Condemned by Blood and Betrayal

Liam Maximus slowly rubbed his face, then shook his head. “Valentina is more important than you, Jasmine. She will bring happiness to our family.”

Once again, Jasmine’s heart truly ached. The world and everything in it seemed no longer necessary to her. Jasmine felt as if she had been destroyed by cruelty and lies. She could not imagine life without Christopher—the man she truly loved.

Christopher looked at Jasmine with a cold expression. “Don’t cry, Jasmine. You have to be strong.”

Jasmine glanced at him with sorrowful eyes. She tried not to cry, but Jasmine could not be strong. She felt like a little child who had lost her toy. She could not hold herself back from crying, could not stop feeling the deep sadness. Jasmine truly felt like screaming at the top of her lungs. Until finally, her tears poured down heavily like rain that never stopped soaking the earth.

“You are all truly heartless!” Jasmine screamed. The wound in her heart seemed to widen along with the cold and cynical stares of the people in front of her.

“Jasmine, I hope you can be open-hearted. Everything that is happening now is already destiny given by God. We may have once loved each other, but apparently God did not bless it,” Christopher said heavily.

Jasmine stared sharply, her eyes glassy with tears. Her chest felt unbearably tight. “Chris, I never expected you to be like this. You’re cruel, Chris! Just some time ago, we danced together. We promised to be faithful. On my birthday, you—”

“Oh yes, just consider this your birthday present, Jasmine,” Valentina interrupted Jasmine’s words.

Jasmine was stunned by the words of her stepsister. A present, she said? What kind of insane person would happily give a gift in the form of betrayal like this? Truly, Valentina’s words and behavior only made Jasmine more suspicious. There was not a shred of empathy from the twenty-two-year-old woman.

“Shameless!” Jasmine cursed angrily.

Her voice was like a knife cutting through the air. Her tears flowed heavily, crashing against her face like an unstoppable storm. Her body trembled, as if trying to release all the sorrow and anger that had long been buried.

“You are truly evil, Valentina!” Jasmine spat. “Why are you so happy to steal your sister’s lover!? Don’t tell me you’ve been eyeing him for a long time?” she accused while staring fiercely and suspiciously.

“Watch your mouth!” Florentina shouted angrily. No matter what, no one was allowed to hurt her daughter.

“Mother, you should have stopped your daughter from becoming someone who steals her own sister’s lover!” Jasmine shouted with a trembling but firm voice.

Florentina glared sharply, utterly furious. Her anger was at its peak. “Insolent!” The middle-aged woman threw a package of bread, hitting Jasmine squarely in the stomach.

Jasmine was instantly startled in shock. How heartless everyone in front of her was. Even Christopher, who supposedly loved her, now stood motionless without compassion. He truly seemed like a different person. Jasmine saw the four people there as terrifying monsters.

“I sacrificed myself for you, Jasmine,” Valentina said with a sly smile.

“That’s enough, stop arguing,” Liam interjected. “Chris, forget Jasmine. Father agrees that you marry Valentina. She is more beautiful and will bring you good fortune,” he continued with a flat expression.

Jasmine stared in shock. “Father, don’t try to take away my happiness. Chris is someone who means so much to me.” Her voice was soft, almost a whisper.

“Just like you took my wife’s life, you are the reason for her death!” Liam’s voice pierced like a knife, making Jasmine feel as if she were struck by a storm of emotions. “You are poison, Jasmine. You have ruined my life, and now you will pay for it.”

Jasmine’s eyes widened, as if they were about to burst from their sockets. Her heart felt as if it were being torn apart by giant hands. “No… that’s not fair,” she whispered, her voice barely audible.

Liam stared at her with eyes full of hatred. “Not fair? You don’t know what not fair means. You took the most precious thing from me, and now you will pay for it at a very high price.”

Jasmine felt as if she had been struck by lightning, her body weak and her heart shredded by those words. Tears began to pool in her eyes, but she could not cry. She could only stare at her father with widened eyes, as if trying to understand the hatred he had hidden all this time.

“You never gave me a chance, Father,” Jasmine whispered, her voice trembling. “You never saw me as your child… only as my mother’s killer.”

Liam looked at her with cold eyes, without the slightest empathy. “You are indeed a killer, Jasmine. You killed my wife, and now you will pay for it with your own life.”

Jasmine felt as if the world had collapsed in front of her. She realized that her father would never accept her, would never love her. And she knew she had to do something to change her fate. Or perhaps, she had to accept the reality that she would always be a prisoner of her father’s hatred.

“You will never allow me to be happy, Father,” Jasmine said, her voice barely audible, as if she had lost all hope.

Liam remained silent, his eyes fixed on Jasmine with burning hatred. Twenty-five years had passed, but the wound still felt as fresh as yesterday. He could still see his wife’s face, her smile, and her final moments. Everything was replaced with pain and hatred.

Jasmine felt crushed by that silence, as if Liam were taking his final breath before finishing her. She knew Liam had never forgiven her for her mother’s death. And now, Liam only stared at her with empty eyes, as if looking at something worthless.

“Father, you are the one who brought me into this world. How long will you treat me like this?” Jasmine stared blankly, as if begging for mercy from the man who caused her to exist in her mother’s womb.

Liam remained silent, but his eyes spoke louder than words. He hated Jasmine, hated himself for being unable to protect his wife. He hated the world for taking away the most precious thing from him.

Jasmine felt as if she were drowning in that silence, as if she no longer existed. And then, Liam spoke, his voice like thunder in broad daylight.

“You do not exist, Jasmine. You never existed.”

How could Jasmine be considered a murderer?

To be continued…