Hii guys! How are you all? With December in its ending phase, I hope everything is good in your lives. I'm waiting for 2025 restlessly. How about you? Any new year's resolution? Don't forget to comment and vote on the chapters too:)
23Jasmine's eyes flickered open to the intense light shining down on her. She kept her eyelids close for a while until she could adjust with the light. When she opened them again, her heart thudded anguishly.She curled her fingers and tried not to freak out. That's because she was back in that same old room she didn't think she would go back to— Vince and her bedroom in their marital house.The dark green color on the walls seemed like the deep and harrowing waters in an ocean. She felt like she was drowning.Correction— she didn't really feel like she was drowning, but actually as if she was being pushed into the water to drown by none other than her husband Vince.Jasmine immediately threw the blanket away and decided to get off the bed. The moment she pushed her lower body out of the bed, she collapsed as pain shot up her wait. She was hoping to run out of the house before Vince saw her. But the numbness in her legs made her cry out loud. She blinked her eyes to focus better and
24 Jasmine stared at the shameless man standing arrogantly before her with his stepmom in his arms. 'Lucy? So she's 'just' Lucy to him. Great!' She scorned to herself before she turned around to try to crawl out. She hadn't moved an inch away when she felt Vince's fingers in her hair. He pulled her back and shoved her towards Lucy where she was standing... Right at her feet. "Apologize to her now!" He ground the words out as he pushed her head against Lucy's feet until her nose was touching the fur slippers. Pain tore through Jasmine's chest. She saw her tears dampen the fur as they fell one after another from her chin. "I said apologize, Jazz!" Disgust filled Jasmine's being. After doing all this, he still had the audacity to call her by her nickname. Jasmine couldn't move. The anguish of being treated like trash by her own husband sliced through her heart like a sharp sword. She reflected back on the time she doted on him as an obedient wife. All the years she cared for him
25Jasmine's POVI opened my eyes with a heavy feeling on my belly. I sat up straight, startled, as it reminded me of my miscarriage.I was sensitive. Although I got the time and space to mourn the death of my dear baby when I was at Birdie's, I was still not used to touching my belly as freely as before. Not without feeling my heart pounding in my chest.When I looked down at my stomach, my blood ran with vengeance in my veins. My eyes shot up as I saw red.The weight was from Vince's hand and he was sleeping beside me. It was dark in the room and there was no light outside the open windows, meaning the night had crept in. My muscles jumped under my skin in enrage as I tossed his hand away from my belly.My teeth chattered as my veins pumped with the urge to strangle him in his sleep. I wasn't so lucky to have my urge fulfilled because the light filled the room and Vince sat up rubbing his eyes. "What the hell is wrong with you? I had just fallen asleep, Jazz." He complained and I wa
26Jasmine's POV My heart pounded violently in my chest and the trembling shot up in my arms and face.Vince appeared tired as if he wasn't very happy to reveal the truth. But when he started, my hatred for him grew intense."My relationship with Lucy is stronger and older than ours. I met her five years ago at a party. It was love at first sight for me. She also seemed interested in me when I made the first move. However, when I tried to touch her intimately, she'd jumped away." He paused to look up at me.I gave him a nod, showing that I wasn't affected by how the story started. But deep down, my muscles tangled as I suppressed my rage. I swallowed down the burn of acid in my throat as I tried to ignore the fact that my meeting with Vince, those days of our secret meetings after office hours I considered as dream come true, the proposal I thought was too filmy to be real, and the years I cherished as Mrs Vince has been nothing but a lie. A BIG FAT LIE. "She was wary that I might l
27Jasmine's POV "I had no other choice. But it wasn't as terrifying as it sounds after we've found a way out." His lips curled into a dark smirk that made shivers erupt in my body. "My father can't go to bed without drinking. So Lucy makes sure he's utterly drunk before they get into bed." "Then a maid that we've hired to replace Lucy jumps into the bed with my father. She leaves only in the morning and then Lucy pretends that it's been her with him. This way she avoids my father from trying to touch her.""But those kisses in public? The way he gropes her ass in the parties, doesn't that infuriate you?" "Not as much as the thought of Lucy going back to GoldenRidge to her oppressor's brother." He shrugged coolly. "I can handle my father touching my woman more than other rascals. Not that my father's done anything more than that. He thinks he has Lucy at his mercy, but you know the truth." It makes sense. It's better to have a single bite of a tasty cake than to never have it. Vinc
