Married To My Ex-Lover: A heart shattered, a love reborn

"Yes! I made it! I'm finally a graduate!" Jasmine squealed, her smile lighting up her face as she turned to Natalie, her best friend who was seated beside her in the backseat.

"Yes, bestie, we made it." Natalie laughed, squeezing Jasmine's hand tightly. They have been inseparable since their second year in college. They did almost everything together since they live in the same dorm. Although their majors are different, that doesn't hinder the bonds between them.

"Let's go." Jasmine flung the car door open. "I can't wait to see Ethan. It felt like a lifetime I've seen him." Jasmine hurriedly stepped out of the car, while Natalie used the other door.

Dressed in a short, tight, black gown, paired with eight-inch stilettos, with a small clutch in hand, Jasmine walked elegantly towards the clubhouse, where the celebration of their graduation is held.

The moment she entered, the blast of the loud music playing in the room almost made her retreat.

Natalie's hand caught her arm gently.

"Hey babe, where are you running to? Aren't you eager to meet your boyfriend?"

Jasmine froze, her smile faltering for a second as she met Natalie's blue eyes. There was something there. Something sharp behind the warmth, but she brushed it off.

Jasmine took a deep breath and walked into the booked private room, Natalie trailing behind her. What she didn't see was the hatred that flashed across Natalie's eyes the moment she turned away.

"Hey Jasmine, you are finally here." Jasmine's blonde classmate walked up to her with a glass of wine in hand, her cheek rosy from drinking.

Jasmine nodded. She exchanged pleasantries with some of her classmates in the room, her eyes searching every corner to catch a glimpse of her boyfriend. However, he was nowhere to be found.

Jasmine's brow knitted together. Where could he be? Didn't he inform me earlier that he would be here? Just as her mind was running wild, one of Ethan's friends came out from another door inside the private room. It turns out that there is another private room in the room they are currently celebrating.

"Jasmine, you are finally here." Donald sighted Jasmine immediately and walked up to her with a sloppy smile. His movements were somehow stiff. Jasmine turned around to see Donald walking towards her.

"Hey Natalie, you are here too." Donald happily waved at Natalie, a sweet smile plastered on his face.

"Donald, where is Ethan? Have you seen him?" Before Jasmine could ask, Natalie had already rushed forward and held Donald's hands, her eyes sparkling as she leaned forward.

None of them think that Natalie's behavior was off. She had always been like that when it came to Ethan, making everyone think that she cared about Ethan because he was Jasmine's boyfriend.

"You...you mean Ethan?" Donald stuttered while Natalie nodded. "He is in there with some friends. He had been waiting for you guys to arrive." Donald pointed at the door he came out from earlier.

"Thank you, Donald." Jasmine appreciated before she turned around and rushed towards the door, her heart pounding in anticipation. She can't wait to see Ethan. It's been more than a day since she had seen him due to their graduation preparations.

Natalie dropped Donald's hand and followed behind Jasmine. Her face twisted briefly with loathing before she quickly masked it, afraid that someone would see her loathful expression.

Jasmine paused for a few seconds to check herself out the moment she reached the door. Her gaze ran all over her body, trying to check if anything was out of place. By then, Natalie had caught up.

"Why aren't you going in?" Natalie asked, leaning forward to peek through the small gap between the door.

"I was just trying to see if anything was out of place." Jasmine said with her head bowed as she straightened the invisible crease on her dress.

"Come on babe, you are perfect. Let's go in already." Natalie said reassuringly, not even looking at Jasmine, eyes still fixed between the small opening of the door.

"Alright. Let's go in." Jasmine said as she pushed the door open. She entered first, while Natalie walked behind her.

The atmosphere in the room was different from that of the outside. A snooker table was surrounded by three handsome men. Two of them were holding the snooker cue in their hands, their eyes fixed on the balls on the table. The third man was standing not far away,

He was twirling with a glass of champagne in his hand, his eyes fixed on the snooker board. The room seemed to shrink around him as he stood there in a black pants and white shirt.

Jasmine's gaze clung to him, unblinking, as if letting go might erase him from her sight. Her palm was slick with sweat. Four years of longing twisting in her chest with every heartbeat.

