"Try and rest", The medical maestro said to Jerome, but it was hard resting when you had a chubby wife who was 7 months pregnant and threw tantrums more than a 5 year old. He couldn't help but wonder how the maids taking care of Ravea were faring as he lay motionless on a soft bed while staring at the ceiling of the room.

His injuries had been tended to but the maestros insisted that he stay over for a little while to rest as a few of his previous injuries from the beating about a year earlier had opened back up, and coupled with fatigue from nonstop work, he was in no shape to go back home.

Later that day a few maids came to visit. They lamented about how much trouble it was taking care of Ravea and how she wouldn't eat anything except Hilma's and Agnes' cooking. Although it wasn't much of a problem as both women were more than eager to take care of her. But she still didn't stop selecting meals. There were also nights when she wouldn't sleep without having one of Jerome's belongings close to her.

On hearing all that, Jerome felt bad that other people had to carry the beautiful burden that was Ravea, but also really relieved and excited that he didn't have to deal with her for a while.

Sadly, his ease was shortlived. He grew restless when he got a message from Ravea begging him to come see her. She explained that she'd have come but her legs were too swollen, so much so that they could barely fit in any of her sandals. He couldn't turn her down.

When he arrived there was no one home, albeit the door was open.

Before entering he looked around the compound. The axe he used to chop off a part of the Panthers ear lay atop a block of wood. It had been washed but a few blood stains were still visible. He looked at the other side of the compound where the Panther had come from, the bushes around there had been cleared to increase visibility of the area beyond it. He sighed and entered inside.

The living room was dark so he walked towards a window and opened it, and as light seeped in, a familiar figure become visible, sitting conspicuously on a chair and staring at him. He screamed, lost balance and fell down.

"What're you doing in here?!" He exclaimed while trying to catch his breath.

"Sorry if I scared you. I came to see you." Felici replied.

"How did you even get in?!" He held unto the side of the window and pulled himself up.

She quickly got up and tried to help him. "Your maid let me in."

"I don't have any maids." Jerome gently pushed her aside. "Did they mention their name?"

"Lima", she replied then stepped back.

"Oh, good, she's definitely getting fired." He sat down on a chair opposite Felici.

"I thought you said you didn't have any maids?" She sat back down and asked.

"I don't, she works for my mother", Jerome replied.

"Please that won't be necessary, I didn't mean for her to get in trouble, I just told her I really wanted to see the missus in charge of the house and she was kind enough to let me in." Felici pleaded.

"Last time I checked I was the mister but still, I thought you didn't like Ravea?"

Felici looked away, "I never said I disliked her, I just--didn't--understand her."

"It doesn't matter", Jerome sighed. "What matters is why you really snuck into my house, lied to my maid and nearly gave me a heart attack."

"I thought she was your mother's maid?"

"Same thing, Just answer."

"Well, I realized that I was yet to visit you and Ravea to properly congratulate you both on your marriage and the coming of your first child." She said with a smile on her face, but Jerome wasn't moved.

He was surprised, but he wasn't moved. "So now you believe that the child is mine?"

Felici shrugged. "Jerome, I'm sorry for all the nasty things I said about you and Ravea. I won't say I didn't mean them at the time but they all came from a place of darkness within me, and I'm not proud of it."

Jerome kept mute and looked at her, while she tried to avoid eye contact with him. She was putting on a big pale blue coat that wholly covered her, making it near impossible to see any part of her body.

He looked outside through the window. It wasn't noon but the sun was fully out, then he looked back at her. "Don't you think the coat is a bit much for this weather?"

She jolted up. "Uh no, not really", she said quickly. "I'm not feeling too well so..."

"But we're inside, you're free to take it off."

The author's content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

Felici wanted to say no, in fact she believed so strongly that if she did say no, Jerome wouldn't bother her. But something in her had been waiting for him to ask about the coat so she could take it off, and that she did. She got up and slowly loosened the strap of the coat before letting it fall down to her ankles.

Jerome was stunned.

Felici was putting on a brightly colored material tied around her waist and another piece of the same material tied loosely around her chest, leaving her upper abdomen, her arms and her legs, from above her knees down to her ankles, exposed. She even wore beads on her waist, wrists and ankles. And her arms and legs were finely decorated with black patterns.

Before Jerome could react, Felici dashed across the room and climbed unto him.

"F-Felici what're you doing?" Jerome asked.

"I'm sorry but I need you to do this for me, I can't go back to that house," she said calmly.

"Felici what has gotten into you?" He tried pushing her off with his less injured arm, but his injuries didn't let him muster much strength.

She grabbed unto his hand and placed it under her knee as she sat on his laps.

"Felici what's wrong? Talk to me please."

She was shaking. Her principles and hunger for happiness were in a serious tug of war. But she had come this far already, there was no going back, so she proceeded to loosen Jerome's trousers.

"Felici don't do this, you'll ruin my marriage. I won't be able to look Ravea in the eyes after this", he pleaded, but she didn't seem to be listening. "I-I won't be able to look at my unborn child."

