Chapter 1

1

Jasmine wiped the tear about to fall from the corner of her left eye as she looked forward. That's what she was going to do after the experience she had today— look ahead of her. She fisted her hands to her sides, watching as impatient vehicles zoomed past her on the busy road. 

The black and white strips of the zebra crossing made her temples ache. The same black and white dots started blinking and throbbing on the border of her vision. She felt the smooth texture of the parchment she was holding burn in her closed palm— it was the gift she had prepared for her husband. 

Pain tore through her as the smoothness of the paper turned into unbearable heat. Her hand shook, but she didn't let her grip loosen or more tears fall. 

'It's useless to cry on a man who compared my womb to a barren land!' She reminded herself. 

However, his words triggered emotions she was battling to keep buried in. Tears blurred her vision as her emotions rose up through her like a tide. 

Jasmine couldn't help but sob as her head lowered. There were people around her, waiting for the signal to turn green so they could cross the road. She didn't want them to heed her tears or the fact that she was the most unfortunate being among them. 

It's not like she was always like this. Everything changed for her at 9.30 am in the morning when she decided to congratulate her husband of four years, Vince Garrison, for landing a huge business deal with a surprise. Since he didn't turn up last night, she decided to go meet him at his office. 

That was the most unfortunate moment of her life that plunged her into the abyss of sorrow she was in right now. She wished she hadn't gone, but the deed was done.

She regretted forcing her way past his secretary to burst into his office, even as he tried to hold her back, but the impulse had been uncontrollable.

She desperately wished her hazel eyes hadn't taken in the sight of Lucy, his young stepmother, age thirty-three, who married his fifty-four year old father, sitting in his lap, chest bared as he suckled at her full breasts. But the image was burned into her memory.

It wasn't a dream. It couldn't be. Because Jasmine had pinched herself to pull herself back to the real world in case she was dreaming. She wasn't. 

It was broad daylight and Vince didn't even flinch back when she walked in on them. Their eyes had met, but he didn't stop. He didn't look away as he continued to eat Lucy's tittíes and grope them.

Even as his lips stayed on Lucy's nípple, they twisted into a dark smirk, taunting Jasmine with the unspoken words- You didn't think I'd be with my sexy, young stepmother, did you?

That doesn't happen in a dream, does it? Even if a husband is cheating on his wife, the ounce of conscience he has in his heart would compel him to move away from his mistress after setting his gaze on his wife. But Vince, that puckered asshóle arrogantly held her gaze. He pulled Lucy closer, and that beautiful brunette arched her back to offer her large breasts to him more. They together mocked her. 

Jasmine sucked in a breath greedily as the loud chiming of the phone of a woman standing next to rang out. She looked at her, at her head full of dyed brunette hair, reminding her of Lucy. Tears returned, quivering on the edge of her hazel gaze. It was a relief that the woman didn't smile at her victoriously like Lucy did. This woman's brows furrowed as she raised a hand to rest on Jasmine's shoulder. 

"Hey, everything okay?" The woman's soft voice hit her like a hailstorm. 

Jasmine's trembling lips parted. Her throat ached as she tried to form a word which would have sounded like, "Nothing's okay! A brunette woman... I mean a brunette bitch I was reminded by your hair stole my husband from me. No, that's not the right way to put it. Actually, my spineless husband cheated on me with a brunette bitch, who's also supposed to be his young step mother. He also called me barren before throwing me out of his office."

The woman stared at her for a while before withdrawing her hand. She cast a faultfinding look towards Jasmine's lack of response. Only when the woman started walking away did she realise that those were the words she wanted to say to her. Alas, she lost the warmth the woman's eyes held exactly how she lost her worth a while ago.

Jasmine shivered as the cool air brushed against her. She wore a white cardigan, stained with a dry tea patch just below her chin— a mark from when she accidentally spilled a cup of tea on herself. Though she didn't incur burns, it was no less. Her chest was on fire. It had grown heavy from the discovery she made today.

She couldn't breathe. The world seemed to be tilting sideways. She couldn't stop shaking. Couldn't stop grieving. Couldn't stop crying. Couldn't stop her mind from replaying that scene from her husband's office. Jasmine forced herself to take a breath as she saw the woman who had offered her a moment's warmth disappear behind the curb.

Jasmine broke free from her reverie with a jolt. It sank in that everyone around her had almost reached the other side of the road while she remained right there. She blinked her tears and took a step forward as she refused to be left behind. She had promised to look ahead. Similarly, she was going to always walk ahead without letting her cowardly husband's betrayal affect her.

What happened, happened. There's no need to cry over it. 

Nevertheless, Jasmine stepped onto the road at the exact moment the traffic lights switched to red and the engines revved up. The vehicles roared to life, causing her legs to lock up in reflex. Her heart stopped beating in panic as she watched a speeding car closing in on her. Before she could move backwards it slammed into her, sending her crashing to the pavement.

Jasmine winced upon a breath. Her ribs hurt. Her hand holding the paper unfastened as thousands of scorching needles pricked her wrist. She couldn't comprehend where exactly the pain began or ended. It made her vision misty and the sky overhead began to spin.

The impact was sickening. Her world had already drowned into darkness, and now she felt her senses going down the same road. She wished to never emerge from the darkness. 

But then, it hit her— she wasn’t alone.

There was a life growing inside her— In her womb that had been mocked as a stretch of infertile land by her cheater husband. Her hands instinctively moved to protect her stomach, aching to cradle the life within.

Unfortunately, her consciousness faded into oblivion before could raise a hand.

Tbc... 

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