silent as it wasn't any of her business, but Stephanie being Stephanie refused.
"Or should I say, who is it for?"
Jennifer turned to Elijah who cleared his throat. He might as week just give it to her here. Mariah shouldn't feek wronged, after all, he had given her an unlimited credit card when they got married and also a personal driver for her shopping sprees.
He never got aything for Jennifer apart from the basic clothes she wore.
He sighed. "It is for my wife. Happy?" He said, staring at Stephanie, but she just won't back down.
"Which one?" Stephanie asked, wiggling her brows. At this point, everyone on the table was curious, and the table grew deathly silent.
"It is for Jennifer."
Stephanie started to clap along with Jason and Susan. Mrs. Morrison too smiked.
"Well, what a surprise."
Jennifer's eyes widened as she clasped her hands under the table, unable to look up to Elijah. He had bought a gift for her?
Mariah swallowed and dropped her fork, her anger getting to the peak.
Elijah sighed. There was no use keeping her waiting.
He brought out the packaging with her name on it from the bag, then gently gave it to her.
"It is for you."
She managed to tear her gaze away from his face to the box.
"To my wife, Jenny."
She traced the letters with her fingers, her eyes welling up with tears.
"Let's see." Stephanie said and run to their side of the table. She leaned forward and read the letters out loud.
"To my wife, Jenny. Ooooooo wow! Elijah is such a romantic!"
Jason rolled his eyes. "I am sure you are making it up."
"I swear, I am not. See?" She raised the box up gently and carefully showed it to everyone, deliberately including Mariah.
"To my wife, Jenny."
Everyone started to clap as if premeditated, but Elijah kept his face stoic as he ate calmly.
Jennifer sniffed hard, using a tissue to dab at her nose.
"Oh, the cry baby." Stephanie said, making her cry more.
"Thank you." She whispered to Elijah who nodded, trying hard to conceal his happiness at her happiness.
Mariah excused herself and went upstairs, her body shaking violently with anger.
She stopped to think, her hands clenched.
Her only target was not just Jennifer now, but Susan also. She would do something to both of them, something that would ruin them.
Susan had gotten pregnant and cast her in even more darkness, while Jennifer was trying to steal her husband and the spotlight that she loved so much away from her. She would make sure to teach them both a lesson that they would never forget.
She sat down and thought, her hand holding her hair up as she thought.
"Wait," She said, standing up. An idea had cone to her, and her expression loosened up until in place of her angry frown was a wicked smile that took over her face.
"See you at the party, Susan and Jennifer. Let's see if you both will be loved after this."