CHAPTER 3

Jasmine hurried out of the hotel room before the sleeping man could wake up. She got home a few minutes later, only to be greeted with a sharp slap across her face.

Her head jerked to the side from the impact, and she clutched her throbbing cheek.

“You ungrateful brat!” Gloria’s sharp voice resounded. “How dare you play a fast one on us? Why didn’t you go to Samuel Wilson’s hotel room as planned?”

Jasmine’s eyes glistened with tears as she tried to explain. “M-mom, I t-thought—”

“Don’t call me mom!” Gloria spat. “I can’t be a mother to a cheap whore like you.”

Charlotte, who was lounging on the couch, rose up and approached her mother. “Don’t waste your breath on her, mom,” Charlotte placed a calming hand on Gloria’s shoulder and gave Jasmine a dirty glare.

“It’s not even been 24 hours since your engagement was called off, and you’re already sleeping around,” Charlotte smacked her teeth distastefully. “I’ve always known your good girl act was just a farce.”

“I wasn’t sleeping around,” Jasmine defended, her chest tightening as she stared at Gloria. “I went to room 98 like I was told. I-I didn’t know Samuel Wilson wouldn’t be—”

“Enough with the lies,” Gloria cut her off. “I told you room 86 and not 98! You did this on purpose, didn’t you? After taking care of you despite not being our blood, this is how you repay us?”

Jasmine’s brows furrowed in confusion. “B-but, the text said—”

“Oh keep quiet, and stop trying to defend your mistake!” Charlotte cut her off, her eyes sparkling with sly satisfaction.

She had intercepted her mother’s text to Jasmine, and sent her the wrong room number on purpose to get her in trouble.

“Mom, you should’ve thrown her out after finding out she wasn’t your daughter,” Charlotte said to Gloria, though her gaze remained on Jasmine.

“She’s just a freeloader who bites the finger that feeds her.”

“You’re right, my dear,” Gloria agreed, and her lips curled in disdain as she looked at Jasmine.

“Bringing you into this family was a big mistake. But on the bright side, Jacob has finally dumped you for Charlotte, and he’s even agreed to help us convince Samuel Wilson.”

“That means you’re now useless to us,” Charlotte added as she shoved Jasmine’s shoulder. “Nobody wants you. Your real family rejected you, your fiancé rejected you, and now we’re rejecting you. Just disappear already!”

Jasmine stumbled backwards, not from the effect of Charlotte’s shove, but her dagger-like words.

“What have I ever done to you, Charlotte?” Her voice cracked with despair. “Why do you hate me so much?”

“because you stole my life!” Charlotte spat with animosity. “Now, I’ve reclaimed it, but I won’t be satisfied until you leave our lives for good.”

“Fine, I’ll leave. But first,” she wiped her tears and turned to Gloria. “Please give me the information about my birth parents.”

Gloria scoffed. “Did you really think we were going to give you that information? We don’t even have it. For all we know, your birth parents could be dead.”

“W-what?” Jasmine's eyes widened in disbelief. “So you lied to me just to make me do your bidding?”

“Yes,” Gloria’s spat. “And you failed miserably, so we owe you nothing. Ensure you’re out of this house by the time we return from the Wayne family’s party. I don’t care where you go as long as I never have to see your face.”

“Good riddance, dear sister,” Charlotte waved tauntingly before she and Gloria left, cackling like the witches they were.

>>>>>>

Jasmine sighed as she packed the last of her belongings into her small suitcase. She couldn’t believe that the people she had known as family all her life now treated her like trash.

Clutching the jewelry box she planned to give Jacob’s grandmother, Ophelia Wayne as a birthday gift, she spared her room a final glance before leaving.

She planned to leave New York with the little money she had saved up, and start her life afresh. But first, she wanted to say a proper goodbye to Ophelia, who was the only person that had truly been nice to her in Jacob’s family.

She hailed a cab as soon as she stopped by the side of the road. “Please, take me to Hibiscus villas,” she informed the taxi driver as she got into the back seat.

The party at the Wayne mansion was already in full swing when Jasmine arrived. She nervously adjusted her baby blue sundress, her fingers subconsciously fiddling with the jewelry box as she entered the grand hall.

Charlotte spotted her as she walked in. “What’s that bitch doing here?” She muttered under her breath.

