My Fake Husband (JAELE)

New Beginnings

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The next morning, after quickly scarfing down the breakfast, Jackson and the twins ran outside to play while the adults continued eating. Joseph couldn't help the warm feeling he got when he saw the kids running around the house. It reminded him of the days when Riele and her cousins used to be little children, playing and having fun. Their unadulterated smiles always made his day. And so he asked Jace if he and the kids could spend the day at the mansion.

This, however, did not sit well with Irene as she scoffed, shooting Jace a contemptuous glare. "Oh, please, Joseph, need I remind you that we are not running a charity here to keep entertaining these worthless orphans" She was still pissed that things didn't go according to her plan, the previous evening.

Joseph's head snapped up in her direction, his eyes blazing with anger. "Mind your words, Irene. Our daughter is dating Jace and so they're family" He said firmly.

Seeing the enraged look in her husband's eyes, Irene bit her tongue and lowered her head, mumbling an apology. "I'm sorry, Joe"

"It's not me, you need to apologize to, Irene" Joseph said in a stern voice and Irene stood up abruptly, her face twisted in fury.

"No! I will NOT apologize to that skid row scum!" She shouted and stormed out of the room, in a blistering rage.

"Irene!" Joseph yelled after her but his wife simply ignored him and walked away.

How dare her husband ask her to apologize to some pathetic swine?

"It's..... it's okay, Mr. Downs, your wife need not..." Jace started to speak but Joseph held up his hand.

"Stop it, son, what my wife said was uncalled for and I personally apologize for her words" He said and then excused himself from the table to go have a talk with his wife.

No one noticed that Jackson was standing at the door, listening to every word of it as tears welled up in his eyes. Once again it was proved that nobody wants them. They were a bunch of unwanted and unlovable orphans.

"Baby, I'm so sorry for..." Riele began to apologize to her boyfriend.

"It's okay Riele, I'm used to it" Jace said, gazing down at the table, hurt evident in his tone.

After years and years of hearing people say nasty things about him, calling him useless and destitute, he knew he should be immune to it but couldn't help the pain such words caused him even today.

Riele opened her mouth to speak but was interrupted by Jackson. "Jace?" He called, his voice barely audible.

Both Jace and Riele turned around to look at him standing near the door, his eyes wet with tears as his bottom lip quivered.

"You promised they would be different" Jackson had a pained expression on his face that broke Jace's heart and made him realize that his little brother must have heard what Mrs. Downs' had said. He quickly got to his feet and went over, pulling him into a tight hug. Jackson just clung to his brother and cried, his face buried in his shoulder.

"I'm sorry you had to hear that, buddy. I'm sorry" Jace kept whispering words of comfort in his ear.

A few minutes later, Jackson stopped crying and pulled away from his brother's embrace. He wiped his tears and looked up at Jace, his red-rimmed eyes fighting back tears.

"I will go and pack my stuff?" He said, his voice limp and indifferent.

"Yes, come on, sweetheart" Riele went to take Jackson's hand when Jace stopped her.