***Chapter 4***
Jonathan pulled up to Hart Industries, and went inside.
Sure enough, someone was in his office. The door was cracked, and the light was on. Not at all like he left it.
"Have you heard from her?"
"No, but she's only been taking the vitamins 2 weeks or so. I don't expect to hear from her till a few weeks from now".
"He took the afternoon off to take her to the doctor, so maybe it's working."
"I just think this is a dangerous plan, bro. I mean, she takes the vitamins, and gets sick. He has to take leave. Ok, that part makes sense. What doesn't make sense is why you think you will end up with the company. I mean, you are already on his bad side for hitting on his wife. And it's not like he's ever left you in charge before".
"I can handle the board. I just need to get the two of them out of the way."
Jonathan peeked around the door, and saw Jordan Lamont sitting at his desk, and he was talking to someone that Jonathan didn't recognize, but assumed to be Jerome. How would they know each other, though?
He slipped down to Stanley's office and called the police and asked for them to meet him in the parking garage and to hurry and to come no lights or sirens.
7 minutes later, they were all there.
They rode the elevator up to the top floor, and headed for Jonathan's office.
"Freeze! Police!"
Jonathan walked in.
"These two men are trespassing".
"Get serious, I work here, and he's my guest".
"Working here and being allowed in my office are two different things".
"How did you get in here, gentleman?"
"I have a key. He gave it to me when he put me in charge".
"Officer, I am the CEO and founder of the company. I never put him in charge, and I never gave him a key".
"Oh but you did. You must have forgotten".
Jordan opened his briefcase and pulled out a document that had Jonathan's signature on it, and stated that Jordan was in charge and had access to everything that Hart Industries owned, including property, documents, and statements.
"I didn't sign this, I didn't write this, this is a forgery".
"Mr. Hart, unless you have a document that you can show us that proves you didn't give him access, I am afraid he can't be charged with anything."
"I don't. I don't normally take the time to write down what I don't give people permission to do".
"I understand, sir".
Jonathan looked at Jordan.
"Give me your key, give me your badge, you are fired."
"I will sue you for wrongful termination".
"I will fight that suit and win, you're fired, hand it over".
He handed over everything.
"You have till 5 p.m. tomorrow to pack your things and vacate the office. I will see to it that security lets you in to do just that and only that."
Jordan grabbed his briefcase and left.
Jonathan walked over to the computer and invalidated Jordan's login credentials.
He emailed security and explained to them that he was being permitted on the property to only get his things and that was it.
He emailed the board that Jordan was terminated, effective immediately.
Then, he locked up, and headed home.
***Willow Pond***
Jennifer finally came out of the bedroom. She was still pretty angry with Jonathan. She came downstairs, and found his note in the kitchen.
"Jennifer-
Emergency at the office. I made your favorite dinner, just for you. It's on the stove. Hopefully we can talk when I get home, this shouldn't take too long. I love you, past the moon and back, you know that. -J".
She made herself a plate and was sitting at the table when he got home.
He came over and kissed her and then made himself a plate and joined her.
"Jennifer, I want to ask you something. What is the name of the person who gave you the vitamins?"
"Jerome". Her voice was cold, and she didn't look at him.
"Jerome what?"
"I have no idea. I just know him as Jerome".
"I think he might be Jordan Lamont's brother".
"That's preposterous".
"I also think they aren't vitamins, they are toxins of some sort designed to make you sick and me have to leave the company".
"Jerome has more character than that. He wouldn't do that to me".
"I heard him in the office tonight telling Jordan about the vitamins. They are in this together".
"Whatever is going on at your company, I am sure it has nothing to do with the guy that does my hair and cares for my skin".
She got up and took her plate to the sink, and then put it in the dishwasher.
He finished his dinner in the kitchen, alone, wondering how he was going to get through to her.
***The next morning***
Jonathan and Jennifer didn't speak again all night. She slept with her back to him all night, which killed him. He hated it when they were like this.
She was still asleep when he left for work, and didn't wake up when he leaned down and kissed her.
He thought for a moment and then went to the desk. He quickly wrote her a note and placed it on his pillow, kissed her head again and then left.
She woke up around 9, feeling like she had slept for days.
She rolled over and saw his note.