Natalie's gaze also lingered on him, her lips pressing together as her eyes flickered with hesitation and something unspoken. The hit on a ball echoed all over the room, bringing everyone out of their reverie.

The men hadn't noticed them yet. They were all immersed in the game as they continued their discussion.

"Ethan," Josh called, dropping his snooker cue beside the table as he turned around.

"Hmm," Ethan answered, his eyes still focused on the game as if in his own world.

"It's been four years already. When are you planning to tell Jasmine that you don't love her? Or have you forgotten that you being with her was because of a bet we made four years ago?"

The room suddenly felt smaller, suffocating. Jasmine's eyes widened, her mouth wide agape with her fists clenched tightly beside her.

No. Josh must be saying nonsense. Ethan loves me so much. He wouldn't dare play with my feelings... Jasmine convinced herself in her heart as she stood rooted in place, waiting for Ethan's reply as Josh's words kept on ringing in her ears.

A bet...? Four years...?

Natalie and Williams, the third guy in the room, eyes widened, mouth parted as they took in what they just heard. Natalie looked between Ethan and Jasmine who were frozen in place just like herself.

Who didn't know that Jasmine and Ethan are madly in love on campus? Josh's revelation was like an eye opener. Who would have thought that Ethan was just playing Jasmine.

Jasmine's sharp nails dug into her flesh, a tiny bead of blood drawn as she took in Ethan's expression. He didn't comment on what Josh just said. He just stood there, his expression unreadable.

The man she had loved with all her heart for the past four years was with her not because her love for him was reciprocated, but because he made a bet with his friend.

She felt stupid and played. She wanted to rush over and confronted Ethan, who was still silent, his face creased in a frown as if thinking about something, but was stopped by Josh's next words.

"Don't tell me you really fell in love with her, Ethan?" Josh walked towards Ethan and tapped him on his shoulder, seeing how lost he was. Josh's lips curled up in triumph.

Jasmine's heart felt like it was about to stop as she awaits Ethan's response, her fists still clenched tightly around her clutch.

"I was just fooling around with Jasmine. Why would I fall in love with her? It's just a game bro." Ethan said with a small chuckle, but no one knew the pain he felt in his heart the moment he said that. His heart felt heavy.

His chuckle faded just as it came. He raised the champagne glass to his lips, pretending to take a sip, though the liquid burned his throat more than usual.

He said that just now in order to look exactly like the same Ethan his friends knew - cold, composed, and unfeeling. But deep down, he knew the truth.

He loved Jasmine. He had fallen for her long ago. The moment she gave him her sweetest, shy smile without any expectations. Her carefree, gentle, and sweet soul had long held a place in his heart.

The bet with his friend has started as a foolish game in their freshman year, a dare to win the heart of the quiet, unattainable cold-beauty. But what had started as a bet had turned into something real. Something that terrified him.

In his attempt to look strong and unfeeling in front of his friends, he had just spat out the biggest lie of his life. He had lied about the one thing that meant the world to him.

Ethan's words were the deal breaker for Jasmine. The tears she had been holding in her eyes fell silently, her hand pressed on her aching chest.

If she hadn't heard this from Ethan himself, she wouldn't have believed it if someone else had told her about it. Her eyes were still fixed on him as she cried silently, still in disbelief at the sudden heartbreak. The man in front of her was familiar, yet unfamiliar.

A few minutes ago, she dolled up and was happy to see him. And now? Her happiness was turned into heartbreak by the only person she thought cared about her the most in this world.

With no courage to confront Ethan, Jasmine turned around. Before she left, she turned back to look at him for the last time, as if waiting for him to refute all that was said just now, but nothing came out of his mouth.

With an aching heart, Jasmine dashed out of the room silently, just like the way she had entered, not calling attention to herself, tears streaming down her face.

Natalie, who was still in the room, looked at Ethan in disbelief. Amidst her disbelief was also a small triumph smile dancing in her eyes.

Without saying anything, she also left the room, but she didn't chase after Jasmine, instead, she made a detour toward the rooftop, her lips curling faintly as she dialed a number. Both women left without Ethan and his friends knowing, just like when they entered earlier.

