Ice and Fire novel Chapter 202

Jackson walked into his room and found that Cherry was browsing through a book in front of his desk. He silently walked to the sofa next to it and sat down.

When Cherry saw that Jackson had come in but didn't talk to her, she almost immediately got angry again. She stood up from the desk and walked up to him.

While she was standing in front of him, indignation flashed on Cherry's face. She asked, "Jackson, you really don't care if I'm insulted in front of your whole family, do you?"

He still seemed to be indifferent to her, and instead of answering her question, he replied with another. "Why don't you give me an answer?"

"You know very well that Joe is our son, but you still didn't stand up for me in front of Lucia!" furiously said Cherry.

"But you had John to help you, didn't you?" Jackson evaded her question yet again.

Cherry was taken aback. What was wrong with him? Why did he mention John? Did he have anything to do with what they were talking about?

Jackson then suddenly stood up, and as he looked at Cherry, he said, "It seemed to me that the two of you were getting along pretty well with each other, weren't you? Just have a look at what he's done for you! He even yelled at his own mother to defend you! You were really satisfied to have him on you side, weren't you?"

"Jackson, you... " Cherry was speechless. She had never thought for a second that it would make Jackson feel that way, but now that she finally understood his feelings, she didn't know how to reply to him anymore.

Jackson glared at Cherry, and growled, "Cherry, you're my wife now! I can't believe that you still keep thinking about your first love and still contact him behind my back!"

Cherry was very confused. 'What is he rambling about?' she thought.

"Jackson, what are you talking about?" She had no idea about what Jackson meant with his words.

"What? Did I get it wrong? You two make phone calls to each other and stay in touch all the time, and I'm supposed to think that you two are in deep love?" said Jackson as he slowly approached Cherry.

Cherry carefully backed away from him step by step, until her back touched the wall. Leaning against it, she looked at Jackson, and asked, "You looked into my phone?"

Cherry remembered that she had contacted John once before, and it was exactly a few days ago. Except for that time, they had never spoken with each other recently.

"Well, it looks like you have a good memory, " said Jackson.

"That's why you stood by and did nothing when I was humiliated? Because of that?" said Cherry. She then understood everything.

Jackson just looked at Cherry and said nothing.

Cherry was bitterly disappointed with him. If Jackson never trusted her, then why bother to explain something to a man who won't believe any of her words?

Cherry pushed him away, turned around, and left the room.

Walking downstairs, Cherry saw that Andrew was chatting with John and his father in the living room. She steered clear of them and walked to the kitchen, but she stopped before she got there because she saw Lucia inside. Pondering for a moment, she thought that she had better go and check on her son.

When she walked outside into the yard, she saw that Joe was playing together with several kids, while Derek was standing nearby and keeping an eye on him. Cherry was filled with joy when she saw her son's big smile. Over the years, she had owed her lovely son too much, and now she saw that he could finally enjoy making new friends with other kids.

When he saw her standing there, Derek walked towards her.

"Cherry, why are you out here?" asked Derek smiling.

"I came to see what Joe's doing, " said Cherry, looking at her son from time to time.

"Can't you see? He's having a blast, " happily said Derek.

"Yes, he is. He never got to enjoy his wonderful childhood before, and it was all my fault, " said Cherry, while feeling an enormous sense of guilt in her soul.

Pondering for a moment, Derek said, "Cherry, don't blame yourself for that! I know that it was really tough for you to bring up a child alone for five whole years, but thanks to you, Joe has grown into a nice and sensible boy. You're a good mother, don't worry about it!"

Hearing his kind words, Cherry felt a little comforted. It was good to have someone understand how hard she had lived all these past years.

She smiled at him, and said, "Thank you, Derek."

Derek shook his head, smiling, implying that there's no need to stand on ceremony. He then pondered for a moment, and asked, "Cherry, you left Jackson because of Joe, right?"

Cherry shook her head sincerely, and said, "No, not really."

Derek then made another guess, "Sally?"

Cherry pondered for a moment, and said, "Derek, I suppose you already know my Family's story? The Shen's story."

Derek nodded. He indeed knew something about the Shens. Jean Shen was going out with John, and she had always hated Cherry, her own sister.

Cherry continued, "My Mother and Jade were in love with the same man, just like me and Sally, and my Mom left in the end. Since she left, their children, Jean and I, have been competing against each other and hating each other. Even when I wanted to be kind to her, she and her Mother wouldn't stop..." She then paused for a moment, and continued, "I don't want my child to walk on the same path that I did. It was very painful for me, and I don't want that for Joe."

Derek understood her somehow, because all she wanted to do was to protect her son.

"Cherry, you actually need to trust Jackson. You and Joe mean the world to him, and trust me, he doesn't love Sally at all, " firmly said Derek.

"Then why has he still kept touch with her all this time?" suddenly asked Cherry.

"It's because..." but when Derek was about to explain it to her, he suddenly stopped, because something seemed to have sprung in his mind.

"Because of what?" Cherry looked at him seriously, expecting him to answer her.

Derek pondered for a while, and said, "Sorry, Cherry, I don't think that this is something that you should know."

Cherry's heart sank again, and she desperately asked, "Why does every one of you refuse to tell me? Stephen wouldn't tell me, and you won't tell me either, not to mention Jackson!"