Chapter 16
“Uncle Jasper likes you!” Teresa said, blinking her large eyes at Yasmine. “He keeps a photo of you on his
desk!”
Yasmine stared at her pure, innocent gaze. She had no idea what to say.
Her face was flushed, and she immediately stared at Jasper for help.
“Forcing someone to make choices is not ladylike,” Jasper said as he placed the last dish on the table. He took Teresa from Yasmine’s arms and said seriously, “Yasmine has the last say in whatever she does.”
Teresa nodded, looking a little confused but convinced. Soon enough, she was engrossed by the delicious food in front of her.
Yasmine smiled at him gratefully.
He looked down and pushed a plate toward her. With a slight smile, he said, “Do you want to try some? I have a feeling you’ll like it.”
She froze in the middle of reaching out for another dish. Her eyes widened in surprise and she blurted out, “How did you know?”
“You used to queue up outside our university to buy this from that roadside stall, remember?” Jasper said as he filled her bowl with some soup.
She pressed her lips together awkwardly. She didn’t expect him to know even the smallest details about
her.
After she became a mom, she learned that Zachary and Rachel were allergic to mangoes. Eventually, she forgot what she used to enjoy.
After lunch, Yasmine tucked Teresa in for a nap.
She was about to say goodbye to Jasper when her phone rang. It was the photography studio letting her know that her pictures were ready.
After she hung up, Jasper walked to the doorway and took out his car keys. “Let’s go. I’ll drive you.”
Yasmine wanted to turn him down, but she glanced at the glaring afternoon sun and nodded. “Thanks.”
She got into the passenger seat, but she didn’t hear Jasper start the car.
She was about to ask when he leaned over. She heard a soft click and realized she hadn’t put her seatbelt
His forearm barely grazed past her waist as he helped her adjust her seatbelt. Yasmine could almost hear her heart beating wildly in her chest.
It might have been because the atmosphere had become a bit too intimate, but the two of them stayed
Chapter 16
silent throughout the entire car ride.
Jasper dropped her off and parked at the parking lot outside the studio while Yasmine went into the
studio first.
2/3
She was admiring the final product and was about to pay the rest of the fees when she heard someone calling out for her.
“Yasmine!”
She froze. Even without looking back, she could recognize Charlie’s voice.
The moment their gazes met, Charlie’s eyes began to fill with tears.
There were dark circles under his eyes, and his lips were pressed into a thin line as he walked towards
Yasmine.
He seemed to be putting all his energy into holding himself back so he wouldn’t lose his composure.
“You’re getting married? To whom?”
Yasmine had no plans of explaining herself to him. Her gaze shifted from shock to complete calm.
“Mr. Listford, if you have too much time on your hands, might I suggest picking up a hobby? It’s none of
your business who I get married to.”
Almost as if to anger him, she added mildly, “Of course, if you would like an invitation, my husband and I
would be glad to offer one.”
Her words sucked the strength out of him, causing him to stumble and sway on his feet.
There were a few other customers in the studio who were quietly murmuring among themselves. They kept staring at Charlie and Yasmine, wondering what their relationship was.
He reached out an arm and pulled her into his tight embrace, squeezing her as if he wanted them to
become one.
“Yasmine, don’t try to mock me! We just got divorced. How could you fall for someone else so quickly?”
Charlie wished she would hit him or scream at him. He even preferred if she outright humiliated him.
At the very least, it meant that she still cared about him.
However, no matter how he begged, Yasmine was as stoic as a statue. Her face remained expressionless.
“I almost went insane trying to find you, Yasmine. I miss you so much. I shouldn’t have lied to you about the twins, and I shouldn’t have trusted Zara. I shouldn’t have left you alone when you were pregnant.”
Yasmine felt a damp sensation on her shoulder. She knew that Charlie was crying.
“I did it all for you, I did it for our marriage. If you knew the truth, you wouldn’t throw me away like this.”
Yasmine stood still and looked at him quietly without a word.
She looked at how pathetic he was acting and couldn’t find it in herself to feel happy at all. Instead, she felt sorry for him.
He was the one who messed everything up, but he was still trying to blame her for it all.
The young man she had fallen in love with had already been destroyed by their seven years of marriage.
She finally escaped from his embrace after a moment and looked at him with emotionless eyes. “It’s too
late, Charlie. We’ve already gotten a divorce.”
