Part one of chapter four :) this chapter will be angsty, again. But don't worry two chapters to go, and there'll be a lot of humor as they switched bodies.

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Oooooooooooooooooooo

Four

Over the next few days, Erza couldn't still take off what she just discovered in Jellal's shirt last night in her mind. She wanted to. But she couldn't. Doubts kept on entering her mind. Doubts about her husband hiding something...like if ever he has an affair with another woman aside from her. Actually, she never wanted to doubt her own husband even for once because all of her life she gave her trust on him. But his behavior these past few months, especially these days are very different and doubtful. From the way he stutters whenever he answers to her simple questions like, "why are you late?" or "where have you been after work?".

Erza could take those painful words and slap from her own husband, but can she also take the pain the moment she realized her doubts were actually true? Can she take the pain, if ever she'll catch Jellal in the act cheating on her, especially she's carrying their second child right now?

By this time, Wendy is at school, Jellal is at work, while she's at home doing household chores. But she couldn't focus on what she's doing because of that doubt that has been going in her mind.

Erza, calm down, calm down...she kept telling herself.

If only Jellal wouldn't get mad at her for going to where he's working right now, she would go just to keep an eye on her husband. If only she isn't afraid that Jellal might slap her or spank her, she would go out for him. But then, without her realizing, her doubts forced her legs to reach for the closet to change her messy clothes, so she could go out and visit her loving husband at work.

Oooooooooooooooooooo

After receiving a few phone calls from Erza over the past few days, Meredy couldn't help it, but to try talking to Jellal. This time, she decided not to follow what Ultear had told her not to do-to butt in the conflict between the spouses. When she needed to deliver some paperworks to Jellal, she decided to take it as a chance to try speaking it out to him. She wasn't actually going to tell him directly about him-cheating on Erza, but at least to give him a hint that Erza was like doubting already and to check if ever he still cares about his wife.

At first, their conversation was just all about work, then about Meredy's love life, until Meredy successfully turned the conversation about his love for his wife.

"I remember the time when you told me how you first met Erza in your family's strawberry farm." Meredy said, laughing softly. "You describe her as the Queen of strawberries, because she has a hair as red as a strawberry, and because she's as sweet as a strawberry. You sound a bit corny, but you're sweet because it's obvious that you're so in love with Erza."

Jellal suddenly stopped for a moment, as he reminisced his teenage years with Erza in the province. Those times, when he was madly in love with the red-haired beauty who's his wife now. "Yeah, I really am corny that time. I don't even know how I fell in love with Erza. Is it just because of her beauty?" He agreed, and laughed softly as he tried recalling how he fell in love with his wife.

"Just because of her beauty? Don't be ridiculous. I believe no one falls madly in love as you just because of looks."

"How well do you know how much I was in love with...Erza before?"

"Hmm, from the way you act towards her and the way you care for her-before. I can say you love her so much that she's like the center of your world."

"She's my wife, of course...I do love her." Jellal sighed.

Meredy suddenly said, "You sound like as if you don't love her anymore. As if you just used to love her-before.", which made Jellal stop, and think.

Does he still love and value his wife?

"Meredy, I...", he stammered, unsure of what his feelings for his wife. "I...really don't know. I don't know what has been happening to me. I think it is because...the hardship Wendy and I go through when she was away on college, during the times when we have this so-called long distance marriage. I love her...butnot the love I used to feel for her before anymore. Meredy, I'm not sure."

"Is it just really because of long distance marriage for four years that you used to experience before?" Meredy asked. "I do love my wife, but...these past months I'm also starting to realize that my mother is right about choosing Erza instead of them. And, I think that's why I'll have to face these problems is because she became one of my big responsibilities." He confessed.

"When I was eighteen, I never get to experience date different hot girls, sleep with hot girls, go on a road trip with my friends, drink with my friends, and to live my life after I graduate from college. Because I got her pregnant when she was sixteen, and what's worse is that I just graduated from high school that time. I know it's also my fault for getting her pregnant, but-"

Then, Meredy cut him off by asking, "Are you regretting you choose her and Wendy instead of your parents? Are you regretting that you never get to live your teenage and adult life freely because of her and Wendy? And...you think you're falling out love with your wife?"

It took Jellal a few seconds before he answers her question that are triggering his conscience.

"I think so..." He finally answered. Meredy was dismayed from his answer.

All she can do is sigh and tell him, "She's still your wife, Jellal. You chose her, and so be it. You can't live your own life by yourself only. You're not the only one who's struggling, Erza too."

