Arrogant Man VS Unyielding Woman novel Chapter 189

Jean paused, waiting for Jesse to reply. However, only silence was left. Jean opened her mouth again. "I will get straight to the point here. If Zed loves you, I am ready to divorce him to do you both a favor. All I need to know is the truth. Be up front with me and you can do whatever you like as long as you do not disgust me. Please understand that I am saying all of this because I can't stand you any longer. I will do anything to stop the charade that both of you put up of being siblings when all I see is how amorously you are involved. What's the point of pretending something else? I feel burnt out and don't feel like wasting my time on this boring game with you."

"Jean, I…. I think you have misunderstood..." With her mouth slightly open and eyes big and wide, Jesse stared at Jean in surprise. An agitated and shaking Jean too hadn't expected these words to come out of Jesse's mouth.

But possessed by her suspicions, Jean laughed bitterly. What was wrong with Jesse, since she had put it so clearly?

Was she retarded or was she still keeping up her act?

"Do you like Zed?" Letting out a deep breath, Jean looked Jesse straight in the eye and asked.

"Yes, I do." With colour rising to Jesse's cheeks, Jesse said, "Zed and I were childhood sweethearts. We grew up together. If I don't like him, why would I keep calling him brother Zed?"

"Since you were childhood sweethearts, you must have a good relationship. Hearing that Zed is going to marry, you came to see whether I was a perfect match to your brother Zed. This is the reason why you came, right?" Licking her lips, Jesse held her temper and sighed.

"Yes. Zed's father and mother told us that Zed is married. His mother speaks highly of you. So does his father recognize you as his daughter-in-law. If both of them have embraced you with open arms, I have no doubt that you are the best." With her chin pointing upwards and a clear expression on her face, Jesse answered all questions truthfully.

"But after you saw me, you must have changed your mind. First of all, I don't come from an impressive background like yours. And of course, I don't have drop-dead gorgeous looks like you. I am hardly what you'd call sweet-tempered and I run out of patience before you could even say the word 'patience'. Listen, I get why you think I don't deserve Zed. Don't deny it. When we first met, you had told this to me already."

The scowl on Jean's face stayed though she was quiet now. Thinking about something, she began to chuckle bitterly again.

"How do you know?" Hearing Jean's tirade, Jesse covered her mouth in surprise. Lookin down, Jesse couldn't understand the source of Jean's anger.

"Your tone and the meaning of your words. You call Zed brother, but you don't bother to call me sister-in-law. It shows your arrogant attitude and that you never accept me as his wife."

Jean felt tired. She didn't know whether Jesse was playing dumb here. But she had had enough and put the words out clearly in front of her.

"To be honest, I was disappointed when I first saw you. You were not like what I had imagined." Jesse was breathing shallow breaths and looked guilty as she bared the truth to Jean. "But I swear that I never mean to look down on you, though I know the reason why you and Zed get married."

"You mean Zed told you that?" Jean sneered at Zed in her thoughts. 'Zed, first of all, you feel shameful for why you married me, but your shame melts away when it comes to telling Jesse about it. Have you ever thought of what I'd feel once I know that all our secrets are told to a third person?

Were you two so intimate that you share every secret with each other?'

"Jean, don't blame brother Zed. It was I who forced him to tell me how you two met." Biting her lip, Jesse thought of offering an explanation.

"Oh! We must have disappointed you, Jesse. There was no romance between us, but only a cold interest-led marriage between us. So, if you like your brother Zed, go on chasing him. I am not in your way." Sarcasm and anger dripped from each word of Jean who was flushed with all the excitement.

"You have misunderstood me, Jean. I am innocent with Zed." Close to tears, Jesse tried to cleanse herself of the accusations Jean was blaming her for, "We have a brother-sister relationship, Jean. There is nothing romantic in it. I am incredibly happy for Zed to have found someone he loves and adores. I am happier that it is you who is his lifelong companion."

Jesse was earnestly looking at Jean and not once, did she looked away for she was telling the truth to Jean.

Dumbfounded by Jesse's reactions, she could only think of them as sincere and forthright. Even though she had said her piece, Jesse still looked at Jean with a clear conscience and stood tall because of the truth in her heart.

'Did I misunderstand her?

Did I overthink everything?

Can there be true friendship between men and women in this world?

Can two people with no blood-ties develop kinship?'

Jean's mind was racing with all these questions. She again looked into Jesse's artless eyes and frowned. On the inside, her world was turning upside down.

"Don't stand out there under the sun. Come, have lunch." Zed stood by the window and shouted to them.

"Coming." Responding to Zed's voice, Jesse plainly waved her hand.

With affection in her heart and a smile on her lips, Jesse intertwined her arm with Jean's and said, "Jean, if you don't like me calling your name, I can call you sister-in-law. When we first met, you misunderstood me. All of this shows that you care the world for Zed. I am elated that he has found someone who cares so deeply for him. Please trust me and trust him. It's a matter of time before you understand that Zed and I only have a platonic relationship between us."

Jean wasn't conscience-stricken. The warmth with which Jesse still tugged her arm into the direction of the living room was new to her.

She quickly let all of this go. Jean was quick to adapt and understood all that she spoke was baseless.

Jesse smiled happily and innocently, putting Jean's ill-temper to shame.

'Perhaps, I was overthinking.

If there is nothing between them, Jesse is actually an adorable girl.'

It seemed that the recent turn of events had made Jean incredibly weary.

Which is why, she had started to doubt Zed based on just a few overheard words.

"Jesse, welcome to the H City." Jean smiled openly and held out her right hand to Jesse as a welcome gesture.

Jesse looked at Jean sunnily and quickly took her hand with a grin, "Thank you, Jean."

At this moment, all the suspicion and misunderstandings between them had been cleared.

Jean smiled pleasantly and went into the dinning room with Jesse.

Zed, sitting on the host's seat, saw the two women coming in, hand in hand. He was stunned to see the sight and looked at Jean to read what was happening.

At a closer glance, Jean seemed to be genuinely smiling. This brought a smile to Zed too, who said, "Come here. Please have a seat and enjoy yourself."

As the ladies approached the table, Zed stood up to pull the chair for Jean. As his wife turned to sit, their eyes met and a current of warmth passed between them.

Jean was in a cheerful mood and seated herself smilingly.

Zed turned to Jesse. Before he could pull her chair, Jesse had deflty taken her seat.

"Brother Zed, it's only a lunch. You don't have to bother. I am not used to seeing you behave in such a polite manner. Please sit down! I'm having goosebumps looking at you like this." Mischief was palpable in Jesse's eyes as she remarked on Zed's chivalrous behaviour. She quickly picked up a sweet and sour rib with chopsticks and bit into it.

Seeing Jesse wolfing down the food, regardless of her stunning looks, Jean's doubts got cleared.

"Right. Let's eat!" Jean served Zed his favorite fish in his bowl, and said, "I am going to the hospital after lunch. You go shopping with Jesse."

Zed was overwhelmed and touched by Jean's understanding of him and Jesse. He was even more surprised after hearing her last words before she pushed down a savoury piece of meat.