NEVER KNEW HIS WORTH

Jasper rests his back on the headboard of the king-sized bed in his bedroom staring intently at the figure laying beside him. He shook his head and sighed heavily thinking about his fate and life generally.

The lady beside him was supposed to be the coolness of his eyes to make him feel good, achieved, and happy. But no! it was the other way round. Instead, she seemed to be the babe of his life. Ever since they got married, he has not been at all happy. Not even for a minute, especially when she's around him.

Rather than leaving him to contend with her irresponsible attitude, she adds salt to his wound by crossing his path and doing whatever she likes without regard for him. All she knows was making trouble without answering for her atrocious actions.

"Till when will I have to tolerate her and endure her excesses?" Jasper asked no one but himself deeply in thought about his situation. Who was he to blame for his marriage's unluckiness?.

He attempted to stand up, and the door of the room flung open. It was his five-year-old daughter. She ran straight into her father's arms snuggling her face on his broad chest and her body in his embrace before looking up at him.

"Good morning daddy," she greeted in her babyish accent.

"Good morning baby. Hope you slept well?"Jasper sat her on his lap and ruffled her hair with his strong manly hand.

"Yes daddy, I slept well," she muttered word for word.

"What about you dad?. Your eyes look big" she reached out and touched his face using her small, soft thumb to rub the dark eye circles underneath his eyes.

"Hey sweetie, you just hurt daddy with your words. Are you telling me my eyes looks like that of an owl?" Jasper joked over his daughter's statement.

"I'm sorry daddy, I didn't mean to say that. But I'm not lying. You can check the mirror" Jasmine directed her face to where the large standing mirror was positioned.

"It's alright baby, let's go freshen up. Dad's eye will not be big anymore after a cool bath," he said looking deep into his daughter's eyes only to realize that she was not listening to what he said.

Her attention had been diverted to the figure on the bed. While she looked at the laying figure, a possibility had crossed her mind.

"Daddy, did she make you angry again?." Jasmine asked with a bit of anxiety.

"No baby, she didn't. Dad didn't give her the chance to."

Ever since Jasmine was born, the only person she's close to was her father. Her mother had ceased to act like her mother since she began to sit and suddenly went to the bad. All Jasmine knew was that she has a mother, but doesn't know how it feels to be cared for by one.

"Really?" she asked cupping her father's face in her little hands and Jasper nodded affirming her question.

"You're not lying to me?" she asked with doubt.

"Of course not. Daddy does not dare lie to you." he pinched her cheek lightly with a beatific smile.

They left the room for Jasmine's room where Jasper bathed her quickly and dressed her in her school uniform after which he entered the kitchen to prepare breakfast. He served Jasmine's food and packed her lunch in her lunch bag.

"Delicious" Jasmine complimented raising her thumb to her dad.

"As usual" Jasper replied curtly with a wink and returned to his room to dress.

Minutes later, the two were set for their day's activities. They entered Jasper's car and zoom, they're gone. Jasper dropped her in her school compound and bade her goodbye.

"Take care of yourself daddy!" she smiled at her father and pecked his cheeks.

"Sure. You too darling, be obedient as usual and don't fight anyone".

Satisfied that his daughter entered her class safely, he drove straight to his workplace.

*

*

"Good morning boss," one of the employees bowed her head as the CEO of the company entered the company's building.

"Morning Celine. Where are the rest?" the CEO asked referring to the other employees.

"They are at the meeting hall waiting for you sir," Celine answered directing her hand towards the direction of the hall.

"Good, let's go," he said and walked briskly down to the hall.

"Good morning everyone" he greeted them raising his voice to accentuate his presence and immediately, they all stood up and greeted him.

"I hope you're all doing well," he said more or less like he was asking them.

"Yes sir." he nodded with a relief sigh making all the employees laugh.

"Today, I ought to assign new jobs to you, but I'll be giving you time to refresh yourselves today. We all know that the past week has not been easy on us. So you can just utilize the rest of today completing your previous works." he paused for a while to allow his words to sink into their minds.

"I appreciate your hard work here. We all know that this company will not be where it is today without you guys. As a result, I want you not to relent in your efforts for us to prosper more. Thank you."

he concluded his speech and left for his office while the employees clapped in happiness.

"Oh my!. What a boss, so caring and understanding" one of the female employees giggled like a baby.

"Get your ass to your office right now. You know he's married" said another lady.

"Like they love each other" the first lady scoffed and they dispersed. And that's just the fact everyone knows of, but never dare speak about. Their boss' marriage.