"Yeah...like what? Doing household chores? That's all she do ever day." He scoffed sarcastically.

"Yeah, only household chores. Don't 'just' the household chores because for her it's hard, especially now that she's pregnant and yet she's still doing her duty, right?" Meredy protested. "Jellal...a woman-they leave their parents' house to live with their husband, they change their last name, they carry a man's child for nine freakin' months, they almost die while laboring, their body will change after birth, they rarely find time to fix theirselves because of household chores, they take care of your child and many more. There's a lot of things...men, like you, don't appreciate in their wives."

"So, you're saying?"

"As much as possible, do your best to appreciate the small things Erza does for you and Wendy. Try working out your relationship with her as spouses. She's your family, and when you grow old she'll be the one who's gonna be with you. Before it's too late, Jellal...you never know what might happen someday just because you never tried to set things right with her." Then, she stood up from the chair in front of Jellal's desk. "It could be you-yourself, Erza, that might be affected with it. It could be Wendy...or the innocent child Erza is carrying."

Then, she left him unanswered.

In less than a minute after Meredy left him alone, Minerva barged in his office, heading for him in his desk. From the way, she opened the door and bamgs it close, you can say she's kind of pissed. "Jellal,", she spoke. Jellal looked up at her, wondering what's wrong. "What's the matter?"

"Your wife...", she told him, "is here, looking for you and I have no idea why."

'What for?!', he screamed inside his head, almost starting to panic already.

"W-why?" He asked.

"She wants to see you, according to Ultear. Eat lunch together. Aren't we suppose to do it instead?" His mistress scoffed sarcastically. Now, what should he do? With his wife or mistress? "Okay, I'll go down and see her. Just- stay here, okay?" Jellal told her, scratching his head in annoyance.

And, there - Jellal quickly stormed down to the lobby where Erza is waiting for him. And then, there's Erza who was sitting on the leathered couch on the lobby, talking silently on the baby inside her, again. "Don't worry, baby, I'll keep an eye on your daddy. I'll our protect our family..." She whispered, in a worried tone.

Then, she heard a voice, which made her look up to see who spoke. "Erza, what are you doing here?" Jellal asked, trying to hide the fact that he's kind of pissed at her for visiting. "Jellal,", Erza spoke, and stood up from the couch. "We feel lonely at home, and I thought of asking you if ever we could eat lunch out with you. Is it okay?" She asked, trying to sound sweet.

"I don't have excess money to take you out right now. Maybe, next time, but not now." Jellal sighed. "Who says you're paying for it? Don't worry I'll treat you this time. Consider this as a lunch date." She said. Instead of thinking that she's trying to be sweet at her, all he can think about is that it's just a waste of money.

"Erza,", he covered his face with his palm, trying not to show he's getting more pissed right now. "I-"

"Oh, Jellal, there you are." They both heard a woman's voice.

"M-minerva! I-i mean, Miss Orlando." Jellal stuttered nervously, which made Erza wonder and more doubtful about his actions. "Oh, good day, ma'am." Erza greeted politely. "Are you ready to go, Jellal?" Minerva asked, crossing her arms together.

"G-go where, ma'am?" Jellal asked. Minerva chuckled, and blurted, "Oh, have you forgot about our lunch date?".

Because of that Erza was given a reason to doubt him. And, Jellal, there, his legs and voice are trembling in fear already that Erza might find out about Minerva. "Lunch date with our client, duh?" Minerva suddenly burst out laughing sarcastically. "O-oh, y-yeah! S-sorry, ma'am I forgot." Jellal faked a laugh, still stammering nervously.

"And you," Minerva's eyes suddenly shifted on the redhead. "You must be Erza." She says, studying her face and stared at her big belly.

"I-i am." She nodded.

"I say, you're really a pretty lady, just like what your husband always told me." Minerva faked a smile on her.

"R-really?"

"Yeah."

"Erza, maybe next time." Jellal told his wife, but Minerva suddenly...

"You're going to let your lovely wife go home by herself? Why don't we invite her to eat lunch with us, since our client will still be meeting us by one."

"No, need to-" Jellal refused.

"I insist." Minerva insisted. And, Jellal just stood there, couldn't do anything and still afraid that his wife might find out and doubt him.

Oooooooooooooooooooo

While sitting on the bed with her daughter. Erza couldn't stop thinking about Jellal and Minerva. Her mind is full of doubts already. She could recall the way Minerva steal looks at her husband. And, she could tell that her husband is hiding something from the way he reacts at something and stutter nervously. The doubt of her, Jellal having an affair with his own boss, keeps haunting her in her mind. At first, she doesn't want to doubt his husband's boss whose been giving him a salary to feed them. But from the way Minerva acts nicely around her in front of her husband, it is sure doubtful. Plus, the way Jellal keeps refusing on Minerva's kind offers to her, as if he didn't want her to get close to Minerva to avoid doubts.

