Ice and Fire novel Chapter 244

Later that afternoon, Jackson and Cherry headed downstairs. Grandpa was down there already, sitting in the living room.

Cherry greeted Andrew respectfully when she got to the living room, "Grandpa."

Andrew nodded, smiling at his beloved grandson and granddaughter-in-law, "Hello! There you are! When will you be going home?"

Jackson glanced at the wall clock and replied, "In a minute. We were just going find Joe now."

Andrew said, "Oh, maybe he is still playing out in the yard. Check out there."

Cherry nodded and followed Jackson out of the room.

The moment they got outside, Cherry saw Joe playing with a group of children not far away.

"Look how happy they are!" Cherry's voice sounded happy.

Jackson put his arm around her shoulder and smiled, "Childhood always looks like this, doesn't it?"

Cherry didn't smile. Instead, she said bitterly, "Jackson, when I was away, I blamed myself for not giving Joe a happy childhood or family."

Jackson understood Cherry's feelings. Over the past five years, he had suffered a lot too. He had tried to hate Cherry and wanted to punish her, kill her even; but, in his heart, he secretly hoped she could come back to him. So, when Cherry did return, and he saw her at the hotel, all he wanted was to hold her in his arms and be with her forever. He abandoned all his principles and was entirely out of control with her. The fact was that he couldn't hate her. He wanted nothing more than to love and spoil her. Even though she had hided Joe from him, he couldn't stay angry at her for long. To get her, to keep her, he realized, he was willing to do anything. The only thing he wanted was to spend the rest of his life loving her.

Jackson gripped her shoulder, watching their son playing and said in an earnest tone, "Babe, you and Joe will be extremely happy in the future. I'll try my best to make you the happiest wife and son in the world."

Cherry turned and studied him carefully and then nodded her head. She believed in the man standing in front of her, which was why she had married him and let him control her destiny.

Jackson tenderly touched her face, and they looked into each other's eyes smiling contentedly.

When Cherry turned back around to watch her son again, she noticed that a woman was standing silently in front of the gate, watching the group of children.

"Sally!" Cherry couldn't help but yell and her smile soured at the sight of the woman.

When she yelled, Jackson turned and looked in the direction Cherry was glaring at.

Cherry recovered from her astonishment and released herself from Jackson. She rushed to the children, because she wanted to protect her son from any harm.

Jackson saw Sally glaring at the group of children with hatred. He guessed she must be looking for Joe, and Cherry's actions convinced him that Sally was there because of Joe.

Sally, stood at the gate watching Cherry bee-lining it to the group of children. She guessed Cherry must want to protect her son, but Sally wanted to get a look at the boy.

Sally angrily headed to the group of children.

As Jackson saw Sally approaching Cherry and Joe, he rushed over.

Cherry shouted as she was approaching the group of children, "Joe, come here!"

"Mommy!" Joe ran to Cherry and took her hand asking, "What's the matter?"

"We should head home now. So say goodbye to your friends." Cherry whispered to her son in a low voice.

"Okay." Joe was obviously a little upset, but he knew it was time for him to go home. He turned back to his friends and told them, "Guys, I need to go home now. But, next time I come, I'll play with you."

"Okay, Joe, bye!"

"Joe, call us!"

"Joe, don't forget, you must come to play with me next time."

When Joe finished saying goodbye to his friends, Cherry tugged her son leading him back to the Chu House. But she had only taken a few steps when she heard Sally's voice.

"Cherry!" Sally angrily snapped as she drew nearer, cutting off Cherry's way.

Jackson got there just then, and stood in front of Cherry, looking down at Sally coldly, "What are you doing here?"

Cherry was silent as she stood behind Jackson, clutching Joe's hand tightly.

Sally looked up at Jackson's face with disappointment, because Jackson was here to protect his little family, not to see her.

Sally peered behind Jackson to get a look at the two people standing there, and she saw Joe's face. She thought Joe's face looked like an exact replica of Jackson when he was a child. That beautiful, handsome, angelic face.

Sally was overwhelmed and emotional immediately. She shivered, looked at Jackson's face again and asked, "So, this is your son?"

Jackson stared down at Sally but didn't respond.

When Jackson remained quiet, Sally took it as confirmation and asked, "Why is he yours and Cherry's son? Why isn't he our son?"

