Friends Forever Or Not

Chapter4

Jewel Russo is thirty years old and is the number one news anchor at KCTI television station. When she was growing up, that’s all she dreamed of being. Jewel’s father, Xander's company, transferred him to Washington D.C. He’s a software engineer for Techinica Group. Jewel didn’t want to leave in the middle of the school year. Aubrey, her mother, asked Hayley and Alycia if Jewel could stay there for the rest of this school term. Alycia and Hayley were skeptical because they didn't know Jewel. Even though they lived within ten miles of one another, they weren't close. Xander and Alycia are half-siblings. There has always been conflict with them because Xander is the product of their father's infidelity. Hayley finally talked his wife into agreeing for Jewel to stay until the end of May.

Jewel had never been close to Kaleigh, Falynn, and Aashma, and they had never had anything in common. She knew the only reason Kaleigh wasn't thrilled about her hanging out with her, Americus, and Tanesha. On her first day there, Kaleigh introduced her to her friends. Tanesha folded her arms, and turned her nose up, looking at her up and down with a narrowed eye. Americus looked into Jewel's eyes and said, it's something about you that I don't trust. The only reason I'll hang out with you is that Kaleigh asked me. Why do I have a feeling you'll betray us? After Americus said that, she smiled and said, I'll be watching you."

When May came, her parents had an excuse for Jewel not to move to Washington D.C. Jewel was happy about that because she didn't want to go and leave the luxurious life that she was living. If she moved with her parents, she wouldn't have a maid or a butler. She doesn't want to lose that. Jewel knew her three cousins were upset that she hadn't left, but they never told or showed her.

Jewel met Ferris the first day she arrived at college. She thought he was the most handsome and intelligent person she knew. Ferris is 5’11, has black eyes, a medium dark complexion, and hair is cut low. He’s also an only child like Jewel. Ferris came from a family of educators, and he’s an economist, mathematician, and best-selling author. Grazier, his mother, classicist and political scientist. His father, Svante is a historian and law professor.

Ferris asked Jewel to the bonfire and party that welcomes new studies. Jewel accepted the invite before Ferris finished asking. After that, the two were inseparable. Two months later Jewel took him home to meet her uncle and aunt. She thought Kaleigh would be at home that weekend. Jewel wasn't ready for her new boyfriend to meet her cousin or friends. When she arrived, Kaleigh, Tanesha, and Americus were on their way to the beach. The three women spoke and introduced themselves to Ferris before they left. Jewel pretended she was hurt because they didn't stay longer. Ferris saw right through that, but it boosted his ego that she was jealous of him.

Eight months later Ferris took Jewel to the place where the bonfire was because it was their first date. He popped the question. Jewel accepts the proposal. The next day, she calls her aunt Alycia with her good news. Alycia congratulated her and told her how happy she was. When the call ended, Jewel was upset because her aunt didn't offer to pay for the wedding. Which she never asked her aunt to do. She called her parents, and they were also happy. Her mother told her when she came home they'd discuss the wedding. Jewel knew the wedding wouldn't be as luxurious as Kaleigh, Americus, Tanesha, Falynn, and Aashma's weddings. That didn't sit well with her. Ferris's parents paid for half of the wedding and gave her a big luxurious wedding. But Jewel still wasn't happy because it wasn't as big as the others.

Three years into the marriage, Jewel's mother starts pressing her to have a baby. Ferris and Jewel never planned to have children. They decided on that topic a few times and each time it was the same thing. Neither one wanted children and their parents were disappointed to learn they'd never have any grandchildren. Grazia even tried to bribe Jewel to have a child. When Ferris learns of this, he tells his mother to stay out of their marriage. His mother didn't speak to him for three and a half months because of the tone he used with her. The couple were career-driven, and they didn't allow anyone to stand in their way.

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On December 22, 2023, Ferris was on a book signer tour and came home to surprise Jewel, but he was the surprised one. Ferris caught her in a compromised position with Elia Horton, one of her colleagues at the television station. Jewel told him that she and Elia drank too much and that was the first time it had happened. Ferris tried for several months to work on their marriage. That is until he caught her head between Elia's legs in the parking lot of the television station. Ferris didn't argue with her he went home packed Jewel's things and put them on the front porch. The first thing he did the following morning was to contact his attorney and file for a divorce. He stated it were irreconcilable differences. Ferris didn't want anyone to know his wife had cheated on him with a woman.

Jewel didn't have anywhere to go. Later that night, she was ringing Kaleigh and Dexter's door. Kaleigh told her she could stay that night, but she'd have to find a place first thing in the morning. Dexter didn't want Jewel staying that night or any other night. Kaleigh told him one night and she'd be out tomorrow. Dexter repeated one. Kaleigh nodded and went to comfort Jewel, thinking that Ferris had cheated on her while he was on a book signing tour. Jewel doesn't say anything to correct it.

The following morning, Jewel went to work and noticed how her colleagues were pointing and staring at her. She goes to her office wondering what their problem is. She received a call from Aretha, the general manager, and told her to come to her office. When she enters Aretha's office, Elias is also there and crying. A video of the two women was sent to the television station. They were being intimate in the bathroom at the television station. She called Ferris to accuse him of recording the video and threatened to take him to court. He denied that he had anything to do with the video.

That evening, Ferris, Dexter, Cristiano, and Courtney are at a bar having a few beers before going home. They, like their wives, became best friends. At first, Ferris wasn't going to tell them Jewel cheated on him with a woman. But Jewel kept texting him with threats of suing him because she lost her job. When he told the guys what happened, Cristiano ordered a bottle of Cognac. He thought, after witnessing his wife performing oral s*x on another woman, that Ferris deserved to get drunk.

Courtney said he'd drop Ferris off at home, and ordered another bottle of Cognac while calling Tanesha.

Cristiano calls Americus to tell her he might be late. He and the guys are with Ferris. He asked her if they were with Jewel. She said no that Jewel said she didn't want to talk to anyone and had locked herself in the bedroom. She's still staying at Kaleigh and Dexter's house.

"Damn," Dexter mumbles as he calls Kaleigh, and it comes to him that Jewel is still at his and Kaleigh's house.