Chapter 2

Sean's voice quickly echoed throughout the entire villa.

Jasmine dragged Sean to the hospital that very night.

The alcohol had completely worn off, and his face was dark with anger.

Jasmine glanced at Sean's profile. At least as a man, he showed no signs of getting physical.

Jasmine didn't want to deal with his mood either, but his IV drip wasn't finished yet. No matter what, she was the one who kicked him, so she couldn't just completely ignore him.

Sean's phone suddenly vibrated. He answered it quickly, his tone gentler than Jasmine had ever heard: "Kayla..."

On the other end was Kayla's slightly trembling voice: "Sean, the paparazzi who photographed us at the airport seem to have followed me. They're right outside my door, knocking. What should I do?"

"Don't be scared. Keep the door locked and don't open it. I'm coming right now."

With his right hand, Sean pulled at the IV tube and yanked the needle out from the back of his hand. Under the white medical tape, red blood quickly spread. He seemed not to notice at all, grabbed his coat and car keys, and strode away.

Before Jasmine could react, Sean had already disappeared.

Was he really just leaving her like this?

Looks like that kick wasn't hard enough.

Why didn't she just kick him hard enough to really hurt him?

Jasmine took a taxi home. When she got there, she saw Sean handing a cup of hot water to Kayla.

Seeing Jasmine, Kayla smiled graciously and greeted her: "Long time no see. I hope I'm not interrupting?"

"Is there any chance you've already interrupted me?" Jasmine looked at her with a half-smile.

"Jasmine—" Sean's face darkened so much it looked like water could drip from it. He called her name through gritted teeth.

But Kayla didn't seem to mind. She smiled and shook her head at Sean: "Sean, don't let me cause trouble between you two."

She looked at Jasmine again: "If it's not convenient, I can find another hotel."

Jasmine watched their intimate exchange and felt oddly disgusted. She actually started dry heaving.

Sean's face grew even darker: "Jasmine, that's enough—"

Jasmine waved at them: "Sorry, it's just a physical reaction, I'm not disgusted by you two. I've been up half the night and I'm really tired. You guys do whatever you want."

As she spoke, she went upstairs to sleep. She was a patient after all, and she needed proper rest.

When Sean came back to the room, he yanked Jasmine's blanket off: "Jasmine, there are some things I need to make clear with you."

Having just been woken up when she was about to fall asleep, Jasmine's irritation reached its peak: "Oh, you remembered to come back? I thought you'd be sleeping in her room tonight. Whatever it is, talk tomorrow. I need to sleep."

"What nonsense are you talking about? Listen, Kayla is just staying at the house for a few days. I hope you won't cause trouble during this time." Sean's tone was half warning.

Jasmine let out a cold laugh: "A few days? Three days or a week? Or maybe a week isn't enough—a month? A year? Do you need me to give up my space for you two?"

Sean was angered by her sarcasm: "Jasmine, why are you so cold-blooded? Kayla is being followed. It's dangerous for her to stay alone in a hotel. Can you stop being so passive-aggressive?"

To avoid appearing weak, Jasmine deliberately sat up: "So I don't even have the right to question this?"

"What do you think?" Sean responded impatiently.

Clearly, in Sean's eyes, she didn't have that right.

Jasmine looked at Sean, this man she'd been married to for three years. At this moment, he felt somewhat like a stranger.

She knew there was no love between them. Her father and stepmother had worked together to send her to his bed, like putting them both in a cage—trapping her and trapping Sean too.

So at first, she felt guilty toward Sean. She tried hard to make it up to him and worked very hard to improve their relationship.

The facts proved that a relationship between two people can't work with only one person's effort.

She suddenly felt tired.

Three years.

She didn't have another three years. Why keep wasting time with him for no reason? Why not do something she actually wanted to do?

Seeing Jasmine still not speaking, Sean seemed to realize his words had been too harsh. He tried to speak calmly with her: "I just want to tell you that Kayla just got back to Astoria. She has no one to rely on. I can't just ignore her."

"So?" Jasmine glanced at him sideways. "If you really want to rekindle your old flame with her, I'll make room for you. I'll move out tomorrow."

Sean's brow furrowed slightly. He closed his eyes, not wanting to see Jasmine's sarcastic look: "Think whatever you want. Either way, my conscience is clear."

After a pause, he added: "There's one more thing. Kayla majored in AI bionic technology at Crestview University. She's a tech talent that many companies want to recruit. Take her with you to talk to Zachary again. With her there, Zachary will better see that our company's technology is way ahead of other companies, and the negotiation will be easier."

Jasmine thought Sean's lingering romantic feelings had made him lose his head temporarily, but she didn't expect him to make such reckless work arrangements.

"Sean, do you think the partnership with Horizon Tech is child's play? She knows nothing about our products, and all those technical plans are just empty promises. Do you really think Horizon Tech will buy into this?" Jasmine's words were blunt.

Sean's anger flared up at her words: "Don't be so full of yourself. The company's core is in technology, not sales. If she has the ability, she should be recognized. Jasmine, don't mix personal and professional matters."

"You're the one mixing personal and professional matters. This contract is something our team worked hard on for over two months. I won't allow an outsider to take credit for our team's hard work." Jasmine firmly stated her position.

She was suddenly and deeply disappointed in Sean. If his bringing Kayla back without restraint had already crossed her bottom line, then interfering with her work was making her absolutely furious.

Looking at her stubborn face, Sean felt somewhat helpless.

How should he explain it so she views Kayla with a normal mindset?

"Sorry, I didn't mean to overhear your conversation, but it seems things about me have caused disagreement between you. I'm really sorry." There were two knocks on the door. Kayla gave Jasmine an apologetic smile and spoke sincerely.

Sean's originally cold face quickly broke into a smile: "Kayla, it has nothing to do with you. You don't need to apologize."

Kayla smiled at Jasmine: "If my being here makes you uncomfortable, I'll find another hotel."

Sean said to her: "It's really not because of you. It's about work. Go back to your room and rest well, adjust to the time difference. I can handle everything."

Kayla hesitated for a moment, slowly nodded, and went back to the guest room.

Sean looked at Jasmine coolly from the doorway, his eyes carrying a warning: "Think it over yourself. When you've figured it out, come find me. I'm going to sleep in the study."

This woman who doesn't know how to be flexible needs to be taught a lesson.

Jasmine almost ground her back teeth to dust. Kayla had barged directly into her home—how could she truly feel sorry? Her apparent concessions were actually steps forward.

No, Sean wasn't blind to it. He'd been indulging her all along. Or rather, he never felt he owed her any explanation.

Whatever. None of it mattered anymore.

This man—she suddenly didn't want him anymore.

Her life was already so short she could see the end. Her body could feel itself fading away. For the time left, she didn't want to be trapped in this endless internal struggle.

She should give her life back to herself and give Sean's life back to Sean.

The one he's always loved is back. She, who's never truly been part of his life, should leave now.

She took out her phone, found a familiar profile picture, and sent a message: [Kevin, can you help me draft a divorce agreement?]