Meet Jasper Callaghan, the number one youngest and most famous businessman everywhere across the continent. The only child of the Callaghans. So much brilliant, intelligent, handsome, obedient, and filial. He completed his secondary education at the age of fifteen and his university education at the age of twenty-one. Then he took over the family's company at the age of twenty-two.

To outsiders, he seemed to be happy and had anything a man would ever wish for. Every young lady dreamed of him to be their sun God who would make their life so good.

Truth to be told, he enjoyed life before he clocked eighteen when he was engaged to the nightmare of his life– Cassandra. On his eighteenth birthday, his parents got him engaged to Cassandra, the daughter of one of his father's friends which made him abandon his real love and forgo some things he wished to have for himself.

Jasper entered his office and sat on his swivel chair after he removed his suit and hung it on the chair.

"What's up man?" a masculine voice said jolting him from his world of calculations.

"Hey Carl, how are you doing this morning?" Jasper stood up and hugged the man that entered his office. It was his assistant who was as well his childhood friend. He has almost the same authority as Jasper in the company matters and the two friends love and cherish each other so much.

"I'm good Jasper. How's Jasmine?" Carl asked not bothering to ask about Cassandra. With his closeness to Jasper, he knows clearly well that asking him about her would mean opening the wound in his heart.

"She's fine. I took her to school this morning."

"Man, you're trying as a father. I can't just imagine myself doing all these at this young age of mine."

"You'll learn it when you get bitten by the love bug"

"Not necessarily Jasper."

"Let the time come first. That aside, how's the mission you went for?" asked Jasper. Carl moved closer to Jasper and whispered something into his ear.

"For real?" he asked for affirmation and Carl nodded.

"Man, you're the best. I owe you one. I guess we have to move faster, in order to have the first hit."

"Sure," said Carl. Just then, the ringing of Jasper's phone interrupted their discussion. "Excuse me, I want to take this call," he said and moved away from his desk but closer to the window.

"Hello, am I speaking to Mr. Callaghan?"

"Yes, you are. How may I help you?"

"I'm making this call from your daughter's school. I'm her new class teacher......."

"What happened to my daughter?" Jasper interrupted not allowing the caller to finish what was to be said.

"She's been crying for a while now. By the time, it's almost an hour. No one has been able to stop her, we've all tried our best, but it proved futile."

"Don't worry, I'll be there in the next few minutes," he said and disconnected the call without listening to any other thing from the teacher.

"I'm sorry Carl, we'll have to go there at a later time. Jasmine is not feeling well at school. I..."

"It's okay, I understand," said Carl. He knew the extent Jasper loves Jasmine since she's the only thing that gave him joy in his home.

In his car, Jasper started driving with a stern look on his face.

"I'll make sure the one who made Jasmine cry is punished." he stepped up the pedal so he would reach the school fast. He's well aware of Jasmine's character. She's not a crybaby. Instead, she's calm and collected just like he was. For her to cry, it's definitely something so hurting.

"Whom do you seek?" the school security asked when he saw Jasper enter the school gate. Since he was wearing his sunshade, he couldn't recognize the popular businessman in his presence.

"I'm a parent here," Jasper said and went straight to his daughter's class without removing his sunshade or waiting for the security's response.

Getting there, he met her isolated in the balcony of her class. He knew clearly well that it was to prevent her cries from disturbing other pupils. Which normal human would listen to another human's cries and won't get disturbed?. He bent his tall figure to her height and pulled her into a hug as she cried the more on his shoulder.

Finally, she stopped crying and Jasper cupped her face in his palm cleaning the line of tears on her face.

"What's making my baby cry. Were you beaten or shouted at?" he palmed her hair soothingly and she nodded a no. Funny enough, when he wanted to enroll her in the school, he had given the proprietor and teachers some warnings and a list of things that should never be done to his daughter.

Shouting at her was one of the instructions. Ever since Jasmine was a baby, she disliked someone shouting at her or making frightening noises beside her. No, she hated it.

"Then what's the problem princess?" Jasper asked with the softest voice ever. Looking up at her father's face, she explained what happened to him. It turned out to be that one of her friends had abused her for not being taught well by her mother when she mistakenly stepped on him, whereas she doesn't even know what her mother smells like.

To everyone, Jasmine might look small and young, but having been brought up by Jasper, she took after everything about him without excluding smartness and intelligence.

Jasper felt hurt by her narration as well, though he doesn't have a choice but to console her. All he could do was pat her back and calm her.

"You don't have to cry baby, we're stronger than a lot of people out there right?" he asked and she nodded her small head.

"That's my girl. Don't cry anymore okay?"

"Yes daddy, I won't cry." she wiped her tears with a little smile that vanished quickly.

