3.

Jasmine

“Mirror, mirror on the world, who’s the prettiest of them all?” 

“Me… Dad, me,” Blair’s voice echoed through the house as she screamed and ran around the kitchen. 

I had been standing in front of the freezer staring at the can of corn, not knowing why I was here in the first place. 

Glavin, my husband… Cashmere’s words kept echoing in my head, and all the surrounding noise faded. I had a million questions, but the one that made my chest tighten the most was why?

Why the hell is this happening to me? I don’t understand… was it a coincidence or are they messing with me? 

A cold rushed through me as someone’s palm wrapped around my wrist, pulling me back to reality. 

“Are you okay? You suddenly look pale, and you’re sweating. Jas, the AC is on, isn’t it?” Cashmere asked, her brows furrowed as she raised a hand to touch my temple, but I caught her wrist before she could. 

“You don’t seem happy to see me. Is this because I didn’t keep in touch when you gave me the go-ahead to live my life and be free of mom’s pressure?” she asked so casually that I felt insulted. 

“Cashmere, what the hell are you talking about?” 

“Oh, come on, Jas, don't tell me you forgot about that night. You gave me a thousand dollars and told me to live my life to the best of my ability. And I did,” she smirked, pulling her hand off mine and proudly stroking her baby bump. “You should be proud, I am Mrs Walton today because of you.”

“What?” I snapped at her. “I think we both know what happened that day and—”

“Jas, please…” She cut me off before I could even finish. “Let the past be in the past. As a matter of fact, I brought you the most special gift of all time. Come with me,” she said, grabbing my wrist and pulling me out of the kitchen. 

My heart stopped. Whatever she calls a gift has never been good for anyone but herself. Five years and she was still the same self-absorbed nonchalant girl. Except now, she was f*cking rich. 

I exhaled, trying to calm the rage that was rising inside me, and I followed behind her. 

“I’m sorry about your husband. Oh, I meant ex-husband,” she gloated, and then gave off a low, dark chuckle at her correction. 

My jaw tightened, and the urge to ask her about her divorce from Galvin clawed at my throat. But they kissed, and she’s obviously pregnant, four months at least. She still had her wedding ring, and that only meant they were still together. 

I kept silent, letting my younger sister do what my mother always did, because I knew my response would send her to the grave. 

“I always wondered what’s going on with you. You know you’re my favourite and, Audrey is just…” she paused like she wanted to rethink her words before she spoke again. “Audrey is just… Audrey. But you? You have the potential to marry a man like my Galvin. You just never had the chance to meet one or know how to keep one,” 

Marry a man like MY Galvin… God, that sentence made my skull rattle. I clenched my fist, whilst she still walked past the living room and headed for the ballroom. 

“Did you and Edwin want kids? You know time waits for no one, and soon you’ll be unable to have one.”

I felt a string snap in my head. 

“My God, Cash… what is wrong with you!” I yelled, pulling my hand away and halting. “Don’t talk to me that way.”

“What? We’re just having a conversation, I’m trying to catch up on what I’ve missed, she responded, acting confused. 

I opened my mouth, but I was short of words… God,  I wanted to call her out for being a bitch, but I felt stupid at the same time. 

The sound of the ballroom's large door opening drew attention, breaking the unspoken tension. The butlers must have opened the door when they heard our voice. 

The large room was now being actively decorated, and the scent of beast musk wafted on the wind, washing over me, and I unconsciously inhaled deeply.

My eyes darted toward the far end of the room, where I heard murmurings, and my heart dipped into my belly. There he was, giving orders to the waiters and pointing around the room like he was describing what goes where. Galvin. In his tailored black suit and black slicked hair. 

My knees instantly felt weak, and I felt my vision blur for a second. 

“That's what I was trying to tell you…” Cashmere spoke again, turning to face the ballroom and standing beside me. 

“What?” I mouthed, unable to take my eyes off Galvin as he spoke. 

“Your gift, silly, can’t you see him?”

My vision blurred again as though I was dissociating, but I blinked really hard and forced a dry swallow, while my heart thumped heavily in my chest.

“What do you mean?” I asked stupidly because I didn’t want to believe it was Galvin. 

“Adrian… The man standing next to Galvin. That's his elder brother, and trust me when I say, he’s just as wealthy as Galvin,” she smirked. 

My shoulders dropped in disappointment. I hated that it wasn’t him, and I despised myself more because I knew it was wrong for me to think that way, but it didn’t change how I felt.  

And when I took a second look, my body froze. 

I previously hadn’t noticed anyone besides Galvin, but I knew those broad shoulders even in my dreams… Edwin f*ucking Monroe, my ex–husband. He was dressed in a classic charcoal black suit, the very one I had gotten for him on his birthday in June. He swirled the wine glass in his hand and took a sip when our gaze met. 

My breath caught in my throat. 

Someone else stood next to them. He was dressed in a dark red suit that draped over him like a sculpture. His hair was metallic white-blonde, cut so impeccably tight it emphasised the cold, chiselled perfection of his jawline.

That must be Adrian. 

“I can’t hear your thank you, Jas,” Cashmere said, clearly ignoring the fact that Edwin was standing next to them, and almost immediately, Galvin turned to face us both. 

I almost dropped to my knees. 

I couldn’t breathe. I just stood there, eyes wide open, trying to process what the hell was going on. Then a deep voice called, and Adrian gestured with his hand. “Ladies, why don’t you come join us?”