28Kyle's POVThe last few days have been pretty rough for me. I barely ate food or met my friends or anyone else given I was locked up in my cabin taking back to back conferences or online meetings with overseas clients. Being the CEO of the rapidly rising business group is not easy, but I have to do it anyhow. This was my dream, after all. To be so successful that I wouldn't have a single second to think back about my past. I wanted this life and I have it. In the past few years I worked on climbing every ladder I could to make my name. I left no stone unturned, and in fact, there were no more rungs left after all these years of working so hard. I've climbed all the ladders that were there and now I'm aiming for whatever is there beyond the zenith of success I've achieved. But I wish my mother was alive. I wish I could show her what her departure did to me. What her decision of divorcing my father led me to become. I'm a heartless mercenary today. A man so focused on doubling and
29 Kyle's POV When I woke up, the sky was bright and the warm rays of the sun shone off the ceramic vase holding big blue flowers near the window of my room. I looked at the clock on the wall and my jaw dropped. Fifteen past one! Damn, I was supposed to be at my father's house for breakfast. I got out of the bed hurriedly and dashed inside the shower for a quick bath. Lila was going to accompany me to breakfast. I wonder why she's not here already. Lila. My lips curved into a grin as I massaged shampoo into my hair, thinking about her. It's not like I need her to go with me to breakfast. But she still wants to go because she feels overprotective of me as if I'm her sister, not the other way around. The thing is, she doesn't like Tania and her behaviour around me. She hates it when Tania throws herself on me and acts all lovey dovey as if we could be an item if she tried harder to pursue me. Nothing will ever happen between her and me. Tania is the daughter of the woman who destroy
30Kyle's POV Raw shock whipped into her face as she pushed herself away from me. She pretended to be nauseated by my question and turned around to act like she was throwing out as she also made those noises. "Like you? Keep dreaming, Panther! Who would like a playboy like you? You are a good friend... But boyfriend? Eww. I don't want to end up with aids. No, thank you." She said with an attitude and though I should feel humiliated, I was relieved to hear that. I pinched her chin to look at me and again she gave me that flustered look. But I wasn't fazed because I now knew her feelings towards me. "I'm glad that you don't see me that way, Lila. It's a favour you're doing on me." I smiled at her. "What if I really liked you hmm?" She asked teasingly and I left her alone. With a scoff I turned back to dry my hair, "As I said, you're doing a favour on me by not having such feelings for me. But if you did," I looked at her through the mirror, my eyes glowing darkly, honestly. "I woul
45This woman here, nevertheless, was a battered and diminished version of that woman. Kyle sighed as he ambled to the washroom to find something to fetch water. He was looking inside when Mari knocked on the door and came in. He peeked out of the door over his shoulder and raised his eyebrows at her in question as if asking what it is! "Doctor George said that it's common to develop fever after such wounds. This is the body's natural way to fight any virus, fungi or other infection causing germs to keep the wound safe, and it results in rising temperatures." Mari said, word-to-word as the doctor told her. Kyle was relieved, but another issue was at hand— what to do now? Mari had an answer to that as well. She smiled as she read through her boss' expression and informed, "Doctor George said that we should put a cold water cloth on her forehead and wipe her body to bring the temperature down." She averted her eyes to her pocket from which she presented a piece of paper, "... And h
44Jasmine felt an unbearable burning pain inside her. It felt like she was thrown into a brazen bull. She felt trapped, suffering, and burning with a heartbreak which couldn't be reversed. Her body was heating up, her back drenching in sweat, and her organs squeezing under the weight of the discovery she just made.Her heart pounded in rage and pain from Vince's deceit."It's not even worth ten dollars? And here I thought I was really lucky to have it! I flaunted this ring so many times and it's not even real." She laughed as anger at Vince's conspiracy burned with vengeance in her chest."How many more times am I going to find out you lied and trapped me in a fake marriage? What other lies are still hiding in the shadows?"She was talking to herself. Kyle felt his heart thud at the look of extreme hurt on her face. She looked like a woman who loved her husband deeply. A wife who worshipped her husband without wanting anything in return.Seeing her features grow pale and her eyes dr
43Jasmine's lungs ached as all the oxygen was punched out of them by the doctor's words.'Don't give a reaction. Don't give a reaction. He won't know.' She kept telling herself that but she forgot that she was alone in a room with a doctor.His fingers moved with ease and gently on her stomach. They were light weight as if the man had long years of knowledge with wounds. He applied some cool liquid and her pain lessened a little bit. The sting was there... But eventually with each wipe by his gentle fingers, it occurred to become even lesser."You know, I've encountered many girls like you before— anxious and scared. So it's not like I don't know when they're not pretending and when they are really unconscious. But if you want to make me believe that... I'll stay quiet." He spoke gently, his voice carrying the warmth of a knowing father who knew his daughter was hiding stuff from him to not anger him."Kyle is a nice boy. I have known him since he was teenager. He can get rough and i