Jasmine dashed out of the clubhouse in tears. No matter how she tries to wipe it off, it continues falling. As if the revelation of her lover wasn't enough, a drop of rain fell on her skin, and before she knew it, the rain became heavy, drenching her. She was barely aware of where she was going.

'I have to leave. I have to escape from Ethan.' Her brain screamed as she walked down the street inside the heavy rain, her perfectly styled hair hung in dripping stands across her tear-streaked face.

Her black gown clung to her skin, soaked and heavy, her heels clinking unevenly on the wet road as she walked down the road like a lonely ghost, her clutch held tightly between her fingers.

Each step she took felt like walking through broken glass - sharp, painful, cutting deep into her heart. The words Ethan spat out a moment ago kept on replaying in her head. "Why would I fall in love with her? It's just a game, bro."

Jasmine let out a broken sob, her tears mixing with the rain water that kept pouring on her face. Her sobs were swallowed by the sound of thunder that kept on roaring into the night. The world seemed to be weeping with her.

Every smile, all late night calls, every promise, was all a lie. She had trusted him when everyone had said Ethan Morgan was dangerous, a man who played with women's hearts like it worth nothing.

She believed she was different. He had treated her lovingly, unlike the rumors. How foolish she was to think she meant the world to him, just like he meant to her.

"Why, Ethan?" Jasmine screamed as she kept on walking into the pouring rain. "Why would you do this to me? How dare you play with my feelings?"

What answered her was the roaring thunder that kept on rumbling across the night sky, echoing her pain like a cruel reminder that the heavens themselves were bearing witness to her heartbreak.

"No, I can't just leave like that!" Jasmine stopped suddenly. "Leaving like this wasn't enough. I needed answers. I have to confront Ethan and look into his eyes and ask him why? What was my crime for him to play with my feelings?"

Her palm moved towards her face, trying to clean the tears and rain water out of her face, her body trembling. Summoning the little strength she had left, Jasmine turned around, her soaked heels slipping slightly on the wet road.

She started making her way back to the clubhouse inside the heavy rain, her vision blurred by the heavy downpour. She didn't notice the car speeding towards her, the car headlights blazing through the storm. The light hit her face, blinding her for a split second, and then everything went blank.

The sound of metal colliding with flesh and bone ripped through the storm. Her body was thrown violently against a lamppost, the impact echoing across the empty street.

For a moment, time stood still. Jasmine's small frame crumpled to the ground, her once-glowing skin now pale beneath the rain. Her blood mixed with the puddle around her, painting the ground crimson.

The car didn't stop. Its tires screeched as it sped away into the night, disappearing around the corner without a trace, hesitation, no remorse.

Jasmine's lips parted slightly, a soft, painful gasp escaping them as her trembling fingers reached out weakly, grasping for something, or someone who was no longer there.

"E-Ethan," she whispered faintly, her lips barely moving. Her body shuddered once, twice, before going still, the rain continuing to fall relentlessly, washing her blood across the pavement.

Around Jasmine, the world remained indifferent, the streetlights flickering weakly, and the storm raged on, drowning out the last breath of the woman whose only sin was loving too deeply.

****

Back inside the clubhouse, Donald made his way back into the room, his body slightly wet. Ethan and his friends looked up and saw him. Josh and Williams continue their game, while Ethan's face is stoic, the words he said earlier still haunting him.

"Didn't you go to the restroom? How did you get wet?" Josh questioned Donald as he walked towards them, his eyes filled with mischief as he hit one of the snooker balls.

"It's none of your business, Josh." Donald shrugged, not wanting to answer Josh, who he knew was teasing him. Donald looks all over the room but he doesn't see Jasmine and Natalie.

"Huh, where is Jasmine and Natalie? I saw them making their way inside here earlier."

Ethan's champagne glass fell as he heard Donald's words. His hand was shaking. Josh and Williams stilled, all eyes focused on Donald.

"What? Jasmine was here earlier?" Ethan rushed towards Donald, his hand grabbing his shoulder.

"Yes, I told them you guys were waiting for them here. Why can't I see them?" Donald, oblivious of what has happened in his absence, was puzzled by the look on his friends' faces.

