It was the day of their 6th wedding anniversary and Jade wanted to make everything as special as she could. Jade spent the entire day cleaning and cooking and even wore a strapless black gown for the occasion. He was coming back tonight. Everything was set. The fire was crackling cheerily, the champagne was chilled, the glasses were ready, the food was ready, and the table was set. Flowers were placed around the room and rose petals were sprinkled around. The only thing Jade needed to turn on was the Wireless.
She turned it on and heard a muggle station, crooning a soft love song. It was a familiar song that Jade sang along to, to distract herself from waiting for Draco. She looked at the small crystalline angel and held it in her hands, looking it over.
"I wish things could have been different, but I don't regret getting you." Jade said running her fingers down the angel, seeing it sparkle unusually.
The doorbell rang and Jade jumped, nearly falling on herself from her haste. She opened the door widely and saw two middle aged women standing there, wearing expensive clothes and jewelry, looking haughty and elegant.
"Hello Mrs. Malfoy! You look beautiful." One of them said touching her hands and kissing her cheeks.
"Oh…thank you. Who are you?" Jade asked feeling confused by being greeted by people she had never seen before.
"Jade!" a few voices called. Jade moved her head towards the voices. She immediately recognized them as Draco's business partners and she frowned.
"Mr. Gellar? Mr. Ashford? Aren't you both supposed to be on the business trip with Draco?" Jade asked seeing them look at her, confused.
"Business trip? On Christmas? We never do business or hold any type of meetings or trips during the Christmas week. Draco's not here?" Mr. Ashford asked Jade who shook her head.
"He told me he was attending the trip with you two. What's going on?" Jade asked seeing a sly look being exchanged between Mr. Gellar and his wife.
"How long has he been gone Jade?" Mr. Gellar asked curiously.
"Exactly a week." Jade told him. Mr. Ashford looked at Mr. Gellar and the two understood something that they weren't planning to tell Jade.
"I demand to know where my husband is Mr. Ashford. If he's not on a business trip, where else would he be?" Jade asked.
"In that foul little ninny's arms we have the nerve to call an employee." Mr. Gellar mumbled looking around as if the sudden environment seemed of great interest to him.
"Can someone please explain?" Jade asked, starting to get incredibly impatient. From the looks that they were giving each other, it started to scare Jade and frustrate her all the same. They were hiding something from her and she demanded to know exactly what it was.
"I think we've made a mistake coming here. Merry Christmas Mrs. Malfoy." Mr. Ashford said handing Jade a bag of gifts that Jade didn't take.
"You know where my husband is Mr. Ashford…where is he and why would he lie about being a business trip?" Jade asked seeing Mr. Ashford shake his head.
"I'm sorry Jade but that's something you need ask your husband. It's none of our business of what your husband-"
"For God's sake Harold, you can't do that to the poor girl. It's obvious that her husband won't tell her where he's been and he'll continue to put her in the dark until she has to find out the hard way." One of the women that was standing there, told Mr. Ashford who looked embarrassed.
"Marge, let's just go." Mr. Ashford said trying to take his wife but she pulled away from him, looking disgustedly at him.
"Honestly, you come home every day laughing about Draco Malfoy's affair and how his 'poor wife' as you call it has absolutely no clue! It's disgusting to see you laugh behind the innocent woman's back. Every woman absolutely needs to know if their partners are cheating on them, whether they like it or not." Mrs. Ashford said to Mr. Ashford and turned around to Jade whose eyes went wide with shock.
"What?" Jade asked weakly.
Mrs. Ashford's face softened and she took Jade's hands. "My dear…I don't know you and you don't know me but my husband had told me about your husband's affair for nearly 2 years. It's not even him and I that know this, Mr. Gellar and his wife even know about the affair. Frankly everyone in this world knows except for you…and that's usually how it happens. The wife is always the last to know." She said softly seeing Jade's shoulders slump and tears start forming rapidly in her eyes.
"You're lying to me...this isn't...please tell me that you're lying to me." Jade asked. They all stared back at her, unable to ease her situation. Jade felt her cheeks burn in embarrassment and anger as images of Gwenda flew through her mind.
"It's...Gwenda isn't it?" Jade asked seeing Mr. Ashford and Mr. Gellar nod shamefully.
"For two years?" Jade asked seeing them nod again. Jade placed a hand over her mouth, feeling her heart start to split into two. This was the last blow that she needed for her heart to be permanently damaged. She looked up, in search of disproving them but Mr. Gellar pulled out an envelope and handed her a telephone number.
"Gwenda's phone number." He said seeing Jade shake her head, unable to make the call herself.
"I'll call for you and see if he's there." Mrs. Ashford said taking out her cell phone and dialing the number.
