Chapter 22
Johnny’s face clouded over as he admonished Xavier, “Hey, Xavier, we don’t talk like that around kids.”
Xavier’s expression shifted instantly, his voice gentler as he spoke to Yasmine. “I messed up with what I said. Don’t ever copy that, understand“”
Yasmine gave a small nod, taking his words to heart.
Xavier lifted her and placed her gently on the bed. “Has Alaric been messing with you?” he asked, his brows furrowed with concern.
Jessica’s frustration peeked through as she felt like she’d been ignored, “Yasmine, you’ve got to remember me, right?” she butted in, her voice edged with a hint of desperation.
Xavier s s annoyance was clear as he shot Jessica a cold stare.
Yasmine looked at Jessica, her confusion clear. “You’re..
Jessica stood there, decked out in a fancy princess dress and a tiara, the very image of privilege
Yasmine shook her head. “Nope, you’re not ringing any bells.”
“How could it be?” Jessica insisted, edging closer. Tm Jessica.”
[Man. Yasmine and Jessica standing together really shows how different their lives have been.]
[Yeah, Jessica’s totally living the princess life.]
[And Yasmine has to deal with two brothers‘ who can’t even take out the trash ]
[Give them some credit. They do what they can.]
Yasmine peered at Jessica, a faint memory of a girl from the leader’s family surfacing. The last time she saw Jessica was a year ago when Jessica came back to Lexcrity with her mom, crying and kicking a stone out of her way.
At that time, Yasmine had been foraging for scraps by the roadside. The stone Jessica kicked had come dangerously close to hitting her eye. She had risen to her feet, gripping the ground for support, and looked over at Jessica.
Jessica’s dad had been fetching her a glass of milk while her mom tried to calm her down. “Alright, darling, if Grandpa gives you some pocket money later, will you be a good girl? Let’s head home, okay?”
A flicker of envy had crossed Yasmine’s eyes, and she’d spoken up dryly, “You hit me
Jessica’s dad had recognized her then. “Isn’t this Eric’s girl?”
Jessica’s mom had sneered, “That orphan girl who’s bad luck? Her grandpa doesn’t even watch over her, letting her run wild and cause accidents. If a car luts her, the driver’s in for a nightmare.”
Yasmine had pursed her lips and repeated, “You hit me.”
Jessica had let out a shriek in Yasmine’s direction. “You dirty pest, stay away from me!”
Jessica’s mom had quickly ushered Yasmine away as she said to Jessica, “Come on, Jessica, don’t cry. Let’s go.”
Being an orphan in this poor town was tough, especially for a girl. Yasmine had endured countless unpleasant memories, and this one had faded over time, becoming unremarkable and unworthy of recall.
But now, with Jessica’s cheerful inquiry about whether Yasmine remembered her, that memory surged back, vivid and painful, Yasmine felt a sharp sensation, as if her eye comer was hurting again
“She said she doesn’t know you” Xavier frowned, his voice firm. “Are you trying to cozy up to her!”
Jessica’s mouth twitched in annoyance Cozy up to her she thought to herself. That’s a joke. Yasmine was nothing to me back then, not
even worthy of polishing my shoes
Chapter 2
다
But here Jessica was trying to play it off like they were best friends, all for the sake of the cameras and the and Alaric. She was determined to win their hearts with the same magic Yasmine had used
e approval of Johnny, Xavier,
Jessica was about to voice her grievances when, just then, Alaric swung the door open and strolled in, smooth as ever.
Yasmine’s voice broke the quiet, each word hitting like a punch. “You were in Lexcrity last year, kicking rocks, right? One of them nailed me. And you called me a dirty pest and told me to stay away from you. Her eyes were steady, her tone resolute.
Jessica’s expression faltered, a mask of shock and disbelief.
Xavier and Alaric shared a silent look, their disapproval clear. Even Johnny’s brow creased, a sign of his distaste.
The viewers exploded with reactions.
No way, is this for real?]
[Is Jessica that much of a bully?l
Yasmine had to bring it up in public? Sounds suspicious.]
[Nonsense. Yasmine said she didn’t know Jessica, but Jessica kept pushing it. Maybe Yasmine’s just remembering what Jessica did.]
Nonsen
Xavier moved in his hand gently cradling Yasmine’s face. Where did the rock hit you?” he asked, his voice stern.
Yasmine pointed to the corner of her eye, and Xavier’s anger was palpable as he turned to Jessica. “You did this on purpose, right? Were you trying to blind her?”
Jessica felt overwhelmed by the tension in the room and instinctively stepped back. “I didn’t do it, I swear,” she said. “I can’t remember it at all” She was telling the truth; her memories from last year were a blur, especially since she hadn’t been in her childhood body back then
Tears filled her eyes as Jessica realized she was in serious trouble. She turned to Johnny, her voice breaking. “Mr. Sanchez, I swear I didn’t do it.
Alaric took in the scene with a critical eye, thinking that Jessica’s performance wasn’t up to his sister’s standards, but he had to give it to her–it interesting to see the show take on such a young drama
queen
Johnny chimed in, his voice calm but firm. “Was it an accident with the rock?”
jessica seized the opportunity, her eyes brimming with tears. “I can’t remember, but if it happened, it was definitely an accident
Yasmine stayed quiet, her eyes being examined by Xavier. In a hushed voice, she reassured him, “My eyes are fine, really”
Xavier, however, wasn’t so easily convinced. “There’s a mark at the corner of your eye,” he said, his voice filled with concern.
Yasmine tried to touch it, but Xavier stopped her. He turned to Johnny’s secretary and said, “Go get some scar removal cream.”
The secretary nodded awkwardly and left, feeling the tension in the room.
As the door closed behind the secretary, Xavier turned to Jessica, his voice dripping with sarcasm, I don’t care if it was an accident or not. The fact that there’s still a scar after a year shows how deep that cut was.”
Thinking about it, it could have been really dangerous if it had hit her eye…
Did Jessica really call Yasmine a dirty pest?]
[Can any of us say we never used foul language as kids? Yasmine’s family doesn’t seem to discipline her, so it’s not surprising if others called her dirty]
Come on, we all saw on the show that Yasmine’s place is old, but she keeps it clean. She doesn’t look dirty at all
The room hadat erupted into arguments yet, but the comments section was already a battleground, with viewers taking sides over who was in the wrong–Jessica or Yaunine
Alaric broke the silence with a pointed question: “Did you apologize at the time?”
Chapter 22
Jessica stammered, caught off guard by Alaric’s question. L. She looked around, bewildered. It seemed everyone was lining up defend Yasmine.
