Chapter 12

Celestia ended up not letting Ethan take her to the hospital. She had spent the night at the hospital with her father. Only after much convincing from him did she finally drag her exhausted self back home the next morning. But the moment she stepped into the Carrington estate, a mocking voice hit her straight in the face. "Look who finally decided to show up." Jareth was sprawled on the couch, arms crossed over his chest, legs casually crossed, his whole posture soaked in arrogance as he stared coldly at Celestia with a twisted smirk. "Come here." Celestia, drained from the night, really wanted to just ignore him. But knowing him, he'd make an even bigger scene, so she let out a quiet sigh and stepped over to him. "What now?" "Take a look at this!" Jareth snapped, then flung a pile of newspapers at her feet with a loud slap. Celestia looked at him-he'd already gotten up, face darker than a thundercloud. She followed his sharp, stormy gaze down to the headline in blaring red: [Socialite Caught Cozying Up With Ex - Sparks Still Flying?] And right under it, a photo of Ethan pulling her into a comforting hug while she cried yesterday afternoon. "You got anything to say for yourself?" Jareth's eyes were icy black, gleaming with a predator's anger. Compared to him, Celestia seemed calm, almost detached. She slowly lifted her head and met his furious gaze, lips pressing into a line. "If you're taking some tabloid trash seriously, then I've got nothing to say." Her face was unreadable as she turned to walk away. "I only believe what I see with my own eyes!" Jareth snarled as he yanked her wrist hard, veins twitching at his temple. "So tell me, where the hell were you all night? Spent it with him, didn't you?!" Celestia didn't even flinch at his rage. Instead, she smiled faintly, almost mockingly. "Didn't you say I'm not even worth a servant in this house? So why should I explain anything to you?" She threw his own words right back at him, cool as ever. Her indifference hit a nerve. "Celestia!" he roared like a wild animal, the living room echoing with the sound. But she didn't even blink. That smile still sitting on her lips. "What? Not true? If you really think I'm cheating, then just divorce me." She sounded almost casual now. Because deep down, Celestia already knew-Jareth would never let her go that easily. Sure enough, his face turned an ugly shade right after she said it. "Divorce? Not a chance in hell!" His gaze narrowed dangerously, the menace in his stare practically radiating. "You think I'll just let you walk away like that? Forget it. Get that idea out of your head right now." Then Jareth's cold expression shifted. He swept his eyes over her in a calculating way, a wicked grin slowly spreading across his face. "Wanna prove you didn't mess around behind my back? Easy. I'll check for myself." Before she could even process what he meant, Jareth tugged her hard into his arms, one hand gripping the back of her head while his lips descended with a twisted sort of amusement. Unlike last time when his kiss was gentle, this one from Jareth was all about dominance and punishment. "Mmph..." Celestia tried to push him away, but he only held on tighter. Her eyes widened with panic, but all Jareth showed was a dark amusement flickering in his gaze. Seeing that, something flipped in Celestia's eyes. She bit down hard on his lip without hesitation. She expected him to flinch or shove her off in pain-but he didn't. The amusement in his gaze faded, replaced by something cold and dangerous, and he kissed her even harder. The sharp, metallic taste of blood filled her mouth, making her gag. Her stomach churned violently, and before she could make it to the bathroom, she turned her head and vomited right there. Her body trembled from nausea, and because she hadn't eaten all day, all she could throw up was bitter stomach acid. Her face turned pale as she dry-heaved under Jareth's icy stare, tears welling in her eyes. What he saw is-how disgusted she was by his kiss. Humiliation cut through Jareth like a blade. His jaw clenched, and a storm of anger surged beneath his skin. His brow twitched, veins bulged at his temple-he was furious. Until now, no woman had ever dared treat him like this. His eyes narrowed, cold and dangerous. "I'm letting you go this time. But if I catch you tangled up with another guy again, don't expect me to play nice." He threw out the words and spun on his heel, storming out without another word. Celestia watched his back disappear down the hall, then collapsed to the floor with a thud, too weak to stand. After that night, she didn't see Jareth around again for days. The early signs of pregnancy were hitting full force now. Celestia had become hypersensitive-even the smell of grease made her nauseous. Daily vomiting left her drained, barely able to move, spending most of her time curled up in bed. She was already thin, but now she looked even frailer. One evening, Jareth walked into the room right as she was hunched over the toilet, throwing up. At the sound of his heavy, distinct footsteps, she quickly tried to gather herself, flushed the toilet, and started running water to cover the noise. Bang, bang, bang-he knocked hard on the door, his deep voice cutting through like a blade. "What are you doing in there?" Celestia leaned over the sink, frantically rinsing her mouth to get rid of the bitter taste. She took a few deep breaths to keep from gagging again before opening the door. "Need something?" Her voice was flat as she looked at him and stepped past, trying to keep her head low so he wouldn't pick up on anything strange. "What were you doing in there?" Jareth stared at her, like he was trying to read every line on her face. The housekeeper had already told him she'd been acting weird-barely eating, locking herself in the bathroom for long stretches. It was obvious she was hiding something. Celestia avoided his suspicious gaze, lowering her eyes and tossing back, "What else would I be doing?" Jareth opened his mouth like he wanted to argue, but ended up saying nothing. "If that's all, please leave. I need some rest," she said, lifting the blanket and easing onto the bed. After throwing up like that, her whole body felt drained-she just wanted to lie down and shut her eyes for a while.