Chapter 2

Yasmine stayed seated on the floor for a long time until the clock chimed loudly at midnight. She stumbled back to the bedroom and began to pack her things. When she pulled out her marriage certificate with Charlie, her fingertips unconsciously dug into the paper. The embossed golden letters on the certificate shone so brightly that they made her eyes hurt. Yasmine never thought she and Charlie would end up getting a divorce. She lost her balance, causing her back to slam against the bookshelf. A few books fell onto the floor. She held back the ache she felt in her shoulder and picked them up, only for her eyes to glaze over when she saw their covers. The books that had fallen had all been storybooks. Zachary and Rachel would always pester her for bedtime stories. The two of them would curl up in her arms as they said sweetly, "Mom, we love you." Back then, she would have the kids in her arms while Charlie had his arms around her. A simple "Darling, you've worked hard today" was enough to melt away all the exhaustion she felt. In Yasmine's memory, he had been the perfect husband and father. He always kissed her with a smile before saying, "The more I do, the less tired you'll be." That was why he had been extremely involved with the kids since the moment they were born. Even while Zachary and Rachel were still in their cots, he would bathe them and make their bottles for them. He would even spend the whole night comforting the kids whenever they cried, so Yasmine could get a good night's sleep. When the twins were learning how to speak, he taught Zachary how to play the piano and braided Rachel's hair. He would always tell the kids about how he and Yasmine fell in love. Besides, Charlie was good to the kids without disregarding Yasmine at all. Her closet would always be filled with the newest designer gowns, and he would come up with endless surprises for her during every anniversary. The kids took after him and loved Yasmine to pieces. Every single day was filled with their sweet voices calling out for her. That was until Zara appeared once again. Charlie said that the orphanage needed to conduct follow-ups with the adoptive family. From that day onwards, the twins had begun to treat Yasmine like their enemy. They purposely threw paint on her and knocked over the meals she cooked for them. They would even bite and scratch at her arms like little beasts. "I hate Mom!" became their new motto. She tried her best to discipline them, only to be faced with even more hatred. She finally understood why. Blood was thicker than water. No matter how kind Yasmine was, she would always be an outsider compared to Zara. Yasmine tossed away every single present she had given to Zachary and Rachel. The tip of her finger was suddenly sliced open by the edge of a journal. Blood began to seep through the thin opening. She decided to open the journal and saw a family of four on the first page. The kids had used bright colors to decorate the area around Charlie and Zara's space. When she flipped the page, she saw a picture of herself with a bright red "X" over her face. The words "Evil hag!" were written next to it. Zachary had shown the page to Zara, who had giggled at the sight. When Yasmine asked to have a look, Rachel had stuck out her tongue at her. "We're not showing you!" Charlie had reassured her, "Don't take it to heart. They're just kids." Looking back at it now, she had been the butt of the joke all along. Yasmine finished looking through the journal with trembling fingers. The kids had written down fond memories that they shared with Charlie and Zara in their childish scrawl. As she read their messy handwriting, Yasmine found the image of Charlie in her head slowly becoming unrecognisable. During Children's Day, Charlie had taken Zara and the kids camping under the stars. The kids wrote about his gentle smile. That day, the kids had locked Yasmine in the seclusion room, where cockroaches and other bugs roamed the floors and walls. Charlie, however, was happily catching fireflies with Zara. On Valentine's Day, Charlie booked the whole aquarium just to satisfy one of Zara's childhood dreams. That day, Zachary had purposely hidden roses in Yasmine's headboard, knowing she was allergic. She had been rushed to the hospital covered in red welts, while Charlie carried a tired Zara on his back as they strolled through rows of shops. On Yasmine's birthday, Charlie had lied and said he had a work trip. He had gone to Pearlton and surprised Zara with fireworks above Pearlton Spire. That day, Rachel had smashed a bequest from Yasmine's mother and tossed Yasmine's puppy, Snowie, off the fourth floor. While Yasmine was crying over the bloody remains of her puppy, Charlie had been passionately kissing Zara next to a beautiful river. Every single word pierced through Yasmine's chest like poisoned darts. The kids' honesty had shown Yasmine the cruel truth—Charlie had betrayed their marriage. After those events, when he helped her apply ointment to her welts, prayed for her outside the operating room, or made the children apologize to her, it had all just been an act. Yasmine buried her face in her palms as her shoulders shook while she let out broken sobs. She finally managed to tidy up the mess and called the Listford residence. Half an hour later, the butler carefully passed her a folder of documents. "Mrs. Listford Senior has written up the divorce agreement. All you need to do is sign here. She will deal with Mr. Listford herself. This check is your reimbursement from her. Please take it." Yasmine clutched the check tightly as she scanned the number of zeroes on the check. Yasmine knew Josephine had wanted her to divorce Charlie since the moment she lost the ability to have children, but since she was Charlie's savior, Josephine had to wait for her to bring it up on her own accord. "Yasmine, please don't hate me. You can't bear children, and Charlie simply must continue the family name," Josephine had said over the phone with a sigh. Her words kept echoing in Yasmine's head. Yasmine nodded. "Okay. I'll take it." She would never owe Charlie or the Listford family anything ever again. The moment she signed her name, she heard a noise coming from the front door. Charlie suddenly entered the room. When he noticed their butler's flighty gaze, he frowned and hurried forward. "Yasmine, what did you just sign?"