Chapter 5 The text message

"Are you serious, man?" Matt asked, not believing what Zion just said to them.

"How can you make a stupid mistake like that?" Heath spoke. He seems to be getting very upset about the divorce so much.

The friends have known how Ashley has been crazy for their friend.

"Definitely a mistake he would regret." Matt said. Something clicked in his head. "Wait.... Did you do that because of that, Jennifer?"

"I thought so. But now, I am not sure." Zion said honestly. They knew he brought Jenifer with him after college with the intention of marrying her. But at that very moment, all he wanted was his freedom and not another relationship.

"What do you see in that girl? Ashley is way hotter than her." Matt began. "She might have similar features as Ash, but doesn't stand a chance with her."

"Yeah. I agree." Heath said after gawking over a waitress that passed by. "Ash is a solid ten, while Jenifer is like five-ish." He added, wiggling his hand in the air.

Zion only looked between his two best friends. They were right. But at the moment, that was not what he was looking at, his freedom from a forced marriage is all he can see.

However, he thought that would make him happy. But the thought that Ashley might have signed the divorce papers already. That made him feel heavy in the chest. He blamed it on the alcohol.

"I don't care. If you think Ash is so hot, why don't you go after her?" Zion said in anger.

"Seriously! If you don't mind, I would." Heath confirmed.

That made Zion feel another knot in his chest. Heath is known to be a playboy. The thought of him being with Ashley made him more angry. What could possibly be the reason for him to care if Ashley was with another man? He has no answer to that as well.

"Don't you dare." Zion said to Heath in a stern voice.

Both Heath and Matt were surprised at Zion's reaction. It seems she still couldn't settle with himself whether he likes Ashley or hates her. Why was he getting so defensive?

Zion left the club. Leaving both his friends behind. He wanted to have alone time. He doesn't know why even after giving Ashley the divorce papers he still felt shitty.

He drove around aimlessly for an hour before he then decided to go to a certain destination.

"Why am I here?" He asked himself. Looking out at the hotel building he parked.

'Because everyone failed to understand your point of view. She is the only one who understands you, supports you and always listens.' an inner voice said to him. Agreeing with his inner thoughts, he went into the building. Moments later, he was standing by her door.

He knocked for a while before he heard her coming to the door. He checked his wrist watch, it was two thirty in the morning.

Soon, the door swung open.

"Zion!" The lady that opened the door exclaimed with wide eyes. She was very surprised to see Zion at her door by this time of the night.

"W - what are you doing here? Is everything alright?" She asked with concern.

"Jenny, can I come in?" Zion asked, ignoring her previous questions.

"Of course. You can." Jenifer said, getting out of the way for him.

Zion walked in and sat on the couch, while Jenifer sat next to him.

He robbed his temples"I am sorry to come here this late, but I needed someone to talk to."

"Of course, I am always here for you." Jenifer said. She was tempted to reach for his hand but she resisted.

They might have been together for a while when they were in college. But he never actually gave their relationship a name. Whether it was just a fling, or if she was his girlfriend.

This was because they used to make out but it never got too serious. Jenifer wanted that more than anything. It was like her way of marking her territory but Zion did not let that come between them.

Then he got married. He completely shot her out on that aspect. The making out stopped completely.

Zion's words cut her trail of thoughts.

"All I ever wanted is to have a normal life. Where I am allowed to make some decisions for myself and not to be forced into something I am not ready for." He said. His eyes were closed and his head tilted upwards.

"Everyone deserves that. That is the way things are supposed to be." Jenifer agrees with him.

"I now have to make some certain decisions that might hurt some people. But I have to look out for myself at some point." Zion continued.

"Your decisions are for you to make of course. If they care about you and what you feel, I don't think they should be hurt by that. You are just trying to make yourself the priority." Jenifer added.

"Besides, that would show how independent you are as a man." She added.

Zion finally opened his eyes. He adjusted his sitting position and faced Jenifer. He could also see the similarities Jenifer had with Ashley. They had the same straight blonde hair and brown eyes. Although Ashley is taller and more curvy than Jenifer.

"Thank you for listening." Zion said. He knew she would understand him. It seems she is the only one understanding him recently.

"Can I stay for the night?" He asked.

Jenifer gave a small chuckle. "Of course you can. This is technically your place." She added. Since Zion was the one paying the rent for her.

"Thanks." He said and got up. He walked towards the extra bedroom and Jenifer followed him behind.

"Good night." Zion said to her before walking into the room and he locked the door before she could even answer him.

Jenifer was disappointed that he didn't invite her in. Worse, he shut the door to her face.

More than anything, he wanted to be with him. She wanted to feel him as a man. But it seems it will take a while before that actually happens.

'That crazy wife of his is the reason we are still not together. But this time, I am not letting you go that easily. You are supposed to be with me and so it shall be. I will do anything I have to, just to make that happen.' Jenifer promised herself. She was still standing by the door.

After some minutes, she finally walked back to her room.

The next morning, Zion was up before her. He sat at the kitchen table having coffee.

When Jenifer came out of her room, she saw Zion taking his coffee and looking at his phone. She used the opportunity to take a picture of him. Her only intention was to send it to Ashley. She did just that and added the caption.

Jenifer: ("You might be the wife that trapped him. But he is mine. He loves me and wants to be with me, not you.")

Ashley: ("So it was you all this time, Jenifer. You kept sending me pictures and what not. Anyway, you have nothing to worry about anymore. You can have him.")

The response she received from Ashley made her feel like she was finally going to get to keep Zion all to herself. She was all smiles as she walked to the kitchen area.

Soon, Zion got up to take a bath, leaving his phone laying on the kitchen table.

As soon as he walked away, Jenifer quickly grabbed his phone before it locked itself. It was still unlocked for mere seconds, since Zion was using the phone earlier.

She doesn't know his password. So she was lucky the phone hadn't locked. All she wanted was to get more information about the message she received from Ashley. She wanted to know if it is true Ashley has given up on the relationship, or Zion has.

However, the incoming message made everything easy for her. Seeing Ashley has even signed a divorce paper. That made her feel over the moon. But then there was a picture of the short conversation she had with Ashley.

'If Zion sees this, he will not only be angry, he might leave me as well.' Jenifer thought with a small panic. She felt so lucky to have seen the message before Zion did.

Next, she quickly deleted the text and the screenshot. She then placed Zion's phone back where she took it from.

A sigh of relief left her lips and a smirk formed.

"That was close." Jenifer said in a low voice.

"Problem solved. All I need now is to find a way to get your attention in the ways I want." She added, her voice sounding not so gentle or innocent as it used to be when she is around Zion.

An evil smirk formed on her lips.