"Did they eavesdrop on everything we said a few minutes ago?" Josh spat as he ran a hand into his hair, exhaling sharply.

Ethan's feet felt heavy as he stood in place. He couldn't help imagining the pain Jasmine is in after hearing all that he had said earlier. Fuck his ego. Without thinking, Ethan rushed towards Josh and punched him hard on his face.

"It's all your fault!" He roared. "You did that purposely. You said all that earlier to provoke me, knowing Jasmine would be here right?"

Ethan was about to punch Josh again when Donald and Williams, who was shocked at Ethan's reaction, rushed forward and grabbed him, separating them from each other.

Josh was punched speechless by Ethan. He regained his senses after a few seconds. "Are you out of you fucking mind, Ethan? I asked a question and you gave me an answer. What does that have to do with me knowing that Jasmine will be here?

And by the way, all I said earlier was the truth. We all know you are with her due to a bet you made with me four years ago. Why are you going berserk after knowing that Jasmine knew you were just playing with her?"

Donald finally put one and two together and understood all that happened in his absence. "Fuck Ethan, you are a fucking bast..."

Ethan didn't allow Donald to finish his words before he freed himself from his friends' grip. He threw a dirty glance at Josh way before he took his blazer and car key, making his way towards the door.

Before he opened the door, he glanced at Josh and said, "better pray that Jasmine forgives me and not break up with me because of your nonsense. If not, be ready to face the consequences of your actions."

And with that, Ethan jammed the door behind him and left the clubhouse, his heart filled with how much pain Jasmine must be in right now.

Natalie walked into the cold night with an umbrella shielding her from the pouring rain. Her gaze was fixed on Jasmine, who was lying in the pool of her blood, her gaze sharp and dark.

She took slow, steady steps towards Jasmine, her heels tapping gently into the puddle. She stopped two feet away from Jasmine and gazed at her for a few seconds before bending over, her umbrella still held in her hand.

Natalie's lips curved into a cold, satisfied smile as she crouched beside Jasmine's pale body. The rain dripped off her umbrella, droplets splashing onto Jasmine's pale face.

"Such a pity, my dear Jasmine." Natalie whispered as she patted Jasmine's cheek, trying to get a reaction from her, but Jasmine had already passed out, however, she could hear some faint voices around her.

"You wouldn't have been in this condition had you not love the wrong person. You should have stayed away from Ethan. Why did he love you and not me?" Natalie's hand tightened around the umbrella handle, her eyes blazing.

"No matter how many times I confessed my love to him, he never looked at me, all because of you. I should have been the one by his side and not you. It's all your fault."

Natalie spat, her voice dripping with something cold, her lips curling as if the words themselves taste bitter. She had also loved Ethan for the past few years she had known him. Being friends with Jasmine was part of her scheme in getting Ethan. Who knew that Ethan's heart is already filled with only Jasmine, and for that, she hated Jasmine more.

She was the one behind Jasmine's accident. She had hired a hit-man a few days ago. Her plan was to take Jasmine out of the way in order to be with Ethan. After hearing all that Ethan's said earlier, she was quite happy.

She had rushed to the rooftop, trying to contact the hit-man not to do the job anymore. However, it was too late. He wasn't picking up. It was after he had run Jasmine over she received a call from him.

Instead of feeling pity for Jasmine, she felt that Jasmine deserved all that was happening to her. All the pain Ethan's rejection had caused her, Jasmine must also taste it.

After Natalie says her fill, she stands up and turns around, not minding if Jasmine survived or not. A faint sound of phone ringing stops her. She turned around and saw Jasmine's clutch not far away.

She walks towards it and picks it up. She fished out Jasmine's phone and saw that it was Ethan calling. Her eyes lit up as if Ethan had called her directly. She immediately picked up the call, but she didn't say anything. She waited patiently for Ethan to speak.

"Mimi, where are you? Can we talk? All that you heard earlier was all a lie. I love you so much. I was just trying to..." Natalie angrily hung up the call, her anger brewing more.

How dare Ethan? Didn't he say he doesn't love Jasmine a few minutes ago? Why is he changing his words again? With hatred, Natalie maliciously kicked Jasmine leg and spat, "you deserve being run-down by a car, you vixen. I hope you will never survive this."