43Jasmine's POV"What's wrong, sir?" The new man asked."She's trying to run away. Help me hold her down and ask someone to call George back." I felt two more arms on my shoulders and knees.They were holding me down on the bed."We must get her under control before she causes trouble." I screamed after hearing those words.It couldn't get any worse. I was being held down by two men! I wasn't even dressed appropriately and the fear of getting forced by them further assaulted me.I used all my strength to scream, causing my ribs to rattle. My abdomen burned from the impact of the scream, and the blur before my vision darkened until I could see nothing but blackness. I hadn't fainted though... Just momentarily blank.But I could hear their conversation."Di
42Jasmine's POVThis can't be true... This...My hands shook as I blinked my eyes frantically, hoping that whatever I was seeing was just a dream. I just woke up and found myself in a new room— a thousand times more lavish than Vince and my bedroom, more warm and splendid with decor that made my jaw drop.But that wasn't why I was shivering like a puppy. It was the man sleeping on the recliner in the corner of the room. It was him! That arrogant jerk who offered me money after causing my miscarriage. He was shirtless and judging by the looks of it, it seemed like I was in his bedroom. A fire to burn him in his sleep licked at my insides. I tried to sit up straight but the pain in my abdomen was so intense, I was forced to lay down and take deep breaths.Tears welled up in my eyes as I breathed heavily. What was happening with me? Why has my life turned into a haunted house where I was witnessing new shocking and horrifying events on every second step? My hands shook as the pain in
41I was forced to wonder about her condition and what probably transpired in her life after she escaped me. Did her husband catch her again? Was he imposingly oppressive? Did he starve her? A tornado of questions unfolded in my mind. I shook my head to shake it off and entered the room. My limbs ached and my body was surprisingly hot. It hadn't been a very good day. I hardly got to rest today and the need to take a super cold shower to ease my nerves throbbed within me. In an instant, I was standing naked under the shower. The water sliding down my body acted as a soothing balm. I raised my head, face up, to let the cool droplets fall on my face. I could feel heat leaving my body. Staying under the shower was enticing, but I needed more than that. Thus, I filled the bathtub with cold water and sat in it. As soon as I slumped against it and rested my head back, sleep overpowered my senses and I conked out. I woke up with a jolt as I felt like I was drowning. Looking around unsur
40Kyle's POVI was pacing outside my bedroom restlessly. The doctor was here and he was inside the room with the woman. My eyes stilled on the closed door as my movements came to a halt. It's hard to believe that I have finally found her. She's in my room. On my bed. Well, I don't mean it in that way when I talk about bed, but until a few days ago, I was almost convinced that it was a ghost.I was close to giving up on finding her but she's here in my life again, in my house. My mind drifted back to that day I insulted her. I was rude. I shouldn't have offered monetary compensation for the loss of her child.A loss of life can't be compensated with money. I knew that well but my arrogance has gotten the better of me. But life is giving me another chance to make my wrongs right by sending the very woman in my path again.I straightened my back as the door clicked open."Well..." I raised my brow at the doctor who just stepped out.I saw him rubbing some sanitizer on his hands. Closin
39"Am I dreaming? She can't be here. That's her, isn't that?" He was sitting in his black Bentley across from the hospital. Kyle had come here to discuss the possibility of adopting the hospital. It was in the heart of the city and vastly visited by the underprivileged community. However, its condition was dismal. The infrastructure was falling apart. It was staggering that the facility was still standing upright despite having weak and decaying walls. Kyle knew all that because he had taken a tour within. The dreadful condition of the wards and the fact that people still visited for treatment was why he decided to take this hospital under his wing. He was a mercenary at heart, but he still cared for the development of the society. After all, Kyle knew what it meant to have no money. He may be the heir to a billionaire father, he never really got to enjoy his wealth as a child. He had to work his way up to the top both as a child and an adult. He carved his own path, sweated blo
38Her chest rumbled when she felt something on her left leg. SHE FELT. Jasmine's heart banged in her chest because she ‘felt’. Her leg wasn't numb. It was very much healthy and responsive as before. "Aah! Use some spit, Vince! I'm sore from yesterday." It was Lucy's grip on Jasmine's ankle that tightened as she said those words. She was holding onto her leg while Jasmine's husband drilled into her. Although Jasmine's body fired up in indignation in realization that they were making out against the bed, she felt her heart swirl in gratitude and excitement. Her mobility was restored.It was probably because of the surgery she had. The doctor may have injected her with reversal agents after the surgery to weaken the hold of anesthesia so she could regain her mobility post surgery. And it also helped dissolve whatever was keeping her lower body from moving. It still felt unreal. Jasmine wanted to confirm it herself. Though she didn't open her eyes as that would have put her in risk si