Jasmine

I cooed in half sleep as the soft hands of my man grabbed me from behind though I was startled by the touch — Cold and rougher than Bryan’s, who I just got married to barely four hours ago.

I flipped my eyes open and immediately, my nose caught a smell. The smell of his body… It isn't Bryan.

Quickly, I knelt on the bed.

Tears streamed down my cheeks as I saw blood stains and also realized that I had just given my virginity to my twin sister's fiance. Michael sat up in a flash and tried to forcefully take off my towel.

The result?

I yelled, loud enough to wake the whole house. “Help!” I screamed for assistance until my stepmother-in-law, Roseline, ran into the room.

“What's going on here?” Yelled Roseline in her usual matron-like voice. Upon hearing her words, Michael fled out of the room.

Hot tears continued to pour from my eyes as I sank into the blood stains on the bed. Ashamed, I tightened my grip on the towel around my chest.

“I never thought my son would end up marrying a two-timing bitch.” Roseline raised her voice and tightened her jaw muscles.

“I'm not at fault. I don't know how he got in. I am sure that as of last night, I was in Bryan's arms.” I defended myself as memories of last night came back faintly.

“So, what is this that I am seeing?” Roseline yelled at the very top of her voice.

Just then, my twin sister walked in.

She used her hands to cover her mouth. I wondered if she was surprised I was still a virgin at thirty-two.

“Jessica,” Roseline cried. “I just caught your sister with your husband-to-be in bed. She gave my son's rights to someone else and…”

Jessica narrowed her eyes. We have never been on the same page. So…

She climbed the bed and pulled me down against my will. Before I knew it, the resounding hot slap bestowed on my right cheek echoed like a song of battle, sending my face pointing downward and a little to the left.

Sweat glistened on my brow, while my muscles tensed effortlessly. I smirked before I turned my head towards Jessica.

With fury coursing through me, I advanced to slap her but my hand was held by a familiar set of warm hands.

Bryan

“Thank God you are here,” I said, turning back but the result wasn't what I expected. Two rounds of slaps were what he used to bless me.

My eyes shone with amazement and confusion. The ever quiet Bryan… “Bryan, did you just slap me?”

“Whatever! A loose woman like you doesn't deserve to live with humans like us. A woman who cheats on her husband with another man on her wedding night. You're a disgrace to womanhood.”

After Bryan's words, my soul got crushed, my spirit became broken and my self respect? It left!

Without letting me switch into my clothes, Bryan dragged me out of the room to a hall. My jaw dropped as I realized we were in a hotel. I blamed myself for not surveying the room earlier when Roseline arrived.

How did I reach a hotel? I am sure that I was in bed with Bryan in his house.

As I don't want to go with him, I had no choice but to follow him to prevent my towel which was shielding my nakedness from falling. “Please Bryan. Don't do this…”

He let go of my hands when we reached the reception. “I hate you!” He shouted before he pushed me on my chest. I was forced to sit on the floor because of the power difference.

I tried covering my face from the people who were just arriving at the hotel in the early hours of the morning. Amidst that, a smile erupted on Bryan's face as he pulled me up. “You are a mouse just caught by cats.” He whispered into my ear.

“Did you collide with… Was it all a set up?” I asked.

“You can say so.” Bryan replied.

Jessica sashayed to where we stood with a yellow envelope in her hands. She handed them to my husband who carefully brought out stapled papers and handed them over to me.

“DIVORCE AGREEMENT?” I stuttered.

Jasmine

I tossed the divorce papers into the air after tearing it apart, after which I gave Bryan a long stare and shouted, “I won't sign it!”

“She's such a despicable woman.”

“She still has the effrontery to talk after her husband caught her in bed sharing their first night with another man.”

Those were the comments from the bystanders who mocked me. All the courage I was gathering just seemed to disappear into thin air.

My muscles turned numb and my eyes got blurry with impending tears that were at my eyelids.

In the middle of everything, Roseline sat on the floor and cried while Jessica remained there as her confidant ally.

“I can't believe you are like this. Three years ago, you were just a lady who almost died after a car hit. You had no one to take care of you because your father is the most useless man on Earth and your mom… It's a long story.” Bryan unbuckled the past swiftly, almost devouring me.

“Don't talk about my past in that manner. I was the one who suffered, not you.” I warned him.

He pulled me closer then released my hand. “How can I touch you when you're so full of dirt?”

“Oh… I forgot. We have nothing in common anymore. Our relationship… It has come to an end. Now Or later, it cannot be restored.” I said, looking him in the eyes.

“What do you mean?” He asked, raising an eyebrow.

“I mean… EVERYTHING.” I retorted, smiling. “Let's call a spade a spade. As for the divorce, I'm not gonna sign it. I do not need a paper to cut off my relationship with you. I, Jasmine Parker, break all ties with you.”

I stared at Jessica for a moment with a high sense of reasoning that she knows nothing about it. But can I believe that?

This same sister of mine has always been strong ahead of me. Including manipulating our mother and friends against me. In short, she is a typical green snake under the green grass.

I heaved a sigh of relief as I stepped out of the hotel building. Everything doesn't feel okay but I have to pretend as if it is.

