CHAPTER 125: BREAKING POINT II
James knelt down and slammed his fist into the ground, shouting in agony. It felt like fire was burning through him, making it impossible to breathe and threatening to consume him.
His cries and the sound of his fists hitting the floor reverberated throughout the building. He was trapped, a prisoner of his own demons.
Harry entered with Jared just then. Jared rushed to help Diana to her feet while Harry approached James. Diana watched, trembling, as Harry injected something into James, causing him to groan in pain and collapse to the floor. Shivering violently, she clung to Jared, sobbing loudly into his chest.
Jared held her close, whispering soothing words as she sobbed hysterically. He gently guided her out of the room and into James' office, settling her on the sofa.
"Why does my situation have to be like this, Jared?" Diana cried, her voice breaking. "I have friends in perfect relationships—why does mine have to be so different? I haven't done anything to deserve this. I deserve better."
Jared held her tightly, offering silent comfort. "It's not your fault," he whispered, his voice filled with reassurance.
Diana shook her head, her tears streaming down her face. "I should have known better," she sobbed. "I should have listened to my gut."
Jared shushed her, his hand stroking her hair. "It's okay," he said, his voice gentle. "We'll get through this."
Diana nodded, her sobs gradually subsiding. She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself while hiccuping softly.
Jared, seeing she had settled, gently turned her to face him.
"What really happened in there, Diana?"
Diana took a deep breath, trying to compose herself as she explained, "Cassandra came to my office today."
Jared's eyes narrowed. "What did she say?" he asked, his voice filled with a mixture of anger and curiosity.
Diana hesitated, her eyes filled with a mix of shame and embarrassment. "She kept on telling me about all the women James has been with. She said the only thing we all had in common was that he's good in bed. She kept emphasizing it, bringing up herself and the other girls, and I just—I felt so angry and jealous. I couldn't take it."
Jared's face contorted with rage. "That bitch," he hissed, his fists clenched.
Diana nodded, her eyes filled with tears. "I took that anger home to him. I made a huge issue out of it. I even threatened to leave him, said I'd move to a hotel, that I'd give birth to our child and we could just share custody."
"Shit!" Jared exclaimed, startled.
"What is it, Jared?" Diana asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
"Just... finish your story," he urged.
"That's mostly it," Diana said, wiping her face. "I also complained about him not caring enough, not checking up on me like a normal husband. I told him I was tired—tired of him, of this house, of everything. And then... I threatened to leave."
"Diana, were you really going to leave?" Jared asked her.
Diana nodded, her eyes filled with a mixture of regret and determination. "I was at my breaking point," she admitted. "I couldn't take it anymore."
Jared sighed and looked at her, his eyes filled with understanding. "I know," he said, his voice soft. "I can't blame you. But you have to understand. I'm not trying to make excuses for my brother, Diana, but let's be honest—he's not exactly a normal guy to begin with. And neither is he like other men."
"So, for you to expect him to be a typical husband... it's unlikely. The things you're asking for are things he's never really done before, and he doesn't know how."
Diana nodded, her expression a mix of sadness and resignation. "I know," she replied. "He mentioned that, and I've tried to accept him exactly the way he is, but it's hard."
"Exactly," Jared reached out, his hand resting gently on her shoulder. "He's trying, Diana," he said, his voice filled with sincerity. "He's doing his best."
Diana's eyes filled with tears. "I know," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "I just wish things were different."
Jared sighed, his heart aching for her. He knew how difficult this was for her, how much she was hurting.
But he continued still. "Besides Diana, my brother hasn't been with many women. In his entire life, he's only been with two, and they were both toxic. Each of them wanted a pound of his flesh. It started with his first love, his first girlfriend. I don't know how to explain it, but she completely destroyed his feelings—and any chance for future feelings toward a woman. And she didn't even know his secrets until after a year. I won't go into the details, but that's basically what happened. They were together for almost five years. Cassandra, though, she was just a rebound, three years later. There were no real feelings between them. Cassandra kept clinging to him despite knowing she'd never mean anything to him, and even she didn't know his secret during the year they were together. She only stayed because she loved the attention and the lifestyle that came with being with him."
"But with you, Diana, it's completely different. In just two months, you've learned everything about him. You make him feel and do things that are foreign to him or long forgotten. A lot has changed about my brother since you came into his life."
Diana cried as she listened. "Harry told me the same thing," she said.
"Well, that's because it's true," Jared said. "You're one of a kind. In case you haven't noticed. You're not just his, but our Priceless Jewel. The one woman we've all been waiting for."
Diana smiled through her tears. "I just want to be happy Jared," she whispered, her voice barely a whisper. "Is that so much to ask?"
Jared squeezed her hand, his eyes filled with love and support. "You will be," he said, his voice filled with conviction. "Just give it time."