Page 14 of Falling for the Wife

“I can learn to please you.”

“Gisele, please don’t take this as an insult…but I don’t see you that way. You are so young, and I need a woman,nota girl.”

A girl. He saw me as a girl. I sighed loudly, swallowing the bitter rejection before making a small nod, never wanting to open that can of worms again.

“Is there anything else you want to discuss further, apart from where I’ll be spending some of my nights?”

“I think I’m good for now.”

I finally get to have my wish, but I’ll only get the icing, not the cake, I bitterly thought as I tried to swallow the lump that had been lodged in the back of my throat since I had found him standing there in my bedroom. And there was the surprise pregnancy issue. Though Jack was meticulous in wearing protection, was there a possibility of it being Jared’s? After all, the man didn’t wear one that night.

The moment we landed, calling for an appointment had to be a priority. I’d rather sort this out and figure out how far into the pregnancy I was. Maybe then I’d get a clearer picture. If it turned out to be Jack’s, should I bother telling him?

The trivial matters could wait. My father and the appointment were far more critical than pondering about Jack being a capable father.

“Papa?” I called out the moment I heard the door secured behind me. Carl Orff’s “Carmina Burana” softly echoed in the background. Knowing how my father functioned, the song would be on a loop until he was ready to retire for the day.

The entire house had cameras in every corner. The second we entered the gate, he’d have been alerted already. He’d been expecting me.

The security in this house was top notch. There was a safe room on every floor. Each bedroom had one. There was no switch in our home. Each room functioned with voice commands. Each section had authorized voice encryptions, and if it weren’t recognized, the security that littered the grounds would be immediately alerted. My father wasn’t a paranoid man, but ever since he began accepting government funded projects on the side a few years back, things drastically changed. He was cautious; working with the government entailed the dangers of our national security if his projects got leaked or hacked. My father once alluded that he could be the world’s greatest hacker…until Jared came along and proved him otherwise.

Jared St. James was the son he never had. He found joy and camaraderie with him, whereas with me, I was the daughter he kept at arm’s length after his wife died. If I hadn’t been so crazy about Jared, I’d have probably resented his relationship with my father. But I had no ill feelings whatsoever. Truth be told, I was glad he had Jared in his life. Had it not been for Jared’s keeping a close eye on him, he’d have probably wasted his life on other things than working incessant hours at the headquarters.

Peter Weber Technologies, Inc.—or Web, as the consumers preferred call it. The mammoth company in Silicon Valley referred to as ‘the headquarters’ or ‘the campus’ to some.

One would expect a sick man in bed, waiting for the floodgates of Heaven to welcome him, but no, that was not how the renowned Peter Weber intended to go.

He sat on a black leather wingback chair, dressed in his preferred all black ensemble, sole concentration aimed at his white expanse of a work desk, one hand on a keyboard with 3D digital layouts across the screen while the other went over the small device in his hand, which connected to another screen. Data encryptions sporadically updated every minute or so.

“We’re developing this new project for the NSA. It’s still in the early stages…I hope to finish it before I go,” I heard him say as I gradually approached him. There was no tremor in his voice, only clear determination. If he was saddened about his present terminal condition, there was no indication at all.

“Is it really necessary to worry about unfinished projects right now, Papa?” Being that my mother was Brazilian, I learned to call him Papa instead of dad.

Peter Weber warily placed the device down and finally gazed upon me, standing a few feet away, frustratingly frowning at him.

“I figured you’d be a little upset, my darling,” he said, gauging my temper. “I thought it best to send Jared first so you’d have enough time to acclimate yourself to the changes in your life.”

“Alittleupset?” My voice quivered, appalled that my father couldn’t grasp how affected I was. Upset barely scratched the surface to fully describe my feelings. “My father’s dying, and you think me upset? Are you so detached from the rest of humanity that you can’t take a moment to consider how distraught I’d be? Mom’s gone and you’ll be, too, very soon…you could’ve at least warned me that you were ill.” I paused, trying to compose myself, even though tears rimmed my eyes. “What am I going to do without you?” My voice came out as a soft whisper. “I’m going to be all alone…I’ll have no one else…no one at all.”

My father made an effort to stand up but was too weak to successfully achieve it. His lips pressed together, frustrated by his lack of strength, before slowly reclining back in his seat. Depleted. “I apologize for all my faults—don’t doubt that—but I hope you understand my plight. I’m old, and after your mother died, something died in me, too.” His voice shook for the first time, showing signs of distress and a combination of exhaustion and emotional upheaval. His gray eyes, identical to mine, gravely implored. “I want to be with her, my darling. I’ve lived enough. It’s time to go. I’m tired.”

“But what about me?Don’t I matter at all?”

“I’m sorry. I’ve failed you. But I can’t go on living like this. It’s not living at all. I hope you understand why I had to ask Jared to look after you. He’s a good man…and I know how you feel about him, too, so I figured this would be the best step for you.”

“What?” I gasped loudly, blinking at him, stunned speechless.He knew?For how long? “Whatever do you mean?”

A soft, knowing, tired smile tugged at his lips. “You are my daughter, Gisele. I know you’ve pined for him over the years. He’s overlooked you, but this changes things. I hope your marriage will blossom into something significantly beautiful. I hope my marriage to your mother gave you a compass of what a blissful, meaningful marriage is like. Strive for that completeness, my darling. And if you can’t find it with Jared, don’t settle until you find a man who will worship the ugly side of you. If a man loves you through that, he’ll be your strength, helping you to navigate through life. Parting this life knowing you have him to care for you, it eases most of my guilt.”

“If you think that eases the pain of losing you, it won’t.”

“I know, my darling Gisele. I’m sorry for that.” He suddenly looked haggard, as if our exchange had spent most of his energy.

“Jared said he hired a doctor and a slew of nurses to help you get comfortable…but don’t you want to go to a hospital, instead?” My heart ached. I felt helpless.

“If I die, it’ll be in my home.” He released a strangled breath before closing his eyes. His hand then reached towards the intercom. “Thomas, tell Dr. Kim I need my dose of morphine.”

“Right away, sir,” Thomas smoothly responded.