Chapter 8

While Mousse and Sophie were taking Jacob home, Gloria, lying in her bed, let herself go to Samson, her new crush. Their conversation, initially light, quickly became animated and intimate. When he suggested a video call, Gloria didn’t waste any time. She asked for a minute, quickly got up to put on a fine, sexy dress, deliberately choosing an outfit that would highlight her assets. Satisfied with her reflection in the mirror, she returned to her bed, lay down gracefully, adjusted the sheets for a casual but seductive effect, and then grabbed her phone. The video call began, and Gloria, all smiles, completely ignored the recent incident with Jacob. For her, Samson was now all that mattered, a man who made her heart race in a new and exciting way.

On the other side of town, Mousse and Sophie finally arrived in front of Jacob's residence. The guard, seeing the cars, opened the gate, letting them in. After parking the vehicles, Sophie hurried out of her brother's car and joined Mousse. Together, they opened the back door of Mousse's car, where Jacob, visibly affected by alcohol, was slumped. Mousse put one of Jacob's arms around his shoulders while Sophie supported the other side. They helped him out slowly, each step being an effort for him.

Once inside, they carefully directed him to his bedroom. Mousse whispered reassuring words to his friend, even though he knew Jacob, half asleep, didn’t understand half of them. They gently laid him down on the bed. Sophie, ever attentive, began removing his shoes, then untied his tie and carefully took off his suit jacket, a suit that earlier in the evening had been worn in hopes of an unforgettable night, but now reminded them of a deep bitterness.

After settling Jacob as comfortably as possible, Sophie headed to the kitchen. The sound of her footsteps echoed faintly in the quiet house. She set water to boil, searching for soothing herbs to make an herbal tea that would help her brother recover more quickly. While the water heated, she leaned against the kitchen counter, closing her eyes for a moment to chase away her fatigue and worry.

Back in the bedroom, Mousse was keeping watch over Jacob, sitting by the bed, his face dark. He knew his friend well and knew how deeply the situation with Gloria had affected him. And he also knew that a simple herbal tea wouldn’t be enough to heal such a wound.

Sophie finished giving Jacob the tea with Mousse’s help, and a few minutes later, Jacob had finally fallen into a deep sleep. Once they were sure Jacob was stable, they left the room and headed to the living room. The atmosphere was tense but comforting, as if the house itself understood the gravity of the situation.

Sophie, still worried about her brother, turned to Mousse and asked if he planned to go home. Mousse, who had just settled comfortably on the sofa, took a deep breath before answering her:

— No, I’m staying here tonight, Sophie. Rather, make me a cup of tea. I don’t want to leave you alone with Jacob, especially after everything that’s happened.

Sophie sat across from him, on the edge of the armchair, her gaze locking with Mousse’s. She couldn’t help but make a remark:

— Are you sure about that? I wouldn’t want you to get into trouble with your fiancée because of us. You know how jealous Cécilia is, and don’t forget she doesn’t like me at all. She thinks there’s something between you and me, and that’s the last thing we need tonight.

Mousse gave a soft but firm smile before replying:

— Sophia, you forget we’re talking about my family. I can’t abandon my family just to please a woman. You and Jacob are my only family. You know well we lost our parents young, and that’s why I can’t let you down. I don’t even know why I should bother with a woman I’m not even sure I’ll spend my life with, given all the things I suspect lately. So please, get up and go make me that tea.

Sophia shrugged, but a thought was still troubling her. She moved closer to Mousse, staring at him intently before asking him a question:

— There’s something I don’t understand, Mousse.

— What now, Sophie? he replied with a mix of curiosity and weariness.

— What do you mean by "a woman you don’t know if you’ll spend your life with"? We’re talking about the same Cécilia who would kill another woman to keep you, right? The one who’s madly in love, or rather obsessed with you? Do you really think you’ll find someone else who will love you like that?

Mousse let out a slight sigh, his eyes narrowing slightly as he thought about the situation. He wasn’t sure he wanted to have this discussion, but he knew Sophia wouldn’t drop it.

— Sophia, do you really want to have this conversation now? he asked, more to buy time than out of a genuine desire to avoid the subject.

— Yes, Mousse. Because I don’t understand you anymore. Are you really going to break the heart of a woman who’s madly in love with you?

Mousse looked at her for a long moment before conceding with a slight smile:

— Go get my cup of tea first, then we’ll talk.

Nicole nodded and got up without another word. She headed to the kitchen, her mind filled with unanswered questions. Meanwhile, Mousse took advantage of the calm to grab his phone and call Cécilia, his fiancée, to make sure she was okay, especially since he had already informed her that he would be spending the night at Jacob’s.

He waited, the tones ringing in the silence of the living room. But Cécilia didn’t pick up. Mousse frowned, thoughtful. Maybe she had already gone to bed, or maybe she wasn’t near her phone. He decided not to insist and put the phone down on the table after leaving her a message to wish her good night, waiting for Nicole to return with the tea.

Meanwhile, at Mousse’s residence, Cécilia, his fiancée, simply couldn’t answer the call because her phone was on silent mode. But the real reason was that she was busy with something else, giving in to the kisses and caresses of her other lover, Cédric. She had spoken earlier with Mousse, who told her he wouldn’t be coming home that night. Taking advantage of the opportunity, she had invited her ex-boyfriend, Cédric, to spend the night with her. This wasn’t the first time she had acted like this, especially when Mousse was away on business. Lost in this forbidden pleasure, Cécilia was wrapped in Cédric’s arms, savoring every moment. "Oh yes, suck my breasts well, yes make me wet my pussy..."

At the same time, at Jacob’s residence...

Sophia arrived with the cup of tea for Mousse. She had also made herself a cup. After settling comfortably, she asked Mousse to explain what was going on between him and Cécilia. She was troubled by the words he had spoken earlier, expressing doubts about their relationship.

After taking a sip of tea, Mousse replied:

— Sophia, just because someone is jealous and doesn’t want others getting close to you doesn’t mean they’re sincere or that they really love you.

— Really? Sophie was surprised.

— You base it on Cécilia’s behavior, but you need to understand that all of that doesn’t mean anything to me. They say jealousy is proof of love, but for some people, it’s something else. A person who doesn’t truly love you or doesn’t respect your feelings can impose themselves in your life, showing that they care by displaying apparent jealousy. But sometimes, it’s just because they think you might do what they do secretly, cheating on you with others.

Sophia, shocked, asked:

— You mean Cécilia doesn’t love you and does all this just to stop you from doing what she’s doing secretly?

— For now, I don’t have proof, but I don’t really believe in this illusory love anymore. Just because the person you’re with shows jealousy or doesn’t like seeing you with others doesn’t mean they’re serious about you. Now, if you don’t mind, let’s put this discussion on hold.

— Alright, Sophia nodded, still thoughtful.