Chapter 3

Jasmine had been holding her tears back for a long time, but she finally let them fall as Martin walked further and further away. She gritted her teeth and forced herself to get up to her feet. Fighting the pain, she got a broom and a mop to clean up the shattered ceramic mugs and pools of spilled coffee. Some of the more kind-hearted colleagues came over to help, their eyes laced with sympathy as they looked at Jasmine. "I heard the lady asking for ice cubes and no sugar in her cup of coffee earlier. Why did she turn around and say completely different things? Jasmine, did you somehow offend her?" "Jasmine didn't have to offend her for her to behave this way. It's well known that she's arrogant and overbearing in the first place. She would throw a tantrum at the slightest irritation. "A lot of people in their social circle didn't like her, but Mr. Quinlan doted on her. So, no one dares to cross her." "Sheesh. I've never seen Mr. Quinlan love someone this deeply. Jasmine, you'll have to watch your steps now. Ordinary folks like us can't compare with heiresses like them. "What's more, Mr. Quinlan has her back. Yeah, she might mistreat you, but you can't do anything except take it." Jasmine could tell that they said what they said out of good intentions, but it made her feel all sorts of emotions at once, and she simply couldn't say anything. There was once when there was an issue with a contract she handled. It was the other company's fault, but they pinned the blame on her. However, even when she was up against the accusation and pressure, Martin refused to believe that it was Jasmine's fault. He defended his ground with strong reasoning and eventually cleared her name. Now, however, Alessa just casually made up a lie, and he didn't hesitate to pin the blame on her, not doing any investigation or giving her a chance to explain herself. Jasmine dedicated herself to her work and handled many problems for him. At the end of the day, however, he didn't even have a shred of trust in her. Was it because the truth didn't matter to him whenever Alessa was in the equation? Was her happiness the only thing that mattered? The thought sent a bitter ache into Jasmine's heart, the pain sharp and unbearable. It took her a long time to clean everything up. Then, she went back home, feeling utterly exhausted. She had just taken a shower when Martin's phone call came in. "Take some chamomile tea and a heating pad to my place now." Jasmine wasted no time in preparing them. Then, she drove to his villa. It had only been two or three days since she last saw the place. The simple and classy villa was barely recognizable now. Seamus Quinlan had planted some peach trees with his own hands, but they were relocated and replaced entirely with garden tulips. The black and white furniture in the room was swapped with yellowish pink sets as well—a color that Martin disliked the most. The display shelves were filled with jewelry, handbags, and gifts. It didn't take long to realize that it was Alessa's style. Jasmine took it all in quietly as she walked to the bedroom with its lights on and knocked on the door. Shortly after, Martin opened the door to take the things she brought over, finally taking a glance at her. With the coffee washed off, her wounds looked that much more frightening, immediately shocking him. "You're hurt very badly. Did you go to the hospital?" he asked. Jasmine didn't say anything and merely shook her head in response. Martin rubbed his eyebrows, and his tone softened at last. "Alessa wasn't feeling too well. She didn't mean to take her frustration out on you. Don't take it to heart. The salary I forfeited will be added to your year-end bonus. "Swing by the hospital and get it checked. Take a couple of days off if it's too serious. I'll approve them. You don't have to go through the leave application." "It's fine. Once the month ends, I'll—" Jasmine wanted to tell Martin that she was about to leave the company, but he didn't let her finish. He handed her a card and cut her off, "Do as I say. You have to get some rest because I need you to organize a welcome home party for Alessa." Just like that, Jasmine's words remained unspoken. She hummed in response, took the card, and left the villa. When the bedroom door closed, she heard Alessa's voice, sulky yet playful. "Martin, is the chamomile tea ready? I want you to rub my tummy." "I'm coming right now. You have to stay in bed and not move around." Hearing his tender tone brought a wry smile to Jasmine's face, and a hint of self-deprecation flashed in her eyes. She, too, had severe period cramps. She even passed out at the company several times, and her colleague had to take her to the hospital. When Martin learned of it, he merely approved her day off. He never visited her once, let alone prepare chamomile tea or heating pads. Jasmine had always thought he was just too busy and couldn't pull himself away from work. From the looks of things, however, he simply didn't care about her because he didn't love her. After she left his villa, she swung by the hospital for a quick dressing. After she took a few days' rest at home, she received the party proposal from Martin's other assistant. Everything was held to strict standards, including the floral arrangement, desserts, and the waiting staff's uniform. She only had three days to act on it, too. Perking herself up, she started making preparations for the party. Jasmine toiled away for a long time, and the party she organized finally commenced at 7:00 pm sharp. Alessa wore a custom-made dress and appeared before everyone's eyes. The guests huddled around her and complimented her so much that her heart soared. "It's been years, Ms. Shaughnessy, but you're still as elegant, graceful, and mesmerizing as ever. What a grand and splendid welcome home party this is. It looks like Mr. Quinlan's love for you hadn't lessened one bit." "Back in college, someone confessed to Alessa, and Mr. Quinlan immediately made it so the guy had to transfer to another college. Every time someone wrote her a love letter, he'd tear it to pieces. And if anyone badmouthed her, he would teach those pesky guys a lesson, beating them to a pulp." "Everyone in our social circle knows that Alessa was his first love and his precious little angel. Just look at the jewelry on her neck. It has got to be worth tens of millions of dollars. "The dress she's wearing is also custom-made and one of a kind. Mr. Quinlan had always gone all out to make Alessa happy."