"Come show me who uttered those words to you." Jasper held her hand leading her into her class.

Entering the class, the class teacher raised her head from what she was doing. Seeing her made Jasper shocked and short of words at that moment. The same reaction as Jasper's also showed on the teacher's face.

"Caitlyn!" exclaimed Jasper.

"Jas..." the teacher couldn't complete her word. Jasmine looked between them both trying to decipher what was going on but couldn't understand no matter how she tried.

"Daddy, that's him." she jolted her father back to reality from the world of surprise he suddenly found himself in, as she pointed her index finger at the boy that uttered the hurting words to her.

"What are you doing here?" Jasper asked stuttering a little.

"What does it look like I'm doing?" she replied harshly and continued what she was doing ignoring Jasper like he was not important or does not need to be attended to.

Jasper cleared his throat and asked if he could see the boy who hurt his daughter. Not that he can't query him without the teacher's permission, but the fact that the person he once loved and cherished most was the present teacher, he couldn't act rashly. He owes her a lot as he had hurt her beyond words in the past.

Caitlyn didn't look at Jasper, but she sent the boy in question to meet Jasper. He bent in front of the little figure and asked why he said those words to Jasmine. The little boy explained incoherently and Jasper smiled. Caitlyn who saw this smile also smiled as she had been stealing glances at him at intervals while he was talking to the boy.

"Hey champ, why did you say such a sentence to her?"

"I was angry. She stepped on me and acted like she doesn't care." said the boy in a childish manner.

"Where did you learn such bad words?" he asked the boy sweetly.

"My stepmother used to say it to me whenever I annoy her" he uttered shocking Jasper and Caitlyn.

"Your stepmother?. What about your mummy?" Jasper pressed further.

"My sister says she has gone to a faraway place and she is watching us from where she is. I ask her why she can't come back, she tells me I should wait till I grow up."

Jasper wanted to ask about his father but thought otherwise. Instead, he asked the boy another question.

"How did you feel when your stepmother tells you that?"

"I miss my mummy whenever she tells me that" the boy uttered innocently.

"You see champ, saying such a word to someone makes them feel bad. Don't say that next time okay?" The boy nodded at Jasper and Jasper pinched his cheek as he does to Jasmine.

On a normal day, he would have told the boy to apologise, by all means, however, with the possibility that the little boy might be going through some pains unsuitable for his age, he decided to let go.

"I'm sorry Drake, I didn't know I stepped on you." Jasmine apologised placing her hand on Drake's head.

"I'm sorry too. This man said I did something bad."

Caitlyn who had been listening to the conversation and stealing glances at Jasper smiled surprisingly as Jasper smiled too. He hugged the two figures in front of him and they returned to their seats.

"Bye, daddy!. Greet uncle Carl for me"

"Sure, I will," said Jasper. After her father, another person Jasmine was used to is Carl, her father's best friend and brother.

"Bye uncle" Drake muttered waving his hand at Jasper.

"See you some other time champ" he waved back at him.

Caitlyn walked to the entrance of the class where Jasper was to see him off as she does to every other parent who pays a visit to the class. Walking closer to her, Jasper asked for a few minutes out of her time. As a parent of one of the wards in the school, she obliged and followed him out of the class.

"What do you want to see me for Mr. Callaghan?" she spoke professionally with a courteous pose.

"Er..mm..mm, can I see you today?. Like..., I mean can we see after you clock out today?"

"For what matter sir?. You may say whatever you want right now and here. I'll just give the kids work to do to keep them busy."

"Caitlyn, you know this is not what I mean. For heaven's sake, it's been years. Can you make time for us to catch up with each other?."

"With due respect sir, I don't understand what you're talking about." Caitlyn looked away behind Jasper not wanting to look at his face.

"Still pretending?. Alright, I'm sorry for whatever it is I've done, but please, create time......."

"There's no catching up to do. I've long decided to forget every bad thing about my past, including you!" she showed nothing but utmost anger and perhaps, untold pain.

Jasper felt as if he was struck in the chest by an arrow with Caitlyn's words, but he pushed further knowing fully well that he was the reason for her act up.

"Please Caitlyn, just this once. At least, let me explain. Then you can decide not to meet me after that." he pleaded. Caitlyn looked up at him with something of a bit of scorn and sighed.

"Fine," she said not wanting to make a scene as a passing teacher looked at her suspiciously while she talked to Jasmine's father.

Jasper passed his business card to her and told her he'd pick her up together with Jasmine later in the afternoon. He bade her goodbye and turned around to leave, but suddenly turned back to face her.

"That reminds me. That boy from earlier...Drake or something.."

