Chapter 1

A downpour hit without warning, leaving me soaked to the bone. I trudged along the street, feeling numb and heartbroken as my mind replayed scenes from the past.When I was ten, my brother, Jeremy Hurst, and I were in a car accident. Only I survived.When I woke up, my cousin, Evelyn Green, stormed in and slapped me. "Why didn't you take care of Jeremy?"The moment she said that, Mom and Dad erupted. Their fingers dug into my throat as they spat, "Why wasn't it you who died?"From then on, they treated me like I was their enemy. I was too young to fight back, so I was helpless when they targeted me with their beatings and insults and locked me in the basement. I was forced to kneel in a corner while they brushed Evelyn's hair with tenderness, fed her, and celebrated her birthdays…I thought my whole life would be bleak and loveless.On my 18th birthday, when Evelyn's friends beat me so badly my head was split open, my entire family stood by without lifting a finger.I begged Dad

Chapter 2

Morgan claimed seeing me hurt made him sad, but the needle marks on my arm were his fault. He had to stop lying.Anger and humiliation piled up until I was ready to blurt out everything.Just then, his bodyguard pushed the door open, looking anxious as he hurried over to whisper in his ear. I'd always had sharp hearing, so I clearly heard the bodyguard say Evelyn refused to eat and would only do so if Morgan coaxed her.When I saw the flicker of panic in Morgan's eyes, my heart sank again."Jazz, I've got some work to attend to. I need to go, so take care of yourself," he said.I didn't answer. Instead, I turned my head and let the tears fall. I wondered if he would feel regret when he realized one day that he'd loved the wrong person.I decided not to tell him the truth now. If I did, he would never let me leave. I would only tell him that I'd saved him all those years ago after I left. I wanted him to drown in regret. By then, he would've lost me forever.An hour later, my pho

Chapter 3

Under the dazzling fireworks, Morgan stooped down to tie my shoelaces. He also smoothed my hair and fussed over me.I felt bitter and in turmoil. I honestly couldn't figure out how he could put on an affectionate act so convincingly that I couldn't tell what was real anymore.Just as he leaned in to kiss me, Evelyn walked over carrying a mango cake that would trigger my allergies. "Jasmine, I noticed that you didn't eat much at dinner, so I brought you cake. Come on, dig in!"I caught the mango scent immediately and refused. "I'm allergic to mango. I can't eat it."The moment I rejected her, she started tearing up. "Are you still upset with me, Jasmine?"Morgan couldn't bear seeing her tears and tried to persuade me. "Evelyn means well, Jazz. Just eat it."My heart turned to ice at his words. He knew she was bullying me, yet he was taking her side.My nose stung. I wanted to refuse again, but Evelyn forced the cake into my mouth. The instant the cake touched my tongue, my breath

Chapter 4

Morgan frowned at the look on my face. With a cold edge, he ordered his subordinate, "Evan, lock Jasmine in the basement to reflect. She's only to be let out tomorrow!"As Evan Watson and the other men dragged me away, I saw Morgan press a kiss to Evelyn's forehead. The sight shattered my heart. In that moment, I lost all faith in him.Down in the basement, I couldn't stop thinking about the abuse from my parents when I was little. The pain surged in the dark until terror consumed me, making me shake uncontrollably.Then, the scenes flipped. I remembered every moment of Morgan caring for me. The next second, I remembered how his love had been calculated from the start. Tears poured down my face, and I cried until I passed out.When I woke the next morning, I was already back in the bedroom. Morgan took my hand, full of remorse as he explained his reasons for yesterday's punishment.I instinctively pulled away, but he didn't get angry. He just assumed I was still upset. He bought m

Chapter 5

At the theme park, while taking photos of Evelyn, Morgan suddenly felt a sharp jolt of unease. Thinking of how he hadn't heard from me all day, he immediately called me. However, my phone was turned off.In his memory, I'd always answer him in seconds. Yet now…Morgan was so worried that he didn't even hear Evelyn calling his name over and over.Seeing him so distracted, Evelyn bit her lip and asked, "Morgan, what's wrong? I called you so many times, but you ignored me."He shook his head. "It's nothing. It's late, so let's head back. Jasmine's phone has been off all day. I'm afraid something has happened to her."Evelyn tugged at his sleeve, feeling aggrieved. "Are you worried about her? Didn't you say you don't love her?"Morgan gently took her hand and said, "I don't, but she's like a little sister to me. I can't just abandon her now."With that, he took off at a run.Evelyn stomped her foot, furious enough to want me dead. So, she called Mom and Dad to complain. "Uncle Stan

Chapter 6

Evelyn froze at Mom and Dad's words and stared at them, baffled. "Uncle Stan, Aunt Monica, what are you talking about? How could I possibly be a murderer?"Seeing that she wasn't admitting the truth, Dad hurled his phone at her face. The second she saw the video playing on the screen, her expression changed.However, Evelyn collected herself. She clenched her fists and wept, crying, "This can't be! This video is fake—it's edited! Jasmine is framing me!"Her flimsy excuse sent Mom over the edge. Mom slapped her hard and broke down, shouting, "The truth is right before us, yet you're still lying! Haven't we treated you well enough? Why would you hurt my son and daughter like this?"Mom's roar made Evelyn flinch. She didn't dare argue. She was already working out how to run.Then, as if something clicked, Mom pounded her chest and cried, "So Jasmine was telling the truth before. How much grief has she swallowed all this time?"Dad was also hurting when he saw her in so much pain. He

Chapter 7

"This is all your fault, Evelyn! If not for you, I wouldn't have hurt Jasmine. I wouldn't have drawn her blood, and I wouldn't have framed her over and over again!" Morgan roared.Evelyn was beaten until she was a mess of blood and bruises. She weakly tried to fight back, refusing to own up to anything.That got Mom and Dad worked up. They joined in the beating, even whipping out handguns.Morgan saw that they were about to lose control and hurried to stop them. "Mr. and Mrs. Hurst, calm down. You can't fire a gun inside the estate. Don't let Evelyn ruin this place's reputation. Besides, killing her would be letting her off far too easily."Mom and Dad froze at that, slowly lowering their guns.Morgan sagged in relief and summoned his bodyguards, telling them to drag Evelyn to the basement. He said, "Evan, I want Green Group wiped off the market completely."Evelyn finally panicked at the mention of Green Group. She cried, "No, don't! Morgan, don't hurt my parents!"She dropped

All Chapters of I Choose to Love Me: Chapter 1 - Chapter 7