Hidden Springs, 6:30 pm

Note: Due to a distraction error, I confused the name of Jasper’s wife Madeline, with that of his daughter Julie. The mistake has been corrected in previous posts and in the present entry the name already appears correctly. Just to be perfectly clear, Madeline is Jasper’s wife; Julie is their daughter. Thank you for your understanding. With that said, prepare now for a little drama. 😉

While Tyron stayed home with Brandi, Candice left for the Hidden Springs cemetery, as she had finally located the elusive Jasper, and they had arranged to meet there to talk.

Candice had to read for a while cause Jasper seemed to be running late. She began to doubt whether he would actually show up for the appointment or not, cause he sounded somewhat evasive on the phone.

Finally, near dusk, Jasper appeared. He didn’t look very cheerful. On the contrary, he looked worried, even sad; quite unusual for him.
Candice: Jasp?

Jasper: Candice, hi.
Candice: May I know what took you so long? Where have you been these days, and why weren’t you picking up your phone?
Jasper: Those are too many questions at once, you gotta give me a break.
Candice: A break? Any more than you’ve already taken, ghosting me, hiding yourself from me? You haven’t even shown up for work!

Jasper: Candice, calm down, okay? See, you’re not the only one with problems here. I had stuff to sort out too, that’s why I asked the Chief, your father-in-law, to give me some time off, cause I needed to think.
Candice: Think what? Did you chicken out and don’t want to ask Madeline for a divorce?
Jasper: What? Of course I won’t to ask her for a divorce.

Candice: Why, don’t you love me?
Jasper: Yes, I do, and I enjoy what we had, but I never said I would divorce my wife.
Candice: What we had? But Jasper, I thought…
Jasper: Whatever you thought, you better forget it. I can’t give you what you want, a home, a family, cause I already have one.

Jasper: I know you’re going through a rough patch with Tyron, but if you want my advice, seek reconciliation, try to make your marriage work, it’ll be best for you, for all of us.
Candice: Are you advising me to stay married to Tyron and see you on the sly; keep cheating on him and you on Madeline?
Jasper: No.

Jasper: What I meant is this whole thing has become too complicated. At first it was fun, relaxing, but now it’s become really stressing. Everyone in town knows about it, including the Chief; Madeline herself is suspicious, my job and my family’s stability is at risk! I may lose it all if we keep seeing each other.
Candice: (Tearfully) In a word, you’re asking me to break up.

Jasper: I don’t want to, but I can’t do this anymore. This is not what I was looking for when we started. I never planned to divorce my wife, and I didn’t think you’d want to leave Tyron either. Everything was fine just the way it was, but you took it to a level I just can’t deal with!

Candice: (Clearly disappointed) I should have known you’d come out with something like this…
Jasper: Come out with what? I care about you, Candice, I really do. but I never promised you anything, I think we were clear from the beginning, you just turned this into a…
Candice: Jasper, stop it, okay?

Candice: All you do is justify yourself. ‘My wife is suspicious, your father-in-law knows, my job is in danger’. That’s bullsh*t Jasper, the only fact here is you never loved me. Period.
Jasper: It’s so unfair of you to say that.
Candice: No, it isn’t. You’re right, I turned this into something else, because I thought it was. I really believed we had something special going on, but to you it was just a fling, nothing more.

Jasper: That is not true.
Candice: Yes, it is.
Jasper: Of course not, baby, please listen to me…
Candice: No, Jasp, let go of me, please.
Jasper: But I need you to understand.
Candice: I understand. You don’t want anything to do with me anymore, that’s all.
Jasper: Candy, please, listen to me…

Jasper: I do love you, and I wanted to be with you. But that just can’t be and I’m the first one to regret it, cause I really…
Candice: Jasp, I said stop. Please, say no more.
Jasper: I’m sorry, I know how all that must sound, and there’s no way you’ll believe me, but – I don’t want us to part like this, I want us to be good.
Candice: (In tears) There’s no way we’ll ever be good after this, Jasper.

Candice and Jasper are so engrossed in their drama, that they don’t realize that someone has just arrived at the cemetery and is watching them from the gate. That someone is none other than, Madeline, Jasper’s wife.
Candice: *Sobs*
Jasper: Candice, please don’t cry, babe.
Candice: If you don’t wanna see me cry then just leave me alone.

Also, with tears in her eyes, Madeline doesn’t think twice and enters the burial grounds.
Madeline: So it was true, Jasper and Candice Cho… I knew those double shifts at the station were not for nothing.

Candice and Jasper’s breakup is imminent, but for just a moment they both hesitate and look lovingly at each other, unaware that Madeline is rapidly walking towards them.
Madeline: Jasper Juniper Goth!
Jasper is startled, no one in the world calls him by his two names…

Except for Madeline, of course. He feels a burning flush of heat on his cheeks. Candice stands there stunned, as if she had been hit on the head with a hammer. Madeline steps forward before either of the two can say anything.
Madeline: (Struggling not to cry) Will you explain to me what you are doing here, in the shadows of the cemetery, cuddling with Tyron Cho’s wife?

