Chapter 2

Jasmine’s POV

The 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 came home.

I set the table with our best linens and lit a few candles and I even placed a small vase of fresh flowers in the center. I told myself that when he walked through the door and saw the effort I had made, he would remember who we used to be. I sat at the table and waited. I waited until the candles burned low and the food went cold. I adjusted my dress and practiced a soft, welcoming smile in the reflection of the window. I would be the supportive wife he wanted and never get angry at him.

Another hour passed before the front door finally opened. I stood up quickly, with my heart racing with a mix of anxiety and relief.

 "Caleb? You're home. I made dinner. I thought we could talk and—"

Caleb stumbled into the dining room, covered in Emily’s floral perfume. He stopped when he saw me, with his eyes narrowing as they flickered from the cold food to my face.

"What is all this?" he demanded, his voice irritable. "I told you to go to bed. You look like a ghost sitting there in the dark."

"I wanted to talk, Caleb," I said as I swallowed hard, forcing myself to continue. "I made dinner and I thought maybe we could try to sort things over. I am sorry if I embarrassed you at the party, I just want us to be okay again."

Caleb let out a dark laugh as he walked toward the table and poked at the cold meat with a disgusted look. 

"Sort things over? Jasmine, look at yourself.” He sneered. “You are begging for scraps of attention from a man who can barely stand to look at you. It is pathetic."

"I love you, Caleb," I whispered desperately as I reached for his hand but he quickly pulled away as if I were contaminated. 

"Love is not enough, Jasmine because I am bored.” He snapped. “I am suffocating in this perfect little marriage you have built. I need more. I need excitement and I need someone who does not make me feel like I am coming home to a funeral every night."

Now my breaths were coming out short.

 “But it is exactly what you always wanted me to be, remember? You told me you liked me quiet and submissive, and that is what I became. What do you want me to do?”

“I don’t know. You’re a lost cause.”

Fear pooled in the pit of my belly. “I can change right back, please. All I need is a second chance—”

Caleb let out a bitter laugh as he looked me over with cold eyes. 

"Since you’re determined to stay, here’s how it’s going to be. We are opening the marriage and I am going to explore other options. I would have suggested you do the same, but we both know no one else would want you."

The air left my lungs as the words rang in my ears. 

“An open marriage?” I gasped. “Caleb, no, I can't. Please, we can go to counseling and we can—”

"I am not asking for your permission," he snapped.

“Please—”

My words were interrupted as the door pulled open and Emily walked into our dining room. She was draped in one of Caleb’s oversized shirts. The fact that Emily went straight to our matrimonial room while I stood here begging Caleb felt like a physical blow. I had to grip the edge of the table for support as my vision blurred.

"What’s keeping you so long, baby?" Emily asked with a yawn. She walked over to him and slid her arms around his neck, kissing his jaw. "I told you she would make a scene."

"She is just processing the new rules," Caleb said, his voice softening only for her. He turned back to me, his expression hardening again. "Emily is moving in. This house is plenty big enough for all of us, and she is actually pregnant with a child I want. So, wipe your face and get used to it."

I felt something inside of me die. 

"Pregnant?" I gasped, my hand flying to my stomach. I couldn’t hold my weight anymore as I fell hard to the floor. 

The memory of the child I lost—the child Caleb said we weren't ready for, ripped through me. 

"You told me you didn't want kids.”I whimpered as my heart squeezed painfully. “You made me feel guilty for even wanting one!" I yelled as hot tears slid down my cheeks.

Emily laughed as she watched me with mocking eyes. 

"He didn't want kids with you, Jasmine, there is a difference. Don’t you see? You are just a boring placeholder and I am the upgrade."

I held my chest in pain as I looked at Caleb, hoping this is some cruel prank. 

“Please, tell me this is not true,” I begged as hot tears rolled down my cheeks. 

“It is.” He sneered. “I know this might hurt you, but it just happened and the least you can do is be happy for us.”

“Happy?” I asked, with rage filling me. I sacrificed my whole life for Caleb and this was how he paid me back? "You have to stop this madness, please. Don’t do this."

"I can do whatever I want," Caleb replied coldly as he turned his back on me, guiding Emily toward the stairs. "Be quiet now, I don’t want us to be disturbed. Spend the night in the guest wing.”