Novels by Gifted pen

Jasmine’s POVThe unexpected sound made everyone freeze."Who the hell is that?" Caleb barked, turning his fury toward the hallway."I will get it," I muttered, using the distraction to take a breath as my heart was pounding in my chest. With a shaky sigh, I walked to the foyer and pulled the door open, but immediately stopped dead in my tracks.Standing on the porch and looking even more imposing in the morning light was the man from the club. He wore a flawless, custom-tailored dark suit that made him look like royalty, and his sharp blue eyes fixed on mine with an intensity that made my knees weak."You left without saying goodbye, cupcake," he said in a deep tone as I stared at him, completely speechless."How... how did you find me?" I whispered."Who is at the door, Jasmine?" Caleb’s angry voice called out. Almost immediately, I heard his heavy footsteps approaching, followed by Emily.The stranger did not answer me directly as his eyes roamed over my face. Then, he reached into

Jasmine’s POVI woke up the next morning with a throbbing headache. I sat up in bed, clutching the duvet to my chest as I realized I wasn’t home.Memories of the night before came rushing back in painful flashes. The club, the tequila, the devastating breakdown, and the stranger I had tried to hire to help me make Caleb jealous.Panic seized my throat.I looked down and realized I was still fully clothed, with my dress wrinkled but intact. Beside the bed and sitting in an armchair was the stranger, who was fast asleep, with his long legs stretched out.Humiliation washed over me in waves as I remembered all that I had told him. I had broken down, sobbed like a child, and tried to pay a complete stranger to pretend to love me."What is wrong with me?" I whispered to myself.I scrambled off the bed, with my hands shaking uncontrollably. I grabbed my purse, pulled out the stack of cash I had brought with me, and set it on the bedside table, because I wanted to pay him for the room and hi

Jasmine’s POVI lay on the floor long after they disappeared upstairs as I cried my heart out until my tear glands ran dry.I thought the pain in my chest would eventually numb, but it only grew sharper with every sound that drifted down from the bedroom. The continuous thumping of the headboard and Emily’s high-pitched moans echoed through the hallways and haunted my very soul.I couldn’t believe the same Caleb who had starved me sexually for months was happily leading another woman to ecstasy.I covered my ears, but the sound seemed to vibrate through my very bones. Every laugh and every groan was a reminder that I was nothing more than a ghost in my own home. I was the boring placeholder and I was discarded after losing my purpose.Thinking back to all the things I let go because of Caleb, I felt like dying. What hurt most was the child I lost in order to keep him. I did everything he ever asked for like a puppet, but he threw me to the side like I meant nothing to him."I cannot s

Jasmine’s POVThe drive home was a blur of pain and tears that I wiped away with the back of my hand. I tried not to think of how Emily clung to Caleb all night long because even after everything he had said, a small, desperate part of me believed I could fix this. Maybe if I showed him I could still be the woman he once wanted, he would remember why he married me.But I never truly knew what he wanted because I had followed everything he told me, yet he was never satisfied. I stopped being ambitious and turned into the quiet housewife he demanded, but now he mocked me for it. I lost so many scholarships and business opportunities because he did not want me to explore. I remained by his side, but now he hated me for it.By the time I got to the estate, it was nearly twelve but I did not go to bed. Instead, I went straight to the kitchen. My body ached with exhaustion, but I forced myself to move. I began to prepare his favorite dish in hopes that he would finally smile at me when he

Jasmine’s POVMy fingers trembled so badly against my dress that I only made it more wrinkled.“Stop fidgeting.” I heard Caleb snap as I nervously smoothed out my dress. At his words, I tried to relax but he wasn’t done. "Even though we both know you don’t belong here, try to pretend.”He did not look at me as he adjusted his tie. His eyes were fixed on the mansion ahead, glowing with a hunger for the networking opportunities inside. "I have investors to impress. Don't embarrass me again like the last time.”‘Last time’The only thing I did last time was to stand up for myself when his mistress openly humiliated me."I am sorry, Caleb. I will do my best," I whispered. My heart hammered against my ribs in a familiar pattern of anxiety that had defined my last four years.As we stepped onto the red carpet of the gala, I nervously reached for Caleb’s arm for comfort, but he stepped away before my fingers could touch him. He did not want to be seen stuck with me. Just like I feared, the