Tears streamed down Sally's face as she asked. She thought to herself, 'I have loved Jackson since I was a little girl. Why is the real life so cruel and heartbreaking? Why did they have a child? Now their son is old enough to go to school, but I have never slept with Jackson.'

Cherry stood behind Jackson listening in silence. Jackson's tall figure prevented her from seeing Sally's face, but Sally's words terrified her because Cherry knew that Sally still loved Jackson and she hadn't given up.

Joe heard what Sally said, saw her eyes were filled with hate, and knew this was the woman who had torn his parents apart. She was the reason why his mommy left his daddy five years ago.

Before his daddy could say anything, Joe pulled his hand free of his mommy's and took a step forward. He stood next to his daddy, looked at Sally and said, "Miss, it's natural for my mommy and daddy to be together, but you, who are you? Who the the hell are you?"

Sally didn't expect Joe to talk to her like this. She couldn't believe a little boy could say such words.

She glared at Joe angrily, entirely out of her mind, yelling, "If it hadn't been for your mommy, Jackson and I would have married. I should be married to Jackson, not your mommy!"

Joe asked, "Is that true?" He looked at her twisted face and continued, "But my daddy wants to marry to my mommy. Besides, my daddy promised he would love my mommy forever. You know what? I don't think my daddy likes you, at all."

Joe's words incited Sally's rage. She took a step forward, standing mere inches in front of Joe and sneered, "What do you know? You're just a greasy-haired, little boy!"

As she finished her tirade, Sally raised her hand to hit Joe.

Jackson saw her hand move and instinctively reached out, grasping her arm. He glared down at her, angrily asking, "Sally, what do you think you are doing?"

He forcefully shoved her arm away, and off balance, Sally stumbled back a few steps.

Cherry threw herself over her son, holding Joe close in her arms, shielding and cradling his head tightly, preventing anyone from hurting her son.

Sally noticed Cherry protecting Joe, and felt a sudden surge of jealousy.

Sally's tone was condescending as she questioned, "Cherry, did you leave Jackson five years ago because of the child? You were pregnant when you left, right?" Sally glared at Cherry, thinking that if she had known Cherry was pregnant back then, she would have made sure Cherry didn't give birth to this child. She would have done her best to force Cherry into having an abortion.

Cherry took a deep breath, looked up at Sally and admitted, "Yes, my son is five years old now. I have left Jackson for many years, but now I think it's time for me to let him know that Joe is his son."

Sally shook her head, unable to believe the facts. Joe popped out of nowhere and was really smart. What he told her earlier shouldn't be said by a child his age. So, Sally couldn't believe any of this.

Sally started to laugh suddenly, "Ha, ha!" Then she glanced at Jackson then Cherry and said snidely, "Your family is quite a happy little family. Ha, ha!"

Jackson snapped, "Sally, if you've finished your words, leave. If anyone sees you here, you know the consequence."

Sally didn't care about any of that though. She looked around and then back to Jackson shrugging, "So what? If they know I'm still alive, they wouldn't believe that all the members of He family are dead. And what if they do report to the leaders at military command?Will they ask me who saved my life?"

Jackson gave Sally a stern look but didn't know how to answer her question. If people found out Sally was still alive, then he would be implicated. After all, it was the Chu Family who had protected Sally many years ago, which meant this would influence his grandfather too.

When Jackson didn't say anything Sally continued, "I didn't expect you to have a son. But Jackson, I'm telling you, I won't allow you to have any child."

Her last words were tyrannical sounding.

Jackson glared at Sally and said venomously, "If you dare hurt him, you'll never escape."

Jackson's words astonished Cherry and Joe. Cherry looked at Jackson's face and saw how furious he was.

Sally sneered, and looked at Cherry, "Cherry, you have dared to bring your son here, so that means you're ready to fight me. I want to see how you do against me."

Jackson voice was grave, "Sally, if you hurt anyone in my family, I'll kill you." His tone and the look in his eyes said he wasn't kidding.

Sally thought to herself, 'Years ago, Jackson has been desperate to save my life, now, to protect his wife and son, he wants me to die. So, doesn't he love me anymore?' Sally felt sad and she couldn't help crying.