CHAPTER 5

Everyone in the room was left speechless as Asher’s declaration hung in the air. 

Jasmine herself was extremely confused as to why Asher would say such a thing, and she leaned in closer to his ear.

“What are you doing?” She whispered, her eyes flickering with disbelief.

She tried to retrieve her hand from Asher’s, but he held onto it more firmly, refusing to let go as he glanced at her. 

“Just trust me,” he assured curtly before returning his attention to everyone else.

Jacob managed to pick up his jaw that had dropped to the floor after a few stunned seconds.

 “Uncle, y-you can’t be serious,” he blurted incredulously. “Jasmine was my fiancé up until yesterday. How can you be in love with her already?”

“Surely this is some sort of prank right, uncle Asher?” Charlotte added, her voice tinged with barely restrained contempt towards Jasmine. “You can’t possibly want to marry a leftover like her.”

Asher’s lips twitched at their reactions, and he didn’t look bothered in the slightest bit.

 “I’ve made my decision, and I owe no one any explanations. And Jacob,” he turned to Jacob, his expression hardening.

 “Why do you care if I marry Jasmine or not? I mean you’ve clearly moved on with her sister, so it shouldn’t be your business anymore.”

Jacob’s fists tightened by his side as Asher’s words replayed in his head. Indeed, he wasn’t supposed to care about what Jasmine did since they were no longer together.

But why did the thought of her being with his uncle leave a bitter taste in his mouth?

Charlotte, seeing as the tables were starting to turn in Jasmine’s favour, turned on her.

 “Jasmine, you’re really a shameless whore, aren’t you? Seducing your ex-fiancé’s uncle into marrying you. That’s the lowest of lows,” she sucked her teeth. “You should be ashamed.”

Charlotte’s comment triggered the reactions of some of the guests and they began to point deriding fingers at Jasmine in support of her.

“Enough!” Asher’s sharp voice echoed throughout the hall, silencing the jeers and snide remarks. 

“I won’t tolerate any further insults towards Jasmine,” he spat, his voice tinged with irritation. 

“If her ex-fiancé could propose to her sister barely a day after their break up, then it shouldn’t be a crime for me to propose to her as well.”

Jacob’s eyes flashed with fury as his eyes zeroed in on Asher and Jasmine’s entwined hands. 

“It’s a crime because you’re out of line, uncle!” He protested. “This isn’t about Charlotte or me. It’s about you making a mockery of this family!”

“I agree,” Richard interjected, his voice tight with annoyance. “Asher, you're ruining our family’s reputation with your ridiculous declarations. I’m sure mother wouldn’t be too happy—”

“And why wouldn’t I be happy?” A feminine, gravelly voice suddenly echoed from the staircase. 

All eyes turned towards the stairs as none other than the celebrant herself, Ophelia Wayne, slowly but gracefully descended the stairs.

She had been watching the scene unfold from the CCTV monitor in her study like some spicy soap opera. 

But now she decided to step in and honor the party.

“Happy Birthday, Miss Wayne!” The guests echoed in unison as the Wayne family’s matriarch reached the foot of the stairs.

“Thank you all,” she waved in acknowledgment as she made her way towards her family members. 

As soon as she came to a stop where they were, her expression became stern as her gaze swept over each of them.

“Why are you all causing such a ruckus at my party?” she reprimanded.

Richard turned to her and chuckled nervously. “Mother, we—”

“Don’t bother, because I love it!” She exclaimed, her stern expression dissolving into amusement as she let out a hearty laughter. 

“I’ve not seen this much drama since the rerun of my favorite soap opera. This has to be the most entertaining birthday I’ve had in years.”

Everyone exchanged bewildered glances at the sudden change in Ophelia’s demeanor.

“Mother, are you seriously not upset that Asher was—”Richard began, but Ophelia dismissively brushed him off as she walked over to Asher with outstretched arms.

“Oh, my darling Asher!” She gushed as she pulled him into a tight hug. “It’s been so long since I saw you.”

Her voice took on a sad tone as she pulled back to look at him. “Why did you leave without telling me? You had me worried sick all these years.”

Richard’s jaw tightened at how Ophelia had blatantly ignored him, and a spark of jealousy flickered within him at the sight of her being so affectionate towards Asher.

She never failed to remind him that he was only an  illegitimate son, despite everything he had done to gain her affection. 

Asher gave his mother a tight lipped smile as he stared into her eyes. “I had to leave without anyone knowing, mother. New York was getting too…” his eyes flickered to Richard before returning to her, “dangerous for me.”

Ophelia’s brows furrowed at the hidden message behind his words. But she couldn’t dwell on it because the feeling of guilt gnawed at her and she blamed herself.

 If only she had paid more attention and hadn’t neglected Asher while mourning his father’s death, then maybe he wouldn’t have had to leave.

She shook off her regret, refusing to let it sour the mood as she replaced it with a warm smile. 

“What matters is that you’ve come back. This is the best birthday gift I could have asked for.”

Her gaze then flickered to Jasmine and her expression softened even more. 

“Jasmine, my dear, I’m glad you came, even after what happened with Jacob. It shows how mature and reasonable you are. It’s a good thing you’re no longer together with that boy. He was never good enough for  you.”

Jacob’s jaw slackened in disbelief. “Grandma, how can you—”

“Oh keep quiet,” Ophelia snapped as she turned to his direction. 

“You had your chance and you blew it, just to hook up with her sister?” she shook her head as her gaze flickered to Richard and Laura, who avoided eye contact. “The apple truly doesn’t fall far from the tree.”

“All these years,” she continued. “I’ve been wishing for my Asher to return and see what a wonderful lady Jasmine is, so he could snatch her away from you. And now, my prayers have been answered.”

Jasmine's lips parted in shock as she was unsure of how to respond to Ophelia’s confession.

Was this why she had been nice to her despite the family members’ hostility?

Her heart warmed at the thought. And now more than ever she felt incredibly bad that the bracelet she had made for her had been destroyed by Jacob and Charlotte.

Ophelia turned back to Asher and Jasmine. “I totally approve of your relationship,” she announced as she took their hands and intertwined them. “You both make an amazing couple.”

Jasmine’s heart pounded furiously in her chest and she hoped Asher couldn’t hear it or feel the tremors in her hand as he held onto it.

Jacob, however, was practically vibrating as his anger and frustration reached a boiling point. 

He couldn’t control his next actions as he grabbed a glass of champagne from a passing waiter and smashed it on the floor, drawing shocked gasps from the guests.

“Jasmine cannot be with uncle Asher,” he thundered. “I refuse it!”