19Kyle stopped the car outside his father's manor in which he had many and very gruesome memories of his childhood before he had asked for himself to be rolled into a boarding school.It was a five story structure with a lot of windows and a stunning dome-like roof that rose high into the air. In the night sky it looked forebodingly beautiful. It was pearl white, although it glowed like dark silver in the night. Kyle unbuckled his seat belt but made no move that would suggest he wanted to step out. His eyes swam with emotions from the past. The dark flecks in his pupils grew onyx black as his jaw clenched. He was trying to hold himself together as he stared at the fountain before the gigantic house. It was of a woman hugging her arms, her head tilted to the right side and looking down. She complimented the manor as she was made with white clay. Kyle gulped his saliva because she always reminded him of his mother. The worst thing about the statue was that water gushed from the middle
20"How dare you touch my man, bitch!" Lila purred indignantly as she pressed Tania's head against the pillar."Asks who... The queen of all the bitches!" Tania sneered before she freed herself from Lila's hold and kicked her under her knee, making her almost go down on her knees.The air around them crackled. Both the girls growled at each other before grabbing each other's collars.Both of them pulled each other closer until their noses touched as they breathed heavily in exasperation."He's mine, whore! He's been mine since we were kids." Lila whispered in a scary tone.Tania rolled her eyes, not even one percent freaked out.If Lila was crazy... Tania was crazier in love with Kyle. Hence, she wasn't scared of Lila or her threats."Save that, wench! All he's ever been to you since childhood is a friend... Or more so, a brother." Tania sniggered, sending a jolt of maddening fury through Lila.Lila planted her against the pillar as she yanked her little top, tearing it from the middl
21Silence, once again, prevailed in the room. Karson was stunned and enveloped in a warm, fuzzy feeling of happiness to see his elder son join him for dinner for the first time in twenty years. Karson's heart shrunk in grief for all the sufferings Kyle went through as a child. After his divorce with Sophia, Kyle suffered the most. And the attempt to keep him away from consequences of their divorce resulted in a huge gap between them as father and son. "I'm so glad you came today, son. It still feels like a dream. I can't bring myself to believe my son is here with me!" Karson said while gazing at his son lovingly. "Speaking of my son, where is that scoundrel? Ruby?" Karson snapped, his brows furrowed as he turned to his wife. "I... Uh, honey, Kevin is busy. He's working tirelessly and putting in a lot of efforts to grow his new business." Ruby answered in a small voice while her cheeks burned in shame. She was mortified as her husband addressed their son harshly at the dinner ta
22It was a portrait of him with his mother, Sophia Lawson. Kyle was sitting in a luxurious, high-backed, curved, throne-like chair with golden arms and legs. The backrest was also painted in a shimmering golden color while the cushion was velvety and in a deep red color.His dark eyes shone and a leg was crossed over the other. His arms were on the armrest while his mother stood behind the chair, holding the curved edge of the chair. Her face was gleaming with pride. Although the portrait in itself was a masterpiece, what Kyle liked the most about it was the happy smiles on their faces and that they wore black.The portrait made him feel like it was real. Kyle's features were impressively detailed and Sophia also looked young just like he had seen as a child before she left him."This is wonderful. In fact, this is..." Kyle trailed off, his shocked gaze glued to the portrait. "This looks so real. I don't have words to praise it. It's so perfect and..." Kyle raised his eyes.Tania's h
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
70All I was trying to do was help, yet what did I get in return? My compassion almost killed my best friend.I was a fool to think Jessica is a victim, that she's a pure hearted person. Damn it, she's no less than my mother. She's far worse and cruel.My brain was spinning with crazy, angry thoughts. Somehow I drove home without crashing my car. I stormed in like a raging hurricane and looked around for HER glimpse. She was not in here and my head snapped up to the first floor. My eyes climbed up each step as I took deep, uncontainable breath. Before I knew, I was on the staircase, going three at a time. My heart was throbbing in my throat. A part of me asked me to stay calm and not let my anger take control of me. But the part that survived and was alive today because of Lila's attempts and persistence took control of my body. I barged into my bedroom, my eyes scanning every corner for Jessica. The noise of running water coming from the washroom caught my attention. Knowing that s
69Kyle's POVThe last time I was this scared was when I was in school— when a group of big boys locked me in the janitor's closet after bullying me severely.It was after school hours. I had a detention because I was not going through a very good time, and my homework was never completed. I've gotten several second chances but that day was unlucky for me.I recall that day clearly— my day had started off with me falling off my bicycle that I took from my hostel room to school. I had a scraped knee, looking red like a ruby. Then I was pushed by some bullies in the school premises who have taken a liking towards me— I was their new toy.The fact that I never fought back made me an easy target. It was hard to get a reaction out of me. Thus, they grew excited and targeted me. All of them... All of them had a go at me. But I wouldn't respond to it. I had far worse trauma to deal with— I was abandoned by the two most important people in my life... My parents.While one left me, the other on
