Chapter 4 Stalking Her

Third person narrative;

Jason sat in his car as his gaze narrowed with each passing second. He couldn't believe his findings about Hazel. He couldn't believe she was the same person! How could he have been so clueless? So blind! Of course, they bear the same name. How did they know about it?

He had searched for her all these years but had always hit a dead end. And she was right under his nose!

He cringed as he recalled the episode in his office three years back where he lashed at her for pining the pregnancy on him. Truth be told, he had thought she was bluffing just like the other girls.

He came out of the car with a telescope in his right hand and walked a few distance along the road. It was a quiet neighborhood with just a few housings. He raised the telescope at his eye level and peered into it, looking down towards a little house at the far end of the road. He had chosen this spot to avoid being seen as a stalker in case he went too close.

And at that moment, he saw her as she stepped out of the car. He was stunned by her beauty once again as she smiled and laughed at something behind her. Jason tilted and saw a man by her side, and a little girl in their middle, holding hands as they walked towards the door.

He frowned, a crease appearing on his forehead as he wondered who the man was. "They look like a happy family," He thought.

He peered down at the little girl again, a thought suddenly forming in his head, "Is she...?" He immediately brought down the telescope as he clenched his fists, breathing heavily.

For a few minutes, he just stood there, anger radiating off him in waves until a voice snapped him out of his thoughts.

"What do you think you're doing?"

Jason turned immediately and was surprised to find Hazel standing there, arms crossed over her chest and narrowing her eyes at him.

"When did she get here?" He wondered but he was instantly drawn by the way her beautiful features morphed into a frown, her eyes showing accusatory looks at him. All the while still looking breathtaking.

Seeing her up close, he could now see the resemblance. Those blue cat-like eyes! How could he have missed it? He remembered teasing her one time that her eyes looked like that of a baby cat and she ended up crying. They were just ten years old then. And she had run, crying her eyes out, and fell on the tiles of their pavement. It had left a scar on her right arm. A permanent scar!

He was brought back out of his reverie by her soft laugh.

"You dare to stalk me after rejecting me and calling me names."

He walked towards her, "I didn't know, Hazel." She freezes for a moment. Calling her name sounds strange but somewhat familiar from his lips.

"You didn't know what?" She huffed, "That I was not a slut who is after your money?"

"No...I was wrong," He said in a low voice and made to hold her arms but she immediately retreated from him. She looked into his eyes, "Stay away from me and my family. Your apology does not matter to me anymore. I don't want to have anything to do with you at all."

But Jason's eyes were fixed on her arms. In an instant, he was a few inches close to her and he grabbed her right arm, raising it, and there, directly above her elbow, he saw the faint scar!

"What is wrong with you?" Hazel screamed as she swatted his hands away, pushing him away from her, and made to walk away.

"Haze!" He breathed out, stopping her in her tracks.

Hazel turned almost immediately, her eyes widening. Only one person called her that! How could it possibly... No, it can't be. She shook her head in denial.

Jason nodded, "Yeah...it's me Jacey. Your Jacey."

That was the nickname Hazel had given him then just as he called her Haze.

With shock on Hazel's face, she shook her head repeatedly, "No...the Jason I know is not a beast. No!" With tears in her eyes, she turned immediately and ran towards the house.

Jason chased after her until she opened the door to her house and rushed in. He made to follow her but a hand held him back.

"Stay away from her, man or I take legal action against you."

It was Justin, the same guy he saw with her. From his findings, Jason recalled he was her boss at her workplace.

He shrugged his hands off him, smirking, "And who the f**k do you think you are to get in my way?"

Justin smiled wickedly, "Oh...my bad. I'm Justin Derrick... and that woman in there.." he pointed towards the door, "..is the person I'm about to get married to. So I'll suggest you back off!"

Jason felt a surge of rage and he made to respond. "You..."

His phone vibrated in his pants, cutting him off. He swore and reached for it. Seeing the caller ID, he looked at Justin, "This isn't over." He seethed and turned away.

The call was from Jace. He was supposed to be back at the company for an important business meeting.

****

The Next day

Jason walked into his house, his thoughts occupied by Hazel. He thought of possible scenarios he could use to get her back. But as hard as he thought about it, he couldn't come to a reasonable conclusion as to how to go about it. He spotted a familiar figure on the sofa in the living room and made to ignore but she stood and walked right to him, her expression seeming annoyance

"Finally you're back!" She breathed as she made to hug him but Jason deflected.

"I had a long day. Excuse me." He said in a tired voice and walked off to his office. Alexis stared at him in pure anger, her chest rising and falling faster due to the way she was breathing hard.

She followed him, ranting, "You were gone for so long, Jason. You said it was just a business meeting with the Branch Executives which shouldn't have lasted up to a day or two. But you were gone for two weeks, leaving me here all alone!" She seethed.

Jason unbuttoned his suit and shrugged it off, totally ignoring her.

She walked closer to him, looking up at him, "Do you hate me this much? Three years of marriage with you, I've tried to be everything you could ever want. I tried to be a good wife to you. I tried to understand you, I...I tried..." She took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and continued, "What more do you want before you finally see me as a woman?" She whispered.

"You don't have to try that hard," Jason interjected, "This marriage was built on business purpose alone, and I have no feelings for you, Alexis. None. So do us a favor and stay out of my way while I do the same."

She sniffed, looked up at him, and said, "No... you're wrong. I'm not giving up on us. We are bonded by marriage and you're still my husband!" She walked out of the office.

Jasin sighed as he sat on the armrest in his office, his thoughts occupied by a certain beauty. Thoughts on how he could win back her trust after what he had done to her. He sat there for a long time, lost in his thoughts until he dozed off.

An alarm jolted him out of his sleep as he roused lazily, discovering that he had slept off in his office. The alarm sounded again and it took him a few seconds to register it was coming from the doorbell.

He stood up lazily, wondering why Alexis hadn't gone to check who the visitor was. As long as he was concerned, he wasn't expecting any visitors.

He walked over to the door and opened it. Not prepared in the slightest to see the face of the person there. Hazel.

'What is she doing here? ' he wondered.

"I need your help." She said suddenly.

.