The ride back to their penthouse was quiet at first. Jossy kept her eyes on the blur of city lights outside the window, replaying the night in her head. It had been a gala like all the others, nothing out of the ordinary. Damien hadn't spoken since they left the gala, and she thought maybe he was too tired,or too wrapped up in his own thoughts. Either way, she was happy with the silence.
But then, out of nowhere, he said, "You two seemed to be having a good time."
She turned to him, confused. "Me and who? I hardly talked to anyone at the gala."
His jaw tightened. "Don't play dumb, Jossy. You and Noah."
Her brow furrowed. "Noah? Damien, when you walked in he had just arrived at the balcony. I thought he was your friend, isn't he? We only exchanged a few words."
"He was my friend, but not anymore," Damien whispered. "Noah is no friend of mine. He has always wanted to be me, ever since college. Did he tell you why he left?"
She shook her head slowly. "You told me he just..left."
"I don't want you talking to him." Damien's tone sharpened. "Yes, his family has money, maybe even more than ours, but he'll never succeed as a CEO. He's too emotional. Weak even. That's why I don't want you entertaining him. Keep your distance."
Jossy pressed her lips together, choosing silence. She didn't understand why Damien was so worked up. To her, the brief encounter with Noah had meant nothing, in fact, they had just begun chatting when Damien got there. She didn't see the big deal, but she was determined to keep him away. If Damien said to keep off, she would do so. She took a deep breath and let some quiet stretch a bit before speaking again, softly, almost a murmur. "Damien, I've been thinking about working. Maybe I can apply for one of the open positions in marketing. I'm getting restless at home because I don't have much to do. Even an internship would be enough for now."
His head snapped toward her. "We had an agreement before marriage that you would support me by being with our family. We would start having children immediately, grow the company together, and later, you can take on more. Maybe host charity galas, if that's what you want. Why are you suddenly changing the plan?"
"I just thought..maybe"
"Is this why you still don't want to give me a baby?" His voice hardened. "It's been six months since the incident, Jossy. Your body has healed. Don't you think it's time to try again? Once you're pregnant, we can revisit this little idea of yours."
Her throat tightened. She nodded, not trusting herself to speak. Maybe he was right. Maybe a baby would change things. Maybe then he will see her, maybe then he will love her like he used to, and maybe he will grow softer.
By the time the car pulled into the penthouse drive, Jossy knew what she needed to do so that they can be happy. She would keep her word. She will try again.