Chapter 39 Will Jasmine Die Here?
"You don't look dirty to me. Serena's full of it," James said, as he handed some peanuts to Jasmine.
She didn't flinch. She just took the peanuts and popped one in her mouth.
What Serena didn’t know was that Jasmine had already done her homework on James, inquiring about him discreetly after the first time Serena joked about marrying her off to him.
James had bipolar and paranoid delusion disorders, but that didn’t mean he was always in a state of crisis. His episodes surfaced only under stress. When he was stable, he was indistinguishable from anyone else.
Jasmine’s time behind bars wasn't devoid of education; she had devoured psychology texts, gaining insight into the minds of individuals like James. She knew they hated being underestimated, had fragile egos yet strong protective instincts. To trigger that protective urge, she had to present herself as a victim far more vulnerable than they were.
"Auntie Geena suggested you take me as your bride, saying I could do 'that' for you," James said, moving closer to Jasmine, interpreting her silence as consent.
"Do you know I'm sick, too?" Jasmine asked, locking eyes with him. "I don't want to hurt you, but I think they're trying to harm you."
James stared at her, shock etching his face. "You're sick?"
"Do you think their kindness is genuine? How do they treat you normally?" Jasmine was taking a gamble.
"What a load of crap," James cursed. "They all look down on us. My dad's been with the Douglas family for years, and still, not one of them respects us."
"You see, the nanny usually couldn't care less about you, but suddenly she's trying to set you up with a wife. Don't you think that's weird?" Jasmine whispered.
"What's wrong with you?" James was starting to get angry; he always knew Sophia, the nanny, was no good.
"AIDS... it's contagious. Once you get it, there's no cure, and you'll die." Jasmine showed James the bruises marring her skin. "Look, I don't have much time left."
James flinched at the sight of the deep purple bruises on Jasmine's fair skin, instinctively stepping back from her.
"I don't know why the nanny would want to harm you," Jasmine sighed before continuing, "I overheard them whispering the other day. They said how you once went mad and hurt a young maid at the Douglas estate, tarnishing their reputation. Your dad has been with them so long; his salary is high and they can't just fire him. They want to replace him and to do that, they need to provoke you into making another mistake. If you hurt me, especially if I end up dying, it would blow up. You and your dad would be kicked out of the Douglas household. It's like killing two birds with one stone."
James's anger was boiling over and, unable to contain it, he grabbed a nearby stool and slammed it against the warehouse door.
Jasmine trembled with fear, curling up in a corner. She was terrified... if James lost control, she'd be caught in the crossfire.
"I knew she was trouble; she’s always had it in for my dad. I've heard her cursing at him several times!" James raged as he struggled with the door.
Jasmine hugged herself tightly, trying her best not to get hurt.
But James's frustration was beyond control. He went on a rampage, smashing things in the warehouse and cursing hysterically.
Outside, the nanny and several servants pretended not to hear, laughing and chatting as they ate fruit, clearly indifferent to the commotion.
"Could this turn deadly?" One servant muttered nervously.
"What's there to be scared of? If she dies, it's just bad luck for bothering a madman. It's not a crime if a lunatic kills someone," Sophia, the nanny, remarked coldly, almost as if death would be a convenient outcome.
The servants glanced fearfully in the direction of the warehouse. "Can Jasmine's small frame handle this? It looks like it could really end in death."
Upstairs.
Daniel stood by the window; his ears tuned to the commotion coming from the backyard warehouse even from upstairs.
Clenching his fists in agitation, he felt an urge to head downstairs.
All he wanted was for Jasmine to buckle, to admit she was wrong. He hadn't intended for her to die.
"Mr. Daniel! Miss Serena has coughed up blood!" At the worst possible time, Serena's room servant burst out, their voice tinged with panic.
Daniel sprinted to Serena's room. "Serena."
"Daniel, I'm so scared..." Blood still streaked from the corner of Serena's mouth. "Stay with me... Take me to the hospital, please."
Momentarily stunned, Daniel scooped up Serena in his arms and descended the stairs. He could no longer concern himself with Jasmine's welfare.
"Have the butler check on things, make sure no one dies," Daniel instructed the nanny right before he got into the car.
But the nanny couldn't help glancing at Serena.
Serena remained silent.
The nanny understood without a word and didn't immediately send anyone to unlock the warehouse door.
It was clear: Serena wanted Jasmine dead.
With Jasmine alive, Serena was engulfed in fear, haunted by the possibility that one day Jasmine might reclaim everything that belonged to her.
So, Jasmine had to die.
In the warehouse.
"Please, James, just calm down..." Despite Jasmine's pleas, no one came to open the door, and James was beyond reason and hurtled a stool through the air in her direction.
Curled up tightly while clutching her body, the stool hit her ear, leaving a two-centimeter gash. Blood spurted out instantly.
Her ear rang painfully. She now had temporarily lost hearing in her left ear, leaving her surrounded by silence.
James raged on, relentlessly smashing things.
Hunched in the corner, Jasmine's heartbeat rate slowed.
She wondered if this was where she would die.
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