Divorce With Benefits: A Second Chance At Love
Chapter 33: The Warning

Chapter 33: The Warning

The door creaked open, and Jerica entered, her arms full with the vase of water she had gone to fetch. She paused, her eyes flicking between Jared and Victoria, sensing the tension that had wrapped itself around the room like a thick fog.

She offered a soft smile as she placed the flowers on the table in front of Victoria’s bed, their vibrant colors brightening the sterile surroundings. "Here we go, Mom," Jerica said gently, trying to break the ice, her voice full of warmth. She carefully arranged the flowers so that Victoria would have a perfect view of them, hoping to shift the mood.

But the tension remained. Jerica’s smile faltered slightly as she sensed the unspoken hostility in the room. Still, she pressed on, pulling out the snacks and the "water bottle" she had smuggled in for Victoria. "I brought your favorite," she added, trying to lighten the atmosphere.

Jared stayed silent, sitting in the corner with his back partially turned. His jaw was clenched, his thoughts racing as he avoided both women’s eyes. He had always respected his mother, and loved her, but their relationship had never been easy. Victoria had raised him with iron discipline, ensuring he became fiercely independent—perhaps too independent.

The emotional distance between them had formed when he was a child, and it had never really closed. He often found himself struggling to connect with her on anything more than a surface level.

Jerica admired them both, even though the weight of their unspoken tensions was ever-present. Despite the coldness that often seemed to sit between mother and son, she knew there was love. A deep, hidden love, veiled by years of hardship and emotional walls they’d built to survive. They wouldn’t admit it outright, but Jerica could see it in the small ways they showed up for each other—in Jared’s dutiful visits, despite his mother’s harshness, and in Victoria’s silent pride for the man her son had become.

She heard from the nurses that his mother had an "episode" last night and she calmed down only after Jared promised her that he’d visit her. They had a gentle, yet strong bond that couldn’t be broken. It was a beautiful relationship.

Jerica placed the "drink" by Victoria’s side and sat down across from her. She reached for the flowers again, adjusting them slightly, more for something to do than anything else.

"So, what do you think?" she asked softly, glancing at Victoria, hoping to ease the tension. "Do the flowers brighten up the room?"

Victoria’s eyes softened ever so slightly as she glanced at the bouquet. "Yes," she murmured, though her voice lacked its usual sharpness. "They’re beautiful."

It wasn’t much, but it was something. Jerica smiled and nodded. "I’m glad. Jared chose them."

The tension that had briefly loosened its grip returned with full force, squeezing the breath from the room. Jerica blinked, trying to process Victoria’s sudden shift in mood as she sat at the edge of the bed, nibbling on a poppyseed roll, her eyes slightly glazed from the vodka Jerica had snuck in. Victoria’s usual stoicism softened as the alcohol loosened her guard, and for a fleeting moment, she almost looked peaceful.

But then she spoke, her words heavy and solemn, breaking the fragile atmosphere. "I don’t have much time to live, Jerica..." Victoria’s voice slurred slightly, but the seriousness in her eyes cut through the haze of intoxication.

Jerica forced a smile, squeezing Victoria’s frail hand gently. "I have hope that we’ll have many more moments like this, Mom," she replied, her voice laced with gentle optimism. This wasn’t the first time Victoria had made such a statement, and Jerica had learned to brush it aside, focusing instead on the moments they still had together.

But this time, there was something different about the way Victoria looked at her. A shadow crossed her face, twisting the side of her mouth that wasn’t paralyzed by her illness into an expression of uncharacteristic emotion.

Victoria leaned closer, the weight of her frailty pressing into Jerica’s soul. "No, Jerica, listen to me..." she murmured, her voice cracking with something more than just fatigue.

Jerica’s heart skipped, a strange sense of dread creeping up her spine as Victoria cupped her cheek with a trembling hand. The touch was surprisingly tender, and for a brief moment, Jerica could feel the warmth of a mother’s love radiating from her touch—something she had rarely seen from Victoria.

"I love you, kid," Victoria whispered, her voice thick with emotion. Jerica’s breath hitched, her eyes widening in surprise. Victoria was not one to show affection openly, certainly not with words like this. The moment felt fragile, like something Jerica wasn’t sure how to hold on to without breaking it.

But then Victoria’s gaze shifted, hardening as it landed on Jared, who sat silent and stiff in the corner, his face turned away. A strange, distant look filled her eyes, one that Jerica had never seen before—something cold, almost accusing. "Do not trust him," Victoria said, her voice dropping to a whisper, though the intensity of her words made Jerica’s blood run cold.

Jerica’s heart pounded in her chest, her mind racing. What? Her eyes darted to Jared, but he remained as he was, unmoving, a dark silhouette against the room’s muted light. Why would Victoria say such a thing? Why would she warn her not to trust her own son? The man she had loved and married—the man who, for all his faults, was still hers?

Victoria’s hand shook as it continued to trace Jerica’s cheek, the lines of her face deepening with emotion. Her voice trembled, but the words that followed were like a knife slicing through the air, threatening to unravel everything Jerica had once been sure of. "Stay away from him. He doesn’t have—"

But before she could finish, the chair behind Jared scraped against the floor with a harsh screech as he shot to his feet, his entire body tense, vibrating with barely contained fury. His sudden movement startled Jerica, making her jump as the atmosphere in the room turned electric with anger.

"That’s enough!" Jared barked, his voice booming, vibrating with a raw edge Jerica had never heard before. His face was twisted, eyes burning with a mixture of hurt and rage as he stepped toward them. In one swift motion, he grabbed Jerica’s arm, pulling her up from her seat with a force that took her breath away.

"You are crossing the limit, Mother," Jared shouted, his voice shaking, a vein pulsing in his temple. His entire body was rigid, his grip on Jerica’s arm tight as though he were holding onto her for dear life. His eyes, usually cold and composed, were wild, flashing with something dangerous.