The moment the car pulled away from the mansion's gates, Fati pressed her fist against her chest, choking on a wave of suffocating agony. She asked herself with a bitterness that devoured her soul: What kind of hideous nightmare had she just endured?! Were the men of this family truly this cruel?!
It started with her grandfather, who felt no hesitation in announcing Jaguar's engagement openly even before their own marriage had officially dissolved. Then came the ultimate blow from Jaguar himself, whom she saw with her own eyes holding onto that girl, Miranda! Was there a hidden truth being kept from her all along?! And why did all of this have to happen now... just as their relationship was drawing closer to completion, and bridges were finally being built between their hearts?! Was Jaguar's sole desire from the very beginning merely to shatter her pride and crush her spirit?!
And how could her grandfather allow a complete stranger the chance to belittle his own granddaughter, openly mocking the fabric rabbit her late mother had hand-crafted for her in her final days?! She knew her grandfather was unaware of the deep emotional value attached to that plush toy, but his ignorance gave neither him nor anyone else the right to crush her feelings and humiliate her so ruthlessly!
Fati tried to close her eyes to escape the burning pain, but the image of Jaguar standing so close to Miranda was etched behind her eyelids, refusing to fade.
She began striking her chest gently with her fist, trying to soothe the fire raging within her or calm her racing heart, yet the agony only deepened with every memory of what they had done to her. In a moment of total heartbreak she could no longer control, tears began to stream uncontrollably down her cheeks. She fought bravely to hold them back and remain strong, but this time, her tears overwhelmed her, flowing endlessly despite her every effort to stop them.
The driver took notice of her muffled sobs, slowing the car down and glancing at her through the rearview mirror with deep concern. He asked in a gentle tone,
- Ma'am... would you like me to pull over, or take you to the hospital? Or would you prefer that I drive you back to the mansion?
Fati cried out instantly, her voice laced with panic and outright refusal:
- No!... Do not take me back to the mansion
She could not bear the mere thought of stepping back into the prison that shattered her spirit time and again. Every single time she visited that cursed mansion, it seemed to remind her that she was nothing more than an unwanted stranger within its walls. Swallowing her tears, she forced a firm tone:
- Just continue driving to my apartment across from the hospital...
She gave him the address in detail, holding back her burning tears and pretending to be strong before the driver. Afterward, she lifted the fabric rabbit, holding it right in front of her face like a shield to hide her sorrow, staring out the window into the dark road. She whispered to herself with deep bitterness:
"Jaguar... I will never forgive you. You make me feel safe for a brief moment, only to throw me away as you always do!"
Upon the terrace, Jaguar roughly shoved Miranda's hand away the second Fati's car vanished from his sight. He charged inside with thunderous strides, leaving Miranda standing there with a malicious smile of victory; she foolishly believed she had succeeded in severing their final bond, and that her time had come to force him into marrying her.
Jaguar stormed into the main hall with a face dark with rage, confronting his grandfather in a fierce tone that shook the room:
- Why did you let Fati leave, Grandfather?
His grandfather was still paralyzed by shock and remorse, realizing how horribly he had insulted the plush toy crafted by his late daughter's own hands in her final days. He replied in a weak, trembling voice:
- I... I did not ask her to leave! I didn't mean to
At that moment, Jaguar completely snapped. He shattered his strict protocol and composure, abandoning the legendary calm he had always maintained in his grandfather's presence never once in his life had he raised his voice at him. But the sheer pain of the moment wiped away all boundaries, and he shouted in a terrifying roar, completely ignoring the guest's presence:
- What didn't you mean, Grandfather?! Do you have any idea how much effort and bitterness I had to endure just to convince her to step foot inside this mansion again?
His words trailed off abruptly as his gaze locked onto Fati's forgotten luggage resting against the wall. He froze in place, staring at it with deadly agony as a chilling realization washed over him: the exact same nightmare was repeating itself all over again... six whole years later
Jaguar reached down and picked up Fati's luggage, immediately noticing how incredibly light it was. Pain washed over him as he realized she had come fully expecting to leave the mansion sooner than anyone anticipated, bringing only a handful of clothes. Cluthing the bag, he hurried toward the main entrance to catch up with her, but the guest's voice stopped him a man who still failed to grasp the gravity of the humiliation he had helped cause. He asked obliviously,
- Jaguar, my boy... how can you leave so abruptly when we haven't even had dinner together yet?
At that moment, Miranda stepped inside from the terrace doors, boldly reaching out to slide her hand into Jaguar's once more to pull him back inside.
- Please, do not go, Jaguar.
But Jaguar yanked his hand away with cold hatred, piercing her with a lethal glare that made her heart skip a beat.
He turned his focus entirely to her father, declaring in a harsh, menacing voice,
- Sir... I never once expressed any desire to share a meal with you. And mark my words if my wife suffers even a single scratch of hurt because of this ridiculous engagement announcement, understand clearly that every single investment and partnership between our companies will be terminated immediately!... Especially considering that the person harmed today is the granddaughter and rightful heir of the woman who founded this very company
He then fixed his gaze upon his grandfather, adding with cold blame before heading for the door,
- And I honestly have no idea why you ever entertained the thought that I would abandon my wife... or that I would blindly obey you and divorce her
A ache of longing constricted Jaguar's throat, and in that moment, he wanted to shout at the top of his lungs before everyone:
"My love... my absolute adoration!" to proclaim to the entire world how deeply he cherished his wife, and that a single strand of her hair was worth more to him than the billions he stood to lose by severing this partnership! Yet he restrained himself at the final second; he realized that Fati alone deserved to hear his tender words and genuine adoration, not these heartless strangers! Fati was the one worth chasing to the very ends of the earth, kneeling before her to beg for forgiveness for every word she heard and every sight that wounded her pride!
Then his gaze darkened as he remembered how his grandfather had pushed him into marrying her, planting the seed of revenge in his mind years ago and now he was trying so carelessly to tear them apart!
Jaguar fixed his eyes upon his grandfather, his voice cold and sharp as steel:
- So do not forget, Grandfather, that you were the one who planted the idea of revenge in my head in the first place! If I am the one who must pay the price for this ruin... then you are far more deserving of paying it than I am
He paused for a second, pouring out his final, devastating condition before turning away:
- And the day you cease to be her grandfather... is the day I will cease to be her husband
He delivered those decisive words and walked out of the mansion with unbroken pride, never once looking back, clutching her light bag tightly to his chest. His heart and mind were completely consumed by a single desperate desire to earn her forgiveness. Guilt tore through his chest for letting her down once again, despite swearing to himself that he would never allow anything to cloud her pure spirit ever again... yet he had done so, without even realizing it