In a fit of fury, I dragged her outside the house, certain my dad would back me up. But to my surprise, he didn't. He insisted I hear her out, but I refused and stormed inside.
I stepped onto the balcony to catch some fresh air, trying to calm myself. But what I saw next only fueled my anger, there she was, talking to Raymond. I couldn't believe it. The sight of them together pushed me over the edge
"Crystal, what are you doing in my house? Why are you even here? You'd better leave while I'm still being generous. Aren't you ashamed of yourself?"
She dropped to her knees, putting on a dramatic show that had my dad rushing outside. She started apologizing, even rolling on the floor in an over-the-top display. It was so insincere her actions screamed for attention rather than genuine remorse.
My dad called me inside, and from the look on his face, I could tell he wanted Crystal back.
When he insisted that we give her a second chance, I flatly refused. I knew she had nothing worthwhile to say, but I still listened to him, out of respect.
Meanwhile, Raymond just sat by the swimming pool, as if none of this was his concern. That was when it hit me that he was truly petty.
"Honey I am sorry for all that I did to you, it was the devil and peer pressure. I could not forget about you after that, your love made me realize my foolishness."
"Will you move away from my dad before I land a heavy punch on your face, I will never believe anything you say. Crystal, you are blaming the devil for your wickedness, shame on you and your entire generation. Dad let's sack this girl out of here. She is full of lies and pretense."
"Crystal after all you did to me, you want my forgiveness."
"Honey you can decide not to forgive me, all I ask is another chance to prove myself as a good wife."
"Dad don't give me that look, there is no way in this world I am allowing you to get back with this witch under human skin. She needs to leave now, I have heard enough of her nonsense."
"Jasmine, I know you're a generous person, and you've forgiven me for everything I did to you and your mom. I want to extend that same generosity to Crystal, giving her another chance to become a better person. I understand that being here with her might be uncomfortable for you, so we'll go back to my house tomorrow."
For the first time in my life, I found myself believing that witchcraft might actually be real. I couldn't understand my dad. There was no way I was going to let him leave the house, especially considering his condition, just so he could live under the same roof as her. It felt like my hands were tied, with no way out.
I spent the whole night thinking about it, and the next day, I finally told him they could stay at the villa instead. I knew exactly what Crystal was capable of, and I couldn't risk them being under the same roof.
I wasn't happy with the relationship I had with Raymond. It felt like he couldn't be himself with me around, and that bothered me. I signed some papers and went to every department to check on things, making sure everything was in order.
On the way home, I suddenly told him to pull the car over at a certain point.
"Raymond, what happened to us why have you been distant recently?"
"Madam, I didn't want to cross my boundaries."
"After the medical seminar, you started calling me 'madam.' I know I was distant from you that day, and I'm sorry for that. You're more than just my secretary, you're my friend, almost like a younger brother to me."
I wanted him to call me by my first name, but he refused, saying it made him uncomfortable. We headed home, and I had to take a deep breath to tolerate the presence of the woman my dad called his wife. She was on the phone but quickly hung up when she saw Raymond entering the building.
I walked past her, deliberately pretending she wasn't even there. If it were up to me, I'd be stepping on her head every time I saw her. I couldn't understand what my dad saw in her, even a blind man could see through her manipulative ways.
While I was talking with my dad, she suddenly appeared out of nowhere, interrupting our conversation and asking him if he wanted a massage.
"If you were my dad, would you allow a thief to give you a massage, knowing she could poison you or do something worse?"
I pushed her aside and gave my dad a massage instead. After all, my priority was to keep him away from her.
I stepped outside to talk to Raymond, but when I looked up, I saw them giggling together like old friends. My frustration flared, and I couldn't hold back. I walked to him and asked, "Why are you chatting with my enemy?"
"Madam, she is your enemy, not mine."
He embarrassed me in front of Crystal, and without saying another word, I went inside, my anger simmering.
Later that night, Raymond came into my room, saying he wanted to talk. I assumed he was there to apologize, so I squeezed my face in disbelief, bracing for whatever was coming.
"If you came to apologize, then forget it. I'm not accepting anything from you."
"Jasmine, I will apologize later, but right now, there's something more important. Crystal plans to take your dad's law firm after he dies."
I didn't bother to ask Raymond if he was telling the truth or not. I went straight to her room, pulled her off the bed, and gave her a double slap on both sides of her face.
"So you planned to take my dad's law firm after he dies. I knew you had something to do with his sickness."
"Jasmine I know you hate me but why would you accuse me of something like this."
"Continue pretending, you didn't know Raymond was recording your conversation. I knew you were a greedy witch, taking his assets was not enough you want to add his law firm."
"So what's the problem with wanting more? Your dad will trust my word over yours, so don't even bother. He chose me over your mom, and he'll choose me over you a hundred times.
Let me reveal a little secret to you, you were supposed to die that day, not your mom. I knew you'd be a problem one day, so I had someone cut the brake cable on the new car."
"WHAT!"
"I should killed you physically to have a hundred percent assurance you would be dead."