"Darling-
Everything I do, I do it for us, and for you. Never for me, it's always for you. I hope you understand that. If you are sick, I am going to do everything in my power to get you well. That's all this was, was making sure you are well. I hate to see you not 100%, you know that. I love you so much it hurts, and each day it's multiplied to infinity. I hope you understand, I am only trying to ensure that we have another 60 years at least together. I love you. I will see you tonight. -J".
She cracked a half smile. They definitely had a lot to talk about.
***Hart Industries***
Jonathan got to the office and saw Jordan cleaning out his office. He went straight to his own office and got to work. Around 10:30, he got a call from Susan.
"Jonathan, it's Susan. Listen, those vitamins that Jennifer is taking are highly toxic. It's imperative that she not take anymore, and that you bring her to me right away-I cannot stress that enough".
"I will go get her right now and bring her in immediately".
He hung up, and told Kelly he was going to be gone the rest of the day.
"Don't let anyone in my office unless it's Stanley".
"Yes, sir".
He rushed home to Willow Pond.
***Willow Pond***
He came in the door and went to the study.
No Jennifer.
He went to the kitchen. No Jennifer.
He went upstairs. She wasn't on the bed, so he headed to the bathroom.
"Darling, are you in here?" He walked to her side, and there she was, passed out cold on the floor.
"Jennifer!" He started shaking her but she wouldn't wake up.
He felt her neck. She still had a pulse. She was breathing.
He scooped her up and called 911, and gave them the address and then he carried her downstairs.
They were sitting on the couch when the paramedics got there.
He followed them to the hospital.
He grabbed the car phone and called Susan.
"Can you meet us at Community? I got home and she was passed out cold. She's in the ambulance now".
"Right away".
It was the longest 10 minutes of Jonathan's life.
***Community Hospital***
Jonathan pulled up and parked and ran inside.
He found the doctor who was going to work on her.
"I called her doctor to come help, she's on her way."
"Have a seat in the waiting room, we will come get you when we know something".
He sat and waited, and Susan walked in about 20 minutes later.
"Jonathan, come with me".
She took him to Jennifer's triage bay, and let him hold her hand while she examined her.
"Her liver is in overdrive. Those vitamins that she was taking, were nothing but pure sugar and vitamin A. Vitamin A is highly toxic when taken in high doses. I am going to order a heart cath, a head CT and some bi-lateral x-rays, just to rule things out".
Jonathan brought her hand to his lips and kissed it.
"How was she last night?"
"Angry at me for taking her to you. We didn't really get a chance to talk about it".
"Well, hopefully when she wakes up, she will be in better spirits".
He nodded.
"I am going to give her a short-term sedative just to ensure she doesn't wake up during these procedures. She will be asleep till 4 at the earliest, so if you want to run home and get her some clothes, now is a good time".
"Will she for sure need them?"
"Absolutely. I am admitting her based on the toxicology results from her blood draw yesterday".
"Will you stay with her while I am gone?"
"Of course".
He leaned down and kissed her and told her that he loved her, and then ran to Willow Pond.
He packed her a bag, and packed himself one too, and got all of her favorite things. He grabbed her purse and then also grabbed her vitamins. He changed clothes and then headed back to the hospital.
He was walking out the door when the phone rang.
"Hello?"
"Hi, May I speak to Jennifer Hart please?"
"She isn't here. Can I take a message?"
"This is Jerome, I was just calling to remind her of her appointment next week, Wednesday at 10".
"She won't be coming to see you then, nor ever again, pal. Those vitamins you gave her put her in the hospital! And you better hope she pulls through, or else I am going to have your head on a platter!"
He slammed the phone down, and headed back to the hospital.
He came in and found Susan.
"She has been taken for her tests, so you can wait in the room she will be taken to when she's done. Room 418".
"Thanks".
He went up to her room and got their things situated. Susan had ordered him a bed, so he could stay with her.
He turned the TV on, and tried to watch, but his mind was wandering.
He called his secretary and told her that Jennifer was in the hospital and he would be there with her as long as it took.
"Stanley is in charge, and is the only one allowed in my office besides you".
"Yes, sir".
About 2 hours later, there was a special delivery that arrived at the nurses desk for Jennifer. The nurse brought it down, and delivered it.
It was a telegram, and a bouquet of flowers. The card with the flowers simply said "Secret love is the greatest".
