Stolen Identity: Mute Heiress

Chapter 518: Not An Option

After Tom’s call with Jamal, he sighed deeply as he turned to face Harry.

“I was right, wasn’t I?” Harry asked, and Tom nodded.

“But it’s more than that. He says he is emotionally exhausted and wants to be left alone,” Tom said after telling Harry all that Jamal had said about not interfering in his relationship.

Harry nodded slowly. “It is expected from someone like him. He’s been nothing less than perfect. Always pleasing everyone.”

Tom sighed, his forehead creased. “How can we help?”

“Help who? Jamal or his relationship with Dawn?” Harry asked with a raised brow.

“Jamal. I’m worried about him. He sounded really exhausted.”

“He already told you how to help him. Leave him alone. When a person is exhausted, the only thing they can do is step back from whatever is causing them emotional stress and get some rest. He’s already on the right track.”

Tom said nothing for a while. He stared into his glass of water.

“Do you think maybe our insistence on them staying apart and not getting married so soon may have affected their relationship? Things might have been different if we had let them move in together and maybe get married like Stefan and Genevieve just did?”

Harry shook his head. “Would you have preferred for something like this to happen when they were married already? Isn’t it best they are discovering these about themselves now?”

Tom massaged his temple. “I guess so. I can’t think of what to say to Dawn right now. I’ll have to ask her to give him some time, and I don’t think she’d be happy to hear that.”

“She doesn’t have to be happy to hear it. But she will have to accept it if she really loves him. Actions have consequences, and hers, no matter how unintentional it may be, may just have pushed Jamal off an edge he didn’t even realise he was standing on. So, let her know Jamal needs space. She must let him have the space he needs.”

“Maybe I should ask Lucy to check on Jamal. She’d know how to talk to him,” Tom murmured.

“Didn’t you say he wants space from everyone? That includes Lucy. If he wanted her, he would go to her. You know Jamal, Tom. Stop worrying and let him deal with this. He’s a full-grown man. Stop babying him.”

Tom frowned. “I’m not babying him.”

“Yes, you are. And I’m not saying it’s a bad thing. I’m just saying that’s not what he needs right now. I know you think of him as your son, and you want him to be okay. He will be fine. So relax,” Harry said, holding up his glass of wine in a silent toast.

Picking up his phone, Tom hesitated for a moment before dialing Dawn’s line.

“Have you spoken to him? What did he say?” Dawn asked immediately she accepted the call.

Hearing the hope in her voice made him feel bad for what he was about to say to her.

“I understand that what you did wasn’t intentional and you really would like to fix things…”

“He insisted on the breakup, didn’t he?” She cut in, her voice sad and devoid of hope now

“Jamal says he is emotionally exhausted, Dawn. He needs a break. Not just from you. From everyone. Including me,” Tom added. “So, I think it will be best you let him be for the time being.”

“I understand. Thanks for your help,” Dawn said quietly then hung up.

Tom sighed deeply as he set aside his phone. “I’d feel better if we were in Ludus right now.”

“You’re still worrying,” Harry pointed out with a shake of his head.

Tom rose abruptly.

“Where are you going?” Harry asked with a raised brow.

“Let’s go get that bastard to talk so we can clear up things here and be back in Ludus. I need to be home. As long as Jamal and Dawn are this way, Lucy is going to be upset, and then I’ll have to keep worrying about all three of them. I’d rather be there right now than here.”

“Of course. I should have known this was about Lucy,” Harry said dryly, chuckling as he rose.

Away from there, Dawn stood by the window of her bedroom, staring outside as she tried to figure out what she could do to fix things with Jamal.

How could she leave Jamal alone?

That was not an option.

If he was emotionally exhausted, then she was responsible for it, and staying away from him wouldn’t be the right way to fix it.

Every minute she spent away from him with things being this way between them felt unbearable.

Her heart ached, and she felt even more terrible knowing that she had hurt Jamal without meaning to.

Her phone vibrated in her hand, and she looked down to see it was an Instagram notification.

She clicked on it and frowned when she saw it was a message from Adam.

[Hey, pretty friend! I’ve been trying to reach you for a while now. How are you doing?]

Scowling, Dawn quickly blocked him from her Instagram profile.

He was the reason everything was falling apart.

If she had ignored him from the start, she wouldn’t be in this mess with Jamal.

His smile or whatever had drawn her to him yesterday was nothing compared to Jamal’s smile or the way she felt when Jamal was happy.

And now because of her, Jamal couldn’t even smile. He had looked so down at Mari’s engagement, and she hadn’t even realised it was because she hurt him with her stupid lie.

She could imagine how cheerful Jamal would have been last night at the party had he not been so upset.

She had broken his heart.

Collapsing to the floor, she broke into a sob.

She wept so hard she didn’t notice when the door opened, and a sleepy Josh walked in.

“Mommy?” Josh called, sounding more worried than sleepy.

Immediately, Dawn tried to wipe her tears and sit up. She forced a smile. “Baby.”

“Why are you crying?” Josh asked, drawing closer to where she sat on the floor.

He took her face in his hands, staring down at her.

Dawn shook her head. “I’m fine.”

“You are sad,” Josh said, tears gathering in his eyes.

Dawn forced a smile. “I’m fine.”

Josh hugged her. “Should I call Daddy to come cheer you up?”

Dawn shook her head immediately.

Jamal was the one who needed cheering up. “I’m fine.”

“Should I dance funny for you like Daddy?” Josh asked, pulling back to look into her face.

Dawn smiled and bobbed her head.

Josh stepped back and began to tap dance like a chicken.

Dawn laughed, tears dropping from her eyes as she laughed, remembering all the times Jamal had danced that way to make Josh laugh.