Chapter 2

Chapter 2 He had completely forgotten it was Charlene’s birthday. Even though Charlene had braced herself for disappointment, she still couldn’t help but feel a sting of sadness.

After getting ready for the day, she was about to head downstairs when she heard Jasmine and their nanny, Latonia, chatting away.

“Is everything alright, sweetie? You seem a bit down,” Latonia inquired, concern lacing her voice.

Jasmine answered sadly, “I was really looking forward to hitting the beach with Ms. Hawkins tomorrow. Dad and I had everything planned. Now that Mom’s shown up out of nowhere, it’d be kind of awkward if she came with us. And Mom’s always so mean to Ms. Hawkins.”

Latonia said, “Honey, she’s your mom. You shouldn’t talk like that. It could hurt her feelings.”

“I know, but Dad and I like Ms. Hawkins more. Can’t I have Ms. Hawkins be my mom?”

Charlene couldn’t make out Latonia’s response after that. She had raised Jasmine with all the love a mother could give. Yet these past two years, the father–daughter bond had seemingly grown stronger with her husband, Thorne, spending more time with Jasmine. Thome had moved to Goldland last year to expand his business, and Jasmine insisted on going with him.

Heartbroken, Charlene had hoped Jasmine would want to stay with her. But she couldn’t stand the thought of Jasmine being unhappy, Go she agreed. And then...

Charlene froze, her face turning pale as Jasmine’s words weighed her down, rooting her to the spot. She had taken time off work to come to Goldland, hoping to spend more quality time with Jasmine. But it seemed utterly pointless then.

Retreating to her room, Charlene carefully repacked the gifts she had brought from home into her suitcase.

Later, Latonia called to say she had taken the child out, telling Charlene to reach out if she needed anything.

Sitting on the bed, Charlene felt an overwhelming sense of emptiness. She had made this trip, leaving her job behind, only to realize only to realize they didn’t need her. Her presence felt like a joke.

After some time, she left the house and wandered through this land that was both foreign and familiar to her.

It wasn’t until nearly noon that she remembered she had made lunch plans with Thorne. Recalling the morning’s conversation, she hesitated on whether to go back and include her daughter when a message from Thorne popped up.

[Something’s come up. I need to cancel lunch.]

Charlene wasn’t surprised. She had grown accustomed to this. To Thorne, work or social gatherings and everything seemed more important than his wife.

He would cancel their plans on a whim, never considering her feelings. Did it hurt? Maybe it once did. But at the moment, Charlene felt numb, immune to the disappointment.

Charlene felt even more lost. She had come all this way, eager and hopeful, only to be met with indifference from both her husband and her daughter.

Before she knew it, she was standing outside a restaurant she and Thorne used to go to all the time. As she was about to enter, she spotted Thorne, Vesta Hawkins, and Jasmine inside, cozily seated together.

Vesta was engaging warmly with their daughter, sharing laughs and bites of her pastry while Thorne looked on with affection, his attention seemingly reserved for Vesta alone.

So, this was Thorne’s important matter. And there was their daughter, born from Charlene’s flesh, enjoying the company of another woman.

Charlene laughed bitterly. She watched them for a moment longer, then turned and walked away.

Back at the villa, Charlene prepared a divorce agreement.

Thorne had been the dream of her youth, yet he had never cared about her. If it weren’t for that one night’s mistake and the pressure from their families, he would have never married her.

She had naively thought he would notice her one day if she tried hard enough. But reality had slapped her hard in the face.

It had been almost seven years. It was time to wake up.

She placed the divorce papers in an envelope and gave them to Latonia, telling her to hand them to Thorne. Then, with her suitcase in tow, Charlene instructed the driver, “Take me to the airport.”