The telegram said "Sorry about this morning, angel. Rough sex with you is great. Didn't mean for you to fall and hit your head. Next time, maybe he can go out of town so we will have longer".
Jonathan was incensed. He didn't for one minute believe that she had cheated on him, but rather that someone was trying to make him think that they had been together. And now that she was in the hospital, the only people who knew that were Kelly, and Susan Kendall, and the person on the phone from earlier. Jerome. He was now sure that Jerome and Jordan Lamont were connected.
He called Stanley at the office.
"Stanley, has Jordan Lamont left the premises yet?"
"No sir. He is in his office packing".
"Please call this number, 555-0826 and let me know when he does vacate the premises."
"Yes, sir".
About 2 hours later, he had dozed off waiting on Jennifer to come back. He was awoken by something on the TV.
"Breaking news, the wife of industrialist Jonathan Hart is in the hospital. Hospital officials are keeping mum about the cause of her hospitalization, but one Hart Industries employee was more than happy to set the record straight".
The video then shifted to a press conference outside Hart Industries.
"I am Jordan Lamont, the spokesperson for Hart Industries. It seems that Jennifer Hart has suffered a breakdown, a mental breakdown. Her husband, Jonathan, everyone knows that he is an incredibly intelligent businessman, however, what they don't know is that he beats his wife. She came to me at a function a few weeks ago and confided in me, and told me everything. He retaliated by firing me last night, and then he apparently went home and took it out on her, because this morning she called me crying and begging me to come to her house. I went to their house, to help her, and she throws herself at me and says she can't take it anymore. She was insatiable, and then she started crying, and I left, and about an hour afterwards, I heard at the office that she was in the hospital. Everyone here at Hart Industries hopes that she recovers. Jennifer, if you are watching, we all want you to get better, we are all here for you. Mr. Hart, we just want you to get the help that you need".
Jonathan was in a rage. He picked up the phone and called the office.
"Kelly-get me Stanley right now!"
Stanley got on the line.
"When did Jordan give his press conference?"
"I am not sure, Mr. Hart. He took several boxes to his car earlier, it must have been then".
"Get him off the property now. Have security escort him off the property and I mean through the gates. We will ship his things to him that he hasn't packed yet. And then issue a press statement that the things he said in the press conference were totally and completely false, inaccurate and derogatory. And then, I want you to go to Mark Watson, and have him draw up papers charging him with slander against my wife, myself, and the company. And I want him served as quick as possible. I don't want a cease and desist order, I want him charged and served, and I want him to have to issue a complete and total public apology. And then I want you to call the board and schedule a meeting for tonight, and I want you to call me and I will talk to them on speaker phone".
He was more calm now.
"And I'm sorry, Stanley. I didn't mean to yell at you or take this out on you".
"It's ok, Mr. Hart. I am on this. I promise".
"Thank you, Stanley".
They hung up.
If the hospital had a bar, he would have gone right to it.
He went to the nurses desk and asked them to page Dr. Kendall and have her come to Jennifer's room.
About 10 minutes later, she was there.
"Susan, there was a press conference that was given about Jennifer- and all of it was untrue. If anyone contacts you, you are permitted to say that she is not here for anything mental health related. Also, she received this telegram that indicates she took part in rough sexual activity and fell and hit her head. I don't believe it, but can you check her out and see if it's true?"
"Certainly. But Jonathan, that's going to necessitate me asking you something that's very personal".
"Go ahead".
"When was the last time you and Jennifer had sexual intercourse?"
"Sunday night. And without going into too many details, it wasn't in the manner in which this person described".
"I understand. Can I see the telegram?"
"Sure".
He handed it to her, and she read it.
"Ok, this is actually really helpful. If she did have sex in this manner, then it will be easier for me to spot than if she had regular intercourse or didn't have any at all. As for her hitting her head, I am not saying that she didn't, I wasn't there. But I can tell you that I have already done her head CT and didn't see any damage or injury that would be consistent with a hard bump on the head".
"Great, glad to hear it. Thank you so much".
He handed her the vitamins.
"I am going to have the lab analyze these for content. How much was she taking?"
"2 at every meal, I believe, with a full glass of water".
"Got it. I will be in touch, I won't leave the hospital without coming back here".
They wheeled Jennifer into the room about an hour later.
He climbed into his bed and grabbed her hand and kissed it.
"I am right here darling. We are going to get through this together".