Jacob who was standing beside her, overheard her and turned to her. “Who are you talking—” he began, but trailed off as he followed her line of sight and saw Jasmine.

His jaw clenched as she approached, her eyes frantically darting around as though she was searching for someone.

His eyes trailed down the length of her sundress and he couldn’t help but admit that it complimented her petite figure. He shook the thoughts that had started to form in his head away, and drew Charlotte closer to him.

She was better than Jasmine in every way, and he needed to focus on being with her.

“Bold of you to show your face here. Aren’t you ashamed?” Charlotte mocked as Jasmine neared them.

Jasmine froze in her tracks at the sound of Charlotte’s voice, and she grimaced as she turned, finally noticing her and Jacob.

Her eyes zeroed in on the way Jacob’s hand possessively gripped Charlotte's waist, and the barely healed wound in her heart festered again.

“I just need to see Grandma Ophelia, and I’ll be out of here,” she said plainly, trying her best to hide her pain.

She moved to sidestep them, but Charlotte extended her hand, blocking her path. “And what could you possibly want to see my future grandmother-in-law for?”

Jasmine gripped the jewelry box tighter. “I don’t think it’s any of your business, Charlotte,” she replied in a voice that rivaled how she really felt inside.

“Oh really?” Charlotte’s drawled sarcastically as she raised her hands in mock surrender. “Fine, you can go then. Don’t let me stop you.”

Jasmine released a breath she didn’t know she was holding and began walking away, but she suddenly tripped on something, and landed on the floor with a thud.

“Oops,” Charlotte gasped in feigned pity as though she hadn’t tripped her on purpose. “ You should watch your steps, dear sister.”

Jasmine ignored Charlotte, her eyes darting around as she scrambled to retrieve the jewelry box that had fallen a few feet away. Just as she was about to reach for it, Charlotte stomped on her hand with her heel.

“Ahh,” Jasmine cried out as Charlotte's pointy heels dug painfully into her palm.

“And what might this be?” Charlotte mumbled curiously as she bent down to pick the box and inspected it.

“Charlotte, please stop. You’re hurting me,” Jasmine begged with gritted teeth as she tried to pull her hand free.

Charlotte turned to look down at Jasmine, and when she noticed Jaine of the guests watching, she quickly lifted her foot off her hand.

“Oh my gosh, I didn’t see your hand there,” she muttered in feigned remorse. Jasmine clenched her teeth as she clutched her throbbing hand in the other, and weakly rose to her feet.

Her eyes narrowed at her box in Charlotte’s grasp. “Give me that. It’s not yours,” she tried to snatch it, but Charlotte swatted her hand away.

“Why are you getting so aggressive? I just want to see what you got Grandma Ophelia,” she taunted.

She opened the box, and her eyes glistened with mischief as she saw a bracelet nestled inside. Bringing it out, she showed it to Jacob. “Jakey, look at what your ex got your grandmother. Isn’t it too tacky?”

Jacob took the bracelet from her, and eyed it with disgust. “Very tacky,” he agreed.

He then looked at Jasmine, his face contorted in disdain. “Is this the trash you planned to give my grandmother? This is why I rejected you. You’re too ordinary and cheap.”

Jasmine winced as her hand still throbbed, but she met Jacob’s gaze squarely. “You might think it’s trash, but I went through a lot to get it. Please, just give it back to me.”

“Go get it then,” Jacob sneered as he tossed the bracelet to the floor.

Jasmine tried to reach for it, but before she could, Charlotte stomped on it with her heel. Jasmine gasped as the sharp crack of the bracelet breaking resounded.

“Oh no,” Charlotte’s hand flew to her lips in feigned dismay. “Looks like your bracelet is broken. Now, you can’t give it to Grandma Ophelia.”

Jacob smirked as he wrapped an arm around Charlotte’s waist and tapped her nose lovingly. “Nice one, babe. You just saved my grandma from receiving the world’s most tackiest gift.”

Jasmine’s heart broke the more she stared at the broken bracelet. “W-why did you…” her voice trailed off as she stumbled backwards in disbelief.

She almost lost her footing in the process, but a strong hand gripped her waist, steadying her in time.

Jasmine froze as a familiar scent flooded her senses and she was instantly reminded of the man from last night.

She turned to get a look at him, and her eyes widened just as Jacob blurted. “Uncle?!”