Chapter 1: Not Anymore

JASMINE

The street is lonely as I walk along, my feet nearly unable to carrying me forward. My eyes are directed at the floor, yet my thoughts are in another place. Tears flow down my face, repeatedly I brush them away with the back of my hand. 

"How could you, Frederick?" I murmur softly, my voice shaking. "What made you treat me this way?" 

Reflecting on my first encounter with Frederick, I Remember the instant spark from his kind and gentle nature when i met him at the orphanage, where I had gone to volunteer on my 18th birthday. Reflecting on that day. To me, it was love on the go from when I set my eyes on him.  

My phone rings in my bag, the noise interrupting my thoughts. I wish it's Frederick, anticipating he'll clarify everything, but my spirits drop when I notice Prisca's name lighting up the screen. I'm not feeling like talking to anyone, particularly not Prisca. I ignore the call, but Prisca keeps calling back. I turn off my phone, not wanting Prisca to catch me in this state. 

A short while later, I reach my apartment complex. I reach into my bag to get my keys, and that’s when I noticed my other phone. I hadn't utilized it for some time, and Frederick may not have stored the number. Hope ignites within my heart. Maybe he'll answer this call.

My hands shake as I enter Frederick's number. The phone is ringing, and my heart raced more with every ticking second. Yet right when I am ready to lose all hope, Frederick's voice came on the line; however, instead of offering an apology or clarifying matters, he stated, "Do not call this line again, ever!" The call disconnected, and my reality shattered. I sense that I've lost all the air, making it difficult for me to breathe. 

Tears streamed uncontrollably down my face as I grasp the reality. Frederick doesn't care about me. The thought is too much to bear.

With a heavy heart and puffy red eyes, I take out my keys and open the door to my apartment. I step inside, expecting the silence of an empty apartment. But instead, I'm met with a surprise.

Seated on my couch, looking like she owns the place, is Prisca. Her eyes meet mine, filled with concern and curiosity. I almost asked her how she got into my apartment, but then I face-palmed myself, remembering that Prisca is like a sister to me, and we have keys to each other's places.

Prisca rushed to me, embracing me in a tight hug. I softened at her touch, sobbing even harder. She comforted me, "I learnt about it this afternoon, which is why i came over."

"He's just so cruel." I said sobbing harder, But my words shocked her, and she disengaged from the hug, her face fuming with anger.

"What did that bastard do to you?" she demanded, her hands folded across her chest.

I widened my eyes, realizing that I had opened my mouth to talk about Frederick in front of Prisca. She had always warned me about him, and the two of them never got along all these years. Not wanting to disclose much, I tried to switch topics, talking about school instead.

But Prisca was having none of it. "Don't change the topic, Jasmine," she said, her voice firm. "Give me answers. I thought you were crying over our final exams, and how you won't be writing them if you don't pay up the fees you owe. Your name didn't appear on the list for those going to the north for their final practical, which means you're owing."

Prisca had already given herself up for the truth, so I decided to spill the beans. Either way, Prisca would find out, even if I didn't tell her.

I took a deep breath before diving into the details. "I saw the post made by the school admin officer, and I decided to go to Frederick's house to ask him for some money to pay up for my fees since we used it to start up his business, and his business is doing well now, so I thought he could help me out."

Prisca's eyes narrowed, her face set in a determined expression. "Go on," she urged.

I held back tears while I carried on with my story. "When I arrived at his house, the security refused me entry. I considered that they might simply be overreacting, but then the security guard contacted Frederick, he instructed them to deny me entry."

Prisca's expression turned grim, her eyes sparkling with rage. "What did you do?" she inquired, her tone soft yet lethal. 

I inhaled deeply once more before proceeding. "I thought maybe I misheard, so I dragged the phone from the security guard. But Frederick repeated the same words, telling them not to let me in. And then...and then I saw him."

Prisca's eyes locked onto mine, her face set in a fierce expression. "Saw him doing what?" she demanded.

I broke down, sobbing uncontrollably. "He was kissing Isabella," I managed to choke out between sobs. "I saw them upstairs, and...and..."

Prisca's complexion became pale with anger, her eyes burning with wrath. "That bastard, I thought Isabella was just a colleague" she hissed, her tone filled with bitterness. "I'll ensure he pays in blood for what he did to you." 

Prisca approached me calmly, her face a mask of mixed emotions. I know for sure that a part of her wanted to scream at me for not believing her when she warned me about Frederick's true nature. However, another evident aspect of her experienced pity for me, lamenting that my heart had been manipulated just as she had predicted it would occur. 

She embraced me, drawing me into a close hug. "I mentioned it to you, Jasmine," she murmured, her tone filled with both frustration and sorrow. "I mentioned that he was merely exploiting you." "You ignored my advice, and now see the outcome." 

Remembering the day Prisca had warned me about Frederick. I had dismissed her, saying that I wouldn’t allow my heart to be shattered. But at this moment, I found myself, my heart broken into countless fragments. 

Prisca's remarks stung, yet I understood she was merely attempting to assist. She echoed what she had mentioned before, "do you recall how I said I wouldn’t provide you a handkerchief to cry into when Frederick disappoints you? "I have the urge to punish myself at this moment," she shouted, her voice escalating with exasperation. "I provided you with a shoulder to lean on, a shoulder that holds more value than a handkerchief."

Her words really hit me hard, and I remembered the day Prisca had warned me about Frederick. I had been so confident, so sure that I could handle him. But now, I realized that I had been blind, blind to his true nature. 

Something within me shifted. I sensed a flicker of resolve light up inside me. I got up, clearing my tears. Prisca gazed at me in astonishment, uncertain about how to interpret my abrupt change in behavior. 

I gave her a grin that was both intense and resolute. "I won't allow my heart to break," I said, my tone resolute. "Not anymore." 

Prisca's gaze tightened, uncertain about my intentions. "What will you do, Jasmine?" she inquired, her tone careful. 

I did not respond to her. Instead, I grabbed a special bag from my bag rack, a bag that contained a secret that only myself and Prisca knows about. I headed for the door, strongly determined. Prisca called out after me, "Jasmine, wait!" But I had already left, the door crashing closed behind me. As I emerged into the night, I decided there was no going back.