68"Oh, since I made the soup for the ones who were on the table yesterday, I thought it's best to have them join us." Jasmine said. "Jojo has told me that this soup doesn't taste that good when it's cold." Jasmine turned to Kyle, her eyes blinking at him hesitantly, "I hope you don't mind it." Kyle didn't answer. He just nodded his head, avoiding to meet Jasmine's gaze. Unfortunately, he was a man with very little trust left. Kyle had lost faith in people and trusting everyone was difficult for him. Hence, he was easily swayed by Lila's words. He glared at Jasmine with blood in his eyes. 'I've grown to like you, Jessica. Didn't know you'd go around asking about my money. You must have believed you could replace your husband with me— another wealthy man— since I feel guilty over your child's death. You assumed my remorse towards your loss would make me yours.'He felt a bitter taste in his mouth for even liking her. What's more, all Kyle wanted to do was slap her food off the table
67"I have no other way to pay you back and I don't have access to my accounts either. Not that I was going to pay back in money. That would be an insult to your kindness. So—" "What's for breakfast?" Kyle asked, changing the topic. He smiled at her as if saying: You don't have to explain anything to me. I understood, and moved closer towards her. "For the record, I want you to know that I don't expect a pay back from you. I've told you why I'm doing it.""And I've told you why I'm doing this too." She raised an eyebrow.Once again, Kyle found himself staring at her, that strange feeling back again. He stared at her lips not out of desire but out of amusement. She did have a fierce mouth, and he liked very few women with a big mouth.They were lost in the moment, staring at each other in admiration. Lila had been, once again, hiding behind a pillar to overhear them. A fire of jealousy set in her heart. She seethed before coming out of the shadows to break their stare with her inter
66Kyle covered his face in self-loath and shame, recalling the conversation he had with Jasmine the other night. He felt remorseful for sharing so much about his life with her."How could I lose myself like that? She's a stranger. She's going to leave my house one day and we might never see each other again. I was a fool. I shouldn't have told her so much about me— about my past that not even my closest friends know completely." He sighed and rubbed his face."God, what if she uses it against me? What if she hasn't forgiven me for her loss? You can't trust a wounded woman. I'd be in great trouble if she released my past story to the news channels for revenge. The dark side of my life is mine alone. How could I slip out of my control emotionally because of her and pour out what I never told anyone? Damn, I've never been so foolish."He dragged himself to the washroom on heavy feet and took the most painful shower of his life. Kyle was feeling so bad inside that he didn't want to do an
65Jasmine couldn't react in time because he left her alone not before throwing a teasing salute at her. She was in shock and reeling at what he said. When she was able to make sense, she took a deep breath and smiled to herself. "He's being friendly with me. But the way we met and insulted each other.... It's surprising to see we could be so comfortable with each other. You're a nice man, Kyle. I'm glad God made us meet." She inhaled deeply. "I don't intend to keep any connection with you or anyone else... But in future, I'd like to pay you for what you've done for me." Then she washed her face and teeth and slipped under the blanket, calling it a night with an unwavering smile on her lips. On the other hand, Lila was fuming like a mad bull. She paced in the guest room back and forth as she couldn't erase the view she saw in Kyle's room a while back. "H-how could he? We are best friends and we never let anyone come between us. I've been so nice to him all these years since we wer
64Jasmine's eyes were moist. She looked at the layer of stiffness that had cracked and revealed his vulnerable side. She pitied the boy that he was in the past as at the same time she pitied his mother too. Jasmine believed that his mother might have her own reasons to leave him with his father— not knowing that she was actually hearing those words for the same woman who was also ‘her adopted mother’— Her adopted mother who gave Jasmine memories that she held on to survive! The pained looked on Kyle's face, the trembling in his lips from bad memories and the trauma of being abandoned as a child shone in his eyes bright. Since he looked so broken and miserable, Jasmine felt like hugging him. "You see this man here— he's just a handsome zombie. There's no heart here inside." He pointed at his chest, his lips pursed. "What hurts the most is the fact that my father also neglected me after my mom's departure. He married his mistress because of whom my mom left us... And the first thing
63Jasmine's voice shook with frustration. She didn't want to spill her heart out in front of a stranger she wasn't going to see again in future. But the emotions boiling and bubbling within her needed to be let out. She wanted to be heard and she couldn't help but rely on Kyle to be the listener. "I'm so sick of feeling like this! I'm sick of being the victim, poor, cheated-on wife. Mari is helpful but she's excessively careful towards me... Like she would hurt me with her words and actions if she's not careful. Even Jojo was keeping his distance from me when we were in the kitchen.""He acted as if I was fragile and his touch would break me. This is not how I was before I found out about my husband's betrayal. I've been an independent and strong woman. One who didn't need anyone's hand for support." Jasmine sobbed "You're still strong, Jessica. You went through so much and you're still smiling and living like a strong woman should. This is part of healing. You are doing what is rig
62"I'm so wounded that everything makes me want to jump at someone and scratch their face beyond repair. You have no idea what it feels to be capable but still have not enough strength to help yourself, Lila." Jasmine got up. Lila's eyes followed her movements, her mouth hanging open. Jasmine's rise was elegant and it did look like she came from wealth and power like herself where maintaining etiquettes was an important part of elite life. "It was nice meeting you, Lila, and thank you for your support. But I'm not looking for advice or sympathy right now.... I just need good memories that I will carry out of here." She gave a curt nod, making her point clear that she wasn't going to let anyone belittle her. As her eyes turned to Kyle, he straightened up, otherwise he had his chin in his hand and his eyes glued to her face, totally lost in her fierce but polite retort. "Hope you enjoy the food, Kyle. I don't care about others or what they think of the food I made— but the fact that