Chapter Six

Standing there with a shattered heart, I observed the pair in front of me. My thoughts wandered, wondering why Henry would bring us to this place when he knew his lover would be here. Why did he even take the time to be with us when he knew he couldn't be fully present?

I tried to calm my racing heart and consider my options: should I go back inside to meet jasmine, or approach the two of them? After much contemplation, I decided to confront them. As I approached, it became clear that they were engaged in a heated argument. Henry's body was tense and alert, while the woman was the one doing all the talking.

"What's happening here?" I inquired, focusing my gaze on Henry and pretending not to see the lady next to him.

"Perfect! It's great that she's here, Henry. Why don't we fill her in on what's going on?" She sneered.

I turned to Henry, but he refused to even acknowledge my presence. "Henry, why are you here? Jasmine has been looking for you," I said, trying to brush off the woman's comments.

"Are you going to tell her, Henry?" The woman pressed.

Tell me what?

"Don't do this now, Emily. Go home and I'll meet you once I'm done here," Henry replied.

Emily snorted, shaking her head and crossing her arms over her chest. "I'm not leaving until you tell her the truth...after all, I'll be taking her place soon enough," she said, giving me a sinister smirk.

I tuned out after hearing her words. She couldn't have said what I think I heard, right?

"What is she talking about, Henry?" I asked my husband, but as usual, he chose to ignore me.

"Go home, Emily. I promise to come over later and we'll talk then," Henry insisted. It was clear that Emily wasn't satisfied with his reassurances. She wanted to say something, but Henry stopped her and dragged her away.

"We must inform her, Henry... Stop, what are you doing!" Her voice rose in panic as he forcefully grabbed her hand and took her out of the premises. Left alone, I watched them walk away and felt a pang in my chest.

What did Emily mean by that? Surely it couldn't be what I'm thinking, right? Because the only way for her to take my place is if Henry divorces... No, that can't happen. Henry and I have a daughter, a child whom we promised to give a good life. He wouldn't divorce me because of her.

Lost in thought, I didn't realize when Henry came up beside me.

"Why are you still here? Weren't you the one who said Jasmine wanted me?" He bellowed, snapping me out of my reverie.

I blinked and glared at him, feeling unjustified for his outburst. I wasn't the cause of his anger.

Before I could respond, he had already stormed off, not even bothering to wait for me.

I scowled at his retreating back as he entered the park, then followed after him. A rush of relief washed over me when I saw that Jasmine was still in the same spot where I left her, but upon closer inspection, I realized she wasn't alone. A handsome young man sat beside her, whispering something that I couldn't make out. Judging from Jasmine's excited expression and giggles, it was clear she was having a good time.

"At least she's not sad because of her father," I thought to myself.

We reached the spot, causing Jasmine's face to light up as she caught sight of me... and her father, of course.

"You're back!" She sprang up and headed towards me, but just as I thought she was going to hug me, she changed her course and ran to her father instead.

I shook my head at her playful behavior, but couldn't help the smile on my face.

Henry, who had been brooding and gloomy, made no effort to hide his displeasure. In fact, he didn't even acknowledge his daughter who was hugging onto his thigh.

"Let's go home," he commanded, without so much as a glance in our direction.

My brows furrowed in confusion.

"Why..." I trailed off, unable to voice my thoughts.

Without hesitation, Jasmine filled in the gap for me.

"Daddy, I don't want to go home," she stated firmly.

Henry finally glanced at our little girl, shaking his head in disapproval.

"We don't have to do this, Jas. Let's head home now!" His tone was harsh and I could see it affecting Jasmine.

The stranger finally made his presence known, stepping forward with a shy smile directed at me before turning to Jasmine.

"Hi, I'm Ryan. I saw this beautiful lady sitting all alone here," he said, causing Jasmine to giggle at her new title. It wasn’t everyday someone called her ‘pretty lady.’

A small smile tugged at my lips, "Nice to meet you, Mr. Ryan. Thank you for keeping my daughter company," I replied, politely.

"It was no trouble at all. She's clearly an angel, with her charming face," he cooed, earning another giggle from Jasmine.

"You're also quite handsome, Wryan," Jasmine couldn't help but return the compliment. I noted her slight mispronunciation.

"Thanks again, Mr. Ryan-" he interjected.

"Actually, just Ryan will do," he flashed a charming dimpled smile, causing me to blush.

Quickly averting my gaze, I cleared my throat. How embarrassing.

“Get a hold of yourself, Gwen!”

"Now that introductions are done, and apparently flirting too, can we please leave?" Henry's cold voice shattered the moment.

Damn him, why did he have to be such a grinch?

"But I told you, daddy. I don't want to go," Jasmine protested, her voice full of disappointment.

"We are leaving now, Jasmine," was all he said before walking away.

I stared at him in shock. Did he really just leave us here with a stranger?

"Um, okay. I think we should go now, baby," I said, taking her hand and trying to hide my own confusion. I didn’t understand why Henry was suddenly acting this way.

I looked at the kind stranger and forced a smile. "I'm sorry, we have to go now, Mr... Ryan."

He nodded, then glanced in the direction Henry had taken. "Are you sure you're okay?" he asked, and I knew exactly what he was referring to.

I nodded with a forced smile, one that I've perfected over the years. It was hard to discern its authenticity. Years of being with Henry have taught me numerous lessons.

"Yes, we are. I believe he's just in a grumpy mood," I reassured.

He hesitantly nodded, as if he didn't quite believe me. I mean, who would, after witnessing Henry's attitude firsthand?

"Okay," he acquiesced, squatting down to match Jasmine's height. "Alright, pretty lady, I suppose it's time for us to bid each other farewell. But I fear my heart won't easily accept this abrupt separation. Please, always remember me." He dramatically placed a hand over his heart as he spoke.

I looked at the stranger with a smile, his unique way of lifting someone's spirits certainly did the trick.

Jasmine returned his smile and planted a kiss on his cheek.

"Goodbye, Wryan!" she exclaimed, waving her hand.

"Goodbye, pretty lady," Wryan replied.

Jasmine pointed at her right cheek. I couldn't help but smile, knowing what Jasmine wanted.

Ryan slowly leaned in and placed a big kiss on her cheek, causing it to turn a shade of red. She quickly hid behind my legs, obviously shy from the kiss.

"That was a big kiss, wasn't it, Jas?" I teased my blushing daughter.

"Okay, goodbye, Ryan..." My phone started ringing, and I didn't need to check the caller ID to know who it was.

"Until we meet again," Ryan bid farewell to Jasmine, who was still hiding behind my legs.

Without wasting any time, I took Jasmine's hand and we left, the smile on my face fading as we walked away from Ryan. The realization hit me that Henry had been waiting for us.