Speaking of bearing a stranger's child, Joseline scoffed bitterly. "I'm sterile, Jeff, there's no way I can get pregnant."
Jefferson's hands almost slipped from the cup as if Joseline's words shot some lost senses into him. This was what should not be said in front of Joseline knowing how it would break her heart.
"I'm sorry for the slip of the tongue." Jefferson sat beside her on the other edge of the bed.
"It's okay. It's not a new thing. As long as I live, I have that in mind anyway."
Joseline's brows knotted sadly, "I'm only afraid of what would happen to me if he finds out that I've been deflowered. I'm sure he would not take it likely. And for me not being able to give him a child, I can only leave my future in God's hands."
"What if Raymond is a good person too? What if he truly loves you as he says? Maybe people just have a false perception about him." Jefferson said, giving it a second thought that maybe Raymond would not be as dangerous as people painted him.
"There's no way that Raymond is a good person. Forget the fact that he promised to find the medicine that will cure her permanently. I have been with Dad sometimes in the hospital where he works. The first time I saw Raymond, I had this strange feeling about him, like he looked too good to be true." Lilian said thoughtfully.
"Don't you think you are scaring her with what you're saying?" Jefferson whispered to Lilian so Joseline wouldn't hear it, but Joseline heard it all and her fingers squeezed bedsheets under her palms.
She was not ready to get another harsh treatment. At first, she was glad when Dad told her about this marriage. Even though it was an arranged marriage, she was okay with it since she would finally find a man who would put a ring on her finger.
Being 22 now and almost running out of the prime age of marriage, she didn't want to be on the list of worn-out ladies available for marriage. Those who are past the age of 24 are considered worn out for marriage in her society.
Now seeing the circumstances and how her father sounded this marriage to be more important than anything else, she couldn't help but feel conscious about it. She was now afraid.
"Don't worry Josie, everything is going to be alright," Jefferson said to ease the tension Lilian created.
Joseline scoffed inwardly. 'How will everything be alright?' She looked at herself and thought about how her life was "Will my life ever be alright?" She found herself asking.
"I believe so Josie. Don't doubt that."
"I can't help but doubt it. Just look at you and Lily, you two have always given your best in all you do. Lily makes Dad proud and I'm sure Mum is also proud wherever she is. May her soul rest in peace." The three of them made a cross sign on their heart before Joseline continued to speak,
"Lily, you made the best student in your class throughout your school days. You were able to pass the security agent training. Everyone knows how tough it is to get into the PRS security service. You achieved it. Despite being a woman, you were accepted into the service."
"Just within a month of your service in the PRS service, your rank rose rapidly. Not because Dad is one of the heads that you were promoted, but it's because of your intelligence, your talent and your strong spirit and body." Joseline looked up at Lilian, staring at her face and admiring the way God had sculpted her face. Her pointed nose matched perfectly with her rosy lips sending glitters into her sunray golden eyes that could cast out one's worry at a glance. Her black hair was tied up in a bun giving her an elegant look of a strong woman. And on her body, was a perfect curve for a woman to behold.
"You are not just beautiful inwardly but outside too. There are so many beauties in the city but yours I must say not because I'm your sister, but because it's the truth; when looking at you, you have been ordained with true beauty and if you're to be compared with lilies of the field, you would be the most perfect among the lilies" Joseline said.
Lilian's eyes gleamed gently at her sister's words.
Lilian was modest and known as one who has a listening ear and is willing to help in any way she can. That was one of the reasons she joined the werewolf hunters in order to save the lives of those who fall victim to the hands of weird creatures.
Joseline moved her gaze onto Jefferson and began to speak again, "I can remember in my high school days with Jeff, how he saved me so many times from the hands of those bullies. I'm known to be a weakling, every time I get into trouble I don't create for myself. I didn't know how to defend myself from my peers.
Jefferson's grade was okay to be marked as an intelligent student. He impacted his intelligence greatly in the life of not just the students but also the teacher through his sports and gymnastics games. He didn't win just one or two awards, but many that couldn't be counted.
After high school and college. He too was accepted as the security agent and a supervisor for the recruited members which is a high rank in the service. He is also the coach of the marine gymnastic game in this city Crystaline."
"Everyone has one thing or the other that they offer the society but look at me, what have I to offer to those around me other than tears..."
"First of all, Mum died on the day I was given birth to. I was born a stillborn which took a lot of Dad's assets before I was able to survive in the incubator. It took Dad good long years to recover from the pain of losing Mum and his money to make me survive like he always emphasized."
"At age 14, I developed another sickness which is the reason I'm always with my medicine as a friend to keep me alive. I developed acute asthma which makes me fall unconscious with the slightest thing. I couldn't pass with good grades in school because I was always taken from one hospital to the other in an attempt to save me.
I became a laughingstock to everyone in the school who hated my clumsiness. The hatred extended to my teachers too who hated that I was the only student in their class who didn't perform well.
It reached the extent of one of the teachers locking me up in the school disciplinary room just because he lost the promotion that would have been given to him because one of his students failed his subject and that was me."
"As if these things have not been enough, at the age of 16, I developed another sickness, a tumour in my uterus which after the surgery to remove it, was severely damaged. I became sterile. I can't conceive anymore."
"So many had come for my hand in marriage but they later rejected me with either one excuse or the other. Johnny, the man I loved so much had rejected me because of my frail nature." Joseline busted out with tears, of all the things she had said in the silent room, this one seemed to wreck the remaining strength left in her to speak.