Jasper: Maddie, calm down, okay? Candice and I were just talking work-related stuff.
Madeline: Work-related stuff? And for that you had to hug yourselves and look at each other the way you were looking?
Candice: Madeline, please, let me explain to you…

Madeline: Hush! I’m not talking to you. Don’t you dare even say a word, you skank!
Candice: …
Jasper: Madeline, you don’t need to talk to her like that. This is not what you think it is!
Madeline: No? Then what is she doing here, hiding in the dark with you?
Jasper: I can explain everything, if you chill out and listen to me.

Madeline: Of course you will explain it all to me, but not here. You and I are going home, now!
Jasper: Maddie, you’re overreacting, and we won’t be able to talk if you don’t calm yourself down.
Madeline: I find out you’re cheating on me with this… woman, and you just want me to calm down?
Jasper: What I want, is that we don’t make a fuss here. It’s a public place, there’s people visiting their deceased relatives, they deserve respect, don’t you think? Please, go home, we’ll talk when I get there.

Madeline: None of that. You’re coming with me, right now.
Jasper: Maddie, all this drama isn’t necessary, just go back home, I’ll catch up with you there, I promise.
Madeline: And leave you alone here, with her? Don’t even dream about it!
Candice: Neither of you have to go, I’m the one leaving.

Madeline: Good call, missy, go back home to your husband and daughter, that’s where you belong!
Jasper: Madeline, that’s enough!
Candice: It’s all right, Jasp. I have no business here anyway.

Humiliated, and with tears in her eyes, Candice ran away from the cemetery. She had clearly underestimated her rival, Madeline, who seemed to have Jasper completely under her thumb.

As soon as Candice is out of her sight, Madeline gives vent to her outrage.
Madeline: Ugh, Jasper, I can’t believe you did this to me! What were you thinking?

Candice asks herself exactly the same question as she walks through the gate.
Candice: How could you do this to me, Jasp? Now what am I going to do? My divorce is on, I’ll lose Ty forever, and sure I’ll lose Brandi too, all because of you.

After Candice leaves, Madeline wipes her tears and faces Jasper again.
Madeline: On second thought, I won’t wait until we get home, I want that explanation here and now.
Jasper: The explanation is simple. Candice and I got along great at work, we became best friends…

Jasper: One thing led to another and, well, you know.
Madeline: So you admit that you slept with her?
Jasper: Yes, I’m sorry.
Madeline: For how long?
Jasper: Maddie, please, why would you want to know that? There’s no point. Candy and I are over.
Madeline: ‘¿Candy?’ Boy, are you cynical!

Jasper: Why, that’s just her nickname. Everyone at the fire station calls her that. You wanted an explanation, or rather, a confession, well, here’s mine. Can we forget it now and just go home?
Madeline: So you think you’ll get out of this just like that?
Jasper: Please don’t tell me you want a divorce now.
Madeline: You’d like that, wouldn’t you? That I was the one to break it all off so as not to take the blame yourself. Well, I’m sorry, darling, but I won’t give you that pleasure.

Madeline: We’ll stay married, and if you want everything to go on well between us, you’ll never see that bimbo again.
Jasper: Wish granted. Anything else?
Madeline: Yes, you owe me an apology.
Jasper: Would that do any good?
Madeline: It would do good if you’d be humble for once and stop asking me loaded questions. You cheated on me, Jasper. You’re the one who failed, not me.

Jasper: Okay, I apologize. And I’ll never see Candice again in my life. Except for work, that is. Now, what do you say we go home together and make up properly?
Madeline: I-I don’t think so, Jasp. I appreciate the apology, but I think I’ll need some time to take this in.

Jasper: Maddie, please, let’s not make things bigger, do you forgive me or not?
Madeline: (Sighs) I forgive you, but don’t expect me to forget your deceit so soon.
Jasper: What does that even mean?
Madeline: It means what I just said, you’ll have to give me time.
Jasper: How long?

Madeline: As long as I consider necessary. You can come home if you want to, but don’t expect anything from me. Tonight, you’ll sleep downstairs, on the living room couch; or in the guest room if you prefer. It’s up to you.

That was it, Madeline left the cemetery knowing that Jasper would return home that evening, remorseful and ready to make amends; and that everything between them would work out eventually because, despite everything, she still loved him deeply, and he loved her, even if it didn’t seem that way at times.

Unsurprisingly, by the time Jasper got home, Madeline had already changed her mind. She didn’t need to think anything, she melted at the first kiss he gave her. And Jasper didn’t have to sleep on the couch downstairs; he and Madeline sorted things out where they usually did, in the bedroom.

That evening, Candice learned that Jasper and Madeline were meant for each other, and that it was her who had lost everything, not only Jasper, but also Tyron, her daughter, and probably her job as well, because, after the divorce it would be quite uncomfortable to continue under the orders of Tyron’s father.

When she returned home, everything there seemed business as usual, but not for her. Now she realized, she’d had it all, a good husband, a home…

And a lovely daughter. But she had thrown it all away for something that, now it was more than clear, wasn’t worth it. She’d have to live with that from now on, she just hoped Brandi would forgive her someday…

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