"Mama, are you okay?" Wendy asked, while brushing her mother's long scarlet hair.m

"Mama's okay, sweetie." She replied.

"You're so quiet, what's wrong?" Her daughter asked worryingly after she was done untangling her scarlet hair, and sat beside her at the end of the bed. "Nothing is wrong, sweetie. Mama's just tired." She lied. "Just go sleep already, it's getting late, and we still have to attend the awarding day at your school tomorrow." Erza said, and gave her daughter a soft kiss on its forehead.

She watched her daughter walked out of their bedroom, heading back to its own bedroom.

In less than half an hour, Jellal entered their bedroom. He angrily tossed his bag on the small couch in their bedroom. "Jellal, what's wrong?" She asked.

"How many times do I have to tell you not to go to my office, especially I'm always busy?!" He yelled.

"Why are you mad? There's nothing wrong about that. I just want to visit you." She stood up from their bed. "You're busy, yes, that's why I decided to visit you during your lunch break."

"We're suppose to meet a client earlier, and yet because you came, my boss insisted to take you out with us."

"Are you hiding something from me? Because these past few days you've been acting weird. Oh, not just these past few days, but months already." Erza glared at him, crossing her arms together.

With that question from his wife, Jellal is now panicking inside. "Of course not!" He denied.

"Jellal...are you having an affair with someone?"

"Affair?! Don't be ridiculous! Where did that came from?" Jellal scoffed at her, sarcastically, while trying to hide the fact that he is actually.

"The ink stain in your shirt last night. It wasn't an ink stain, right? It was a black lipstick mark." Jellal's eyes widened.

"Erza! No! It's just an ink stain because of the printer. So, that simple ink stain has been bothering you these past few days?!"

"You're not wearing our wedding ring anymore." Erza's voice saddened. "

"Okay, Erza stop, this is going nowhere." Jellal walked towards to the closet, passing by her. "Jellal, don't you want me anymore?"

"Enough with the drama, please."

"You have an affair with someone, right? That's why you don't want me to visit you in your office. It's Minerva, right?" By this time, she's now teary-eyed.

"It's not that, Erza! I just don't want you visiting me everyday. Don't be so annoying! I just don't want to spend my whole day seeing you! How many times do I have to tell you not to go in my office?! If this is about you being paranoid again-" Jellal yelled. Now, it is clear for her that he isn't the same Jellal who used to be a loving husband to her.

She cut him off by saying, "Yes, call me a paranoid, whatever you wanna call me! Who wouldn't be paranoid, you often going home late, texting with someone in the middle of the night and - and you don't even want me to find out where you really are! The day before yesterday, you told me that you have an emergency meeting in your office! Then, later on I would find out that you've been absent in work for three days!".

What shocked Erza is when Jellal slapped her face. "Shut up!"

"Kyaa!"

"Mama!" Then, they both realized Wendy was in the door. Jellal didn't even mind his daughter, instead he grabbed his wife's hair, pulling her close to him. "You know what? You're such a pest in my life! If only I could tell you how much I- hate you for ruining my life." Then, he harshly pushed her on the bed. Jellal pinned her on the bed by holding her neck and hands at the same time.

"Jellal, ah! Jellal, please, no, the baby!" Erza cried, struggling from him. "W-wendy - go to your room!"

"Mama!" Wendy cried out loud, while trying to pull her father away from Erza.

"The next time I'll find out your investigating if ever I'm cheating on you, I'll divorce you!" Then, Jellal gave her a loud slap. "Ahh!" Erza cried out loud in pain. Then, it was followed by another slap "Ah! Jellal, please stop! Jellal, our baby!" Erza struggled to push him away.

"Daddy, please stop!" Wendy screamed.

That's when Jellal was awaken, the moment he saw her daughter crying.

He gets off from Erza, and that's when Wendy quickly went for her mother. "Mama." She sobbed. Erza looked so helpless. All she can do is to hug herself and bury her face on the mattress of the bed. Wendy made her mama get up, and embraced her.

"Wendy...E-erza, I'm sorry, I didn't meant to." He tried to approach his trembling daughter and helpless wife. "Erza, Erza, I'm sorry..." He grabbed her towards to him, trying to calm her.

To be continued...