After saying that, Natalie took Jasmine's phone and left the crime scene, not minding if Jasmine survives the accident.

****

Ethan made way to his car inside the heavy rain in a rush, his hand shaking as he opened his Rolls-Royce door. He kept on trying Jasmine's number, but no one was picking up. He had called earlier to explain himself, and also try to know how she was feeling, but he was hung up on.

After getting behind the wheel, Ethan drove out of the clubhouse and sped off into the rain. His mind was occupied with how fast he could reach Jasmine.

He drove straight to Jasmine's apartment. Halfway there, he received a message from Jasmine. He happily picks up his phone, but what he saw next shattered his heart.

He didn't know when he parked his car, his hand clutching tightly on the steering wheel as he stared at the pictures, his hands shaking, his eyes widened.

In a room, Jasmine was lying under the sheet with another man, cuddling happily. The pictures look real. And the fact that the pictures were taken in Jasmine's room shattered Ethan's heart more.

The woman under the sheet was none other than Jasmine. Her head was lying peacefully on the man's chest, her eyes closed. He zoomed in on the picture, trying to find a clue that it was all fake, but all he saw makes the pictures painfully convincing.

The curtains, the bedspread, even the painting hanging on the wall was a gift he gave her on her last birthday. Ethan's chest heaved rapidly, his breath ragged as he slammed his fist against the steering wheel.

Under the pictures was a message. "You aren't the only one who can play, Ethan? Two can play the game. I was also fooling around with you. This is my real boyfriend."

"Damn it, Jasmine." Ethan shouted, his car feeling the weight of his anger. "After all the years we spent together, you finally showed me that you are just like the other girls who played with my feelings."

Ethan laughed bitterly, his voice cracked. Deep down, he doesn't want to believe the pictures, but all the details and evidence was real. There was no sign of the pictures being photoshopped, or any trick of AI.

He immediately dialed Jasmine number again, but it was switched off. 'I better not get my hands on you, Jasmine.' Ethan thought as he stared outside the car window, watching the rain as it kept pouring.

His phone buzzed after a few seconds. His eyes lit up as hope flickered in his chest, thinking it was Jasmine calling, but the name he saw made his face cold, the light in his eyes dim instantly. It was his father.

Without thinking twice, he switched off his phone angrily. With an anger-filled chest, he started his car and drove off to his apartment. The rain kept falling, the darkness outside matching the one slowly swallowing his heart.

****

It had been more than twenty minutes since Jasmine's accident. She was left lying on the road under the rain without any help. No car was passing by due to the heavy rain. A few miles away, a car sped towards the road Jasmine was laying in the pool of her blood.

The headlights cut through the darkness, water splashing everywhere due to the speed of the black SUV. It suddenly slowed down a few meters before reaching where Jasmine was lying.

"What happened, John? Why did you slow down?" A middle aged man's voice echoed from the back seat.

"Sir, there seems to be an accident. Someone is lying down there. I don't know if he or she is alive."

"Stop the car." Dr. Andrew immediately opened the backseat door and stepped out, not minding if the accident was a trap.

"Sir, please be careful." John unbuckled his seat belt and stepped out of the car. Before John could say anything, his boss was already crouching over, checking if Jasmine was still breathing.

"She is still breathing. Come help me carry her into the car." John rushed forward. With his help, Jasmine was carried into the car.

"Drive to the nearest hospital immediately." Dr. Andrew instructed John, who immediately got into the car.

"Sir, did you know her? She kinda looks familiar." John whispered as he started the car.

"Don't question me. Do what you are asked to do." Dr. Andrew said, his voice devoid of any emotion as he started giving Jasmine some first aid treatment.

"Yes sir." With that, John drove as fast as he could to the nearest hospital, his head filled with many unanswered questions.

That night marked the end of a painful heartbreak, and the beginning of a new life for Jasmine. When Jasmine regains consciousness, the world she once knew was gone, and so was the fragile girl she used to be.

But amidst that pain and loss, a man's kindness pulled her back from the edge. Dr. Andrew didn't just save her life, he gave her a new purpose to live. From that night, the girl who loves too deeply died, and Dr. Jasmine Woods was born.