That got to her.

"If our friendship over the years ever meant anything to you, don't do this, just talk to me, please."

She looked up at him, her eyes filled with tears. "I can't go back to that house, I just can't. I can't marry Peter, it'll be the end of me. So I'm sorry."

Jerome managed to free his hand from under her knee and immediately grabbed her arm. "If you do this, how are you any different from him?"

His words struck her. She felt like she had been hit by a wagon being pulled by 6 horses. "Me? Like him? There is no way! He is scum! Absolute scum!"

"And with what you're about to do, how are you any different?"

"I-I just want to be happy. I can't afford to marry Peter. I'd rather you marry me and take me as a second wife! I know you'll treat me better."

"Felici you sound delusional, and why do you keep limiting your choices to just getting married to me or Peter? Do you even want to get married?"

"Of course I don't! But I don't have a choice."

"You do, trust me you do." He let go off her arm.

"What choice do I have? If I don't do as my father says and get married to Peter, he's probably going to disown me. I can't even imagine how hard life is as a disowned noble. Not to talk of the disgrace that would be brought to my father's name. I can't allow that."

"Then leave the village."

"What? Isn't that illegal?"

"Everything you've done since you stepped into this house has been illegal."

"That's different. I could get killed for trying to leave the village under such circumstances."

"Ravea would kill you if she saw you on top of me."

"She'd kill you as well."

Jerome sighed, "You're right. But think about it, if done right you could leave and start a new life somewhere else, and you won't have to face any severe consequences."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I've heard stories of people that left the village and even came back."

"Ca-Can you introduce me to them?" Felici was getting hopeful.

"I told you, they're just stories. But I promise to help you."

She didn't say anything. She just sat on him thinking about it. "Alright, I think I know someone else that can help me."

"Really?"

"Yes."

Then they both kept quiet and looked at each other awkwardly.

"You can get off me now", Jerome said.

"Oh, I'm sorry." Felici immediately came down and hurriedly put her coat back on. Then she sat down on another chair and said, "I'm really sorry. I was just so desperate."

Jerome sighed, "I understand."

Just then, Felici's stomach grumbled, weirdly easing the tension in the atmosphere. They both looked at each other again, then started laughing.

Jerome got up and headed towards the kitchen. "So, I don't really know what's available at home since I've been at a maestros place for the past couple of days, but if things are as they should be, I think I had a keg of palmwine left somewhere. Are you interested?" He asked from inside the kitchen while searching for the keg.

"Of course!" She replied instantly.

"Alright then." He looked around the kitchen but the keg was nowhere to be found, just then he realized something. "Hey Fey"

She got goosebumps when he called her by her nickname. "Yes", she answered.

"I've been at the maestros place for the past couple of days", he said tentatively.

"Yeah?"

"And I didn't tell anyone that I was coming home today."

Felici realized where he was headed.

"How did you know I was going to come home today?"

She chuckled awkwardly. "Well, that's because I was the one who sent the message for you to come home, not Ravea."

Jerome kept mute. Then went back to searching for the keg.

"You're not angry?" Felici asked.

"Why would I be? Everything turned out great right? Besides, when Ravea comes home, she's going to be really surprised to see me. So we both win."

Felici hesitated before saying anything else. "Actually, I also told the maids to say some of the things that they told you about Ravea. And to be completely truthful, Ravea's eating really well, too well actually, I saw her from a distance when I was coming here. I said all that because I needed to make sure that you'd act on the message when you received it."

This time Jerome seemed ticked off, "Why would you do that?!"

"I just told you why. I'm sorry."

"No no no no no!!" Jerome groaned.

"What is it?" Felici got up immediately.

Jerome held up the keg, "Ravea drank it all!"

A couple minutes later, after settling for a cup of hibiscus tea and biscuits, Ravea stormed into the house with Hilma, Lima and Agnes and a bunch of other maids. With them were some foodstuffs and already prepared meals.

They were all stunned to see Jerome, Ravea the most. She hurried over and hugged him tightly, not paying any mind to his yet to be healed injuries. He squealed in pain and gently tried to free himself but she wasn't going to let go. It wasn't until Hilma intervened that she freed him.

It took a short while for them to notice Felici sitting at the opposite side of the room, but when they did, the mood in the air completely changed. No one knew what to say but they pretty much wanted to ask the same thing. But they didn't, which only made things even more awkward. Taking note of this, Felici got up, greeted Hilma and Agnes, then walked over to Ravea and hugged her.

"Congratulations", She said with a big smile on her face.

Ravea was surprised but she didn't leave Felici hanging, she returned the hug and offered her a handful of cashew nuts. "It's probably not as good as the ones you've eaten, but it tastes great."

"Felici gladly accepted it.

"Can I have some?" Jerome asked.

Ravea looked at him and pouted, "I don't think it's going to be enough."

"Your whole purse is filled with it!" He protested.

" Because I'm eating for two!" She replied and hurried inside before anyone else asked her to share.