Fate has played a deceitful game with me and it shouldn't be like that. But whatever has been written in my destiny is what I will learn to accept.

As my nakedness was still protected by the towel around my chest, I walked down the streets. Hopefully, there was dim light, so my face wasn't visible to the public.

“Hey… isn't she the one we are looking for?” I heard a deep male's voice from behind.

I turned sharply to see three men behind me. They put on straight faces and it was as if they could eat me all up any moment from now.

My mind told me to run but before I could run, one of them grabbed my left arm and I whimpered in pain.

“What do you want from me?” I asked, tears flowing down my cheeks.

“Aren't you the daughter of Lucas? You will know more when we sell you off.” One of the two other men said jokingly, his laughter echoing like a huge blast.

“Please…” I tried begging but the man scooped me up his right shoulders and followed the two men who I assumed were his Boss.

Lucas Parker. The man who gave birth to me has been a constant gambler, alcoholic and drug addict. Ever since we were kids, my mother had been the only one who raised us up even though she was a biased kind of person but she was better than my father.

My father was just there… He literally did nothing than to come home and beat my mother. And that was what exactly led to her demise but who can we call on to?

No one.

Three years ago, I was in a car hit but luckily I was saved by Bryan who just turned out to be a betrayal but there is still one thing I do not understand and that is why he came up with such a conspiracy.

In short, my father must have messed with these men one way or the other.

We reached a car parked a few metres from where I was crossed by them. The man who carried me tried to dump me into the boot of the car.

I understood that if I was successfully taken away, my life would be completely useless and everything would be over for me.

I bit the man and while he let out a loud wail, I took to my heels. Running on the tarred road only added to my pain as my feet burned helplessly.

It was when I reached a T-junction and couldn't stop because of the men that were chasing me, I ran into an incoming vehicle.

“Jasmine!” I heard the soft female voice shout my name. She knows me but who is she? I'm sure I have heard the voice before.

Jasmine

My breath grew rapidly as I stared at the pregnancy test tube in my hands. Air seemed to close in on me and my legs nearly gave away by the thought of what had just happened.

It's been two months already after my marriage to Bryan and the night my whole life came crashing down.

That night while I was running from the men that wanted to sell me off because of my father's death, it was my aunt's car I ran into and the female voice belonged to her.

I have been living like a loser since the past months but my aunt refused to give up on me. She always encouraged me and told me to take my mind off what had happened.

What would happen when she learns of the latest tragic news in my life?

Never have I thought that I would never be happy when I finally get pregnant for the first time in my life.

I rested my hand on the wash hand basin and took a deep breath. It was then an evil thought crossed my mind.

Clearly, I can't keep the child in my womb. I have to abort it. I grabbed the test tube and walked out of the restroom.

My jaw dropped as I met my aunt, Valerie, seated on my bed in the room. “Aunt?” I called out gently while I tried to hide the tube in my hand.

“I have seen it. No need to hide it.” She said after letting out a deep sigh.

“I want to abort the pregnancy.” I said to her,

In response, she gave a look of disapproval but I was less concerned as I made my way to the door to leave the room.

“You will be making a huge mistake, Jasmine. Never think of killing an innocent baby. Truth be told, we never wanted this baby but… it isn't at fault.” Valerie explained and I tightened my hold on the door's handle.

“I still can't keep it,” I screamed as I turned to face her with tears streaming down my cheeks. Same was for her as well.

She stood from the bed and walked to the mirror where she placed her hands on the table. She asked me if I knew the reason why she has no children of her own and I nodded my head downwards.

She explained to me that she was barely eighteen years old when she got impregnated by her neighbor who was her boyfriend then but he never accepted the baby and she thought of removing the pregnancy due to the hateful comments from the society.

It was when she terminated the pregnancy that her womb got damaged and she was declared barren by the doctors.

And that was how her life got shattered to this point. I know she was married twice but they always ended in a divorce. Her story explains why she has the issues.

She encouraged me not to abort the pregnancy but fight to claim what was mine. I was never wrong so why should I endure the pain that my husband inflicted on me.

I did not wait a second more after her words. I took the next flight back to Seattle to settle the score with Bryan.

As I approached the gate, my heart swelled as it was mixed with a series of emotions. The connection I had with Bryan's house was out of this world. All of our memories came running into my head.

It was then Bryan's luxurious black car sped past me.

I realized it was a good timing since we were going to meet each other before he entered his house. I set my mind straight so as not to get emotional once I faced him.

The security was about to close the gate when I reached there. I stopped him and he opened his mouth, surprised to see me.

I shot him a deadly glare and made my way into the compound. The driver's car door opened and Bryan stepped out, perfectly dressed in a striking white suit that complemented his handsomeness.

He laid his eyes on me and scrunched up his face. He moved towards me swiftly and questioned me about why I was in his house.

I was about to answer him but I was interrupted by the opening sound of the car's door — The passenger's side.

A lady in a white gown stepped out and slowly unveiled her face. My heart sank as I stared at Jessica. She's married to Bryan. Reality hit me as I realized that my very own twin sister had just married my husband.

Jessica's eyes widened when she saw me. She didn't expect I would be back. “Why are you here?” She asked the same question my husband had asked.

“I'm back. Hell will break loose. You all will witness the fury of my pain!”