"Don't confront him…I want him home." Jade croaked. She tried holding herself up but felt every inch of her start to rot from the dead and broken trust she had lived with for him all throughout their marriage. The phone had started to ring and Mrs. Ashford handed the phone to Mr. Ashford who glared at her for making him do this.
"Hello?" Jade heard Gwenda's annoying harpy voice asked.
"Hello Gwenda? This is Mr. Ashford. How's your Christmas vacation going?" Mr. Ashford asked, looking incredibly uninterested in whatever he had to ask from her. Jade looked hard at the phone, hearing Gwenda chatter about how amazing her vacation was going, especially when she was spending her time with Mr. Draco Malfoy. Jade realized that Gwenda was the idiot and prideful types that usually gushed about her secret affair at work. Jade knew that Draco was a private man and hardly ever let someone pry into his personal life, mainly because it was none of their business. Jade was in one way, thankful for Gwenda's big mouth, it led her ultimately to the truth.
"Oh Draco's there is he? But what happened to his wife?" Mr. Ashford asked. Gwenda chuckled.
"Well we all know that the poor cow is somewhere around that beautiful house of his. Who cares about her? The fact is that Draco's here with me. He's in the bathroom, why? Did you need him?" Gwenda asked.
"Yes in fact I do. Important business…stuff." He said making a face.
"Hold on. DRACO!" Gwenda hollered. Jade heard an irritated 'what' from him and heard Gwenda explained it was Mr. Ashford.
"Yes Mr. Ashford." Draco said curtly.
"Draco, it's a good thing I've got to you. My wife and I were just about to visit your home to drop by your Christmas gifts." Mr. Ashford said.
"Oh no, no, no. My wife's at home Mr. Ashford. You can't stop by there. You can come tomorrow morning to drop the gifts; I need to speak to you as it is." Draco said.
"Sure Mr. Malfoy. Then I'll see you tomorrow morning…if you're alive and well that is." Mr. Ashford mumbled darkly.
"Good night." Draco said, ending the call. Mr. Ashford, Mr. Gellar and their wives turned to look at Jade who nodded.
"I'll be forever grateful to what you've done for me. Thank you." Jade said seeing them smile sadly.
"Good luck with everything Mrs. Malfoy. We're incredibly sorry that everything had been situated this way." Mr. Ashford said. Everyone left and Jade closed the door, pressing her back to the door, shaking and closing her eyes to collect herself once again.
"Our caller tonight, her name is Erica; Erica tell us what song you want us to play this evening?" The voice on the Wireless asked.
"I just broke up with my boyfriend. I am so devastated, I think I am going shopping with my girls." Erica babbled.
"Well isn't that just a sad thing to hear? For the newly single men and women, for those who have loved and lost…this is the perfect song for you…" he trailed off as a slow tune came on.
It's not a silly little moment
It's not the storm before the calm
This is the deep and dyin breath of
This love we've been workin on
Jade felt her entire body glow with heartbreak. The man that she had been with for 6 long years, a man that she gave up everything for, gave her up. She knew from a very long time ago that this marriage wasn't going to last but she did everything she could to keep it alive. She did everything to keep both of them alive, but he ended up killing her. Jade ran her hands through her hair and sucked in a deep breath, her face covered in hot tears.
Can't seem to hold you like I want to
So I can feel you in my arms
Nobody's gonna come and save you
We pulled too many false alarms
We're goin down
And you can see it too
We're goin down
And you know that we're doomed
My dear
We're slow dancing in a burnin room
Images of their happiest moments came crashing down, replacing the worst memories, the worst fights they had. Jade should have known long ago but she tried to ignore it, hoping that one day they would overcome it; that they were much stronger than that but she was wrong…always wrong.
I was the one you always dreamed of
You were the one I tried to draw
How dare you say it's nothing to me
Baby, you're the only light I ever saw
I'll make the most of all the sadness
You'll be a bitch because you can
You try to hit me just to hurt me
So you leave me feeling dirty
Because you can't understand
We're goin down
And you can see it too
We're goin down
And you know that we're doomed
My dear
We're slow dancing in a burnin room
Go cry about it why don't you
Go cry about it why don't you
Go cry about it why don't you
My dear, we're slow dancin' in a burnin' room,
Burnin' room, burnin' room
Burnin' room, burnin' room
Don't you think we oughta know by now
Don't you think we shoulda learned somehow
Don't you think we oughta know by now
Don't you think we shoulda learned somehow
Don't you think we oughta know by now
Don't you think we shoulda learned somehow….
The song that was used in this chapter was 'Slow Dancing In a Burning Room' by John Mayer, it's a great song!!! Enjoy!!
