The Reclaimed Rose (Annalise and Steven) novel Chapter 789

And yet, Jessica never expected a happy marriage like hers and Casper's to end up in such a mess.

She lowered her gaze. She was pregnant again, and the baby was still Casper's. But unlike before, she had no one to cherish her. Not that it had any negative impact on her life.

Casper was the first to break the silence between them. "What will you be having?"

"Milk, I suppose," Jessica said. "It's good for the body."

Casper placed the order for her while she leaned back into the cushioned seat of the booth and appraised him.

He had been so busy lately that he barely had time to groom himself. He had days-old stubble covering the lower half of his face. His features had lost the softness that Jessica liked so much, and he looked haggard.

"Have I told you that I'm pregnant with your baby?" Jessica asked.

"Yes," Casper replied as an uneasiness washed over him. Gary and Julia had called her earlier, and now, she was bringing up her pregnancy. He wondered why.

Jessica blinked before saying, "I was hoping you'd keep it a secret."

"Why?" Casper hadn't expected such an answer, and the words struck him like a blade through the heart.

After some thought, Jessica explained, "Because my life is going great at the moment. I'm not getting picked on during my pregnancy, and no one is wishing ill on my kid before he or she is born, or even after, for that matter."

Casper said nothing.

"You wouldn't have done anything because I couldn't possibly expect you to go against your parents," Jessica said as if preparing to air her years-long grievances. She added, "I had to put up with your parents' mistreatment of me because I didn't have a choice.

"Casper, you seemed to have forgotten that you were the one who pursued me first. And yet, your parents thought I was unabashedly staying with you because I was after your family's money."

She took a deep breath as she recalled the hurt from her past. Despite the time that had passed, bringing up the topic again made her heart feel like it would shatter.

Jessica would comfort herself, convinced that she would one day move past the bullying. "If you hadn't pursued me, I might have married Steven. He might not be the best man out there, but at least his family never picked on me, and he was kind."