"Yeah, Drake. What's wrong with him?"

"Nothing, I need detailed information about who his parents are and where he lives."

"And why would I give you such information?. You should know what privacy means. After all, I'm not your private investigator or something."

"I'm not asking you to do that as Jasper, I'm asking you as Jasmine's father. If I want, I can turn this whole school down just for my baby."

With that, he turned around and walked away. Caitlyn smirked at his words and scoffed.

"Typical Callaghan!. Not a single bit of change." she huffed.

Cassandra ignited her car engine and drove out of her husband's house. She drove to the luxurious hotel she frequents and went straight to the room that has already been booked by the person awaiting her.

She knocked at the door and immediately, the door was opened. Stepping a foot inside the room, a kiss was placed on her cheek.

"Hey baby, what took you so long?" asked the guy who welcomed her.

"I'm sorry dear. I overslept" she replied.

"Oh!, my darling was tired after a long day yesterday"

"Of course, who wouldn't be. Yesterday was fantastic." she placed her palms on his broad chest, while he circled her in his embrace.

"How's your daughter and husband?" the guy changed the topic which got on her nerves.

"William, I told you not to ask about those burdens again. They're nothing but a burden to me."

"But you didn't call him a burden when you were enjoying him ride you. If he didn't get between your legs, how would you have given birth to the girl you called a burden?" William sparked.

"Willy, I already told you I had no choice back then. The thing that happened back then was really more than I could handle," she explained to him. Yes, William was her boyfriend and first love. They have loved each other a few months before she had to marry Jasper.

Unwillingly, Cassandra had married Jasper due to her father's request. At first, she resisted and was strong-headed until she made a deal with her father. After marriage, she continued to see William frequently assuring him that he would definitely get her back as long as her plans go well.

On the day she found out she was pregnant, she had wanted to abort the pregnancy without Jasper knowing about it. Jasper found out by luck and begged her not to and Cassandra made an agreement to keep the baby in exchange for twenty percent of his company shares and the ability of Jasper to question her whenever she does anything he's not so pleased with.

Pregnancy was something that surely couldn't be hidden for long, so Cassandra informed William explaining how the pregnancy came to be in the first place.

Jasper's mother; Valerie Callaghan had gone to visit her son. An unexpected rain poured with so much blustery torrent and Valerie couldn't go back to the Callaghan mansion that day. No doubt she would be staying overnight. Jasper had begged Cassandra to sleep in his room to prevent his mum from being suspicious of how they lived which she agreed.

They had to pretend to be a lovey-dovey couple in the presence of his mother to prevent her from worrying or feeling guilty. Jasper knew that his mum was not happy about how his married life turned out but assured her severally that he was doing fine. At night, they had slept on the same bed and somehow things led to another which got Cassandra pregnant.

All these, she had explained to William who put up with her and continued to love her.

William let out a sigh and engulfed her in his embrace.

"Alright, if you say so. What next now?" he asked.

"What else, let's pick up from where we left off yesterday," she said pushing him to the bed and laying her fair slender body on him. Before William could proceed and reciprocate the deed, his phone rang. He looked at the call dialer and quickly aborted the call.

"Babe, who was that?" Cassandra asked in a seductive tone.

"Just some random guys."

"Are you sure?" she asked him with doubt for the fact that he aborted the call immediately without a second glance.

"Hundred percent sure baby," he pushed her on the bed trailing his fingers along her body curves and whispering seductive words into her ears and Cassandra giggled like a baby.

Minutes later........

William groaned dizzily after finishing his desired deed with his girlfriend and lay on the bed. His left arm under Cassandra's head, and the white duvet covering them both.

"That was good," Cassandra said more or less like a whisper trailing her long thin fingers across William's lowcut beard.

"Yeah, I had a good time as well. You are so fucking cute." he pecked her and she smiled widely.

"I need to take a cool bath" she made to stand up, but William dragged her back to the bed, holding her in his embrace.

"There's still lots of time left, you can get some sleep. It's so obvious you were exhausted after......."

"Shhhhh....," Cassandra shut him up with her index finger placed on his lips.

"I'll regain the lost energy as soon as I refresh myself with a cold bath. I can't spend all my day sleeping in bed, I have something to do."

"What's that?" William was curious.

"Nothing to be worried about. Just some business that requires my monitoring."

Like a flash of lightning, she stood up and headed to the bathroom, before William could say 'Jack'. She looked behind her before entering and winked at William who was staring at her expressionlessly.

After careful observation by William who made sure he heard the sound of a running shower, he moved to the far end of the room and dialed a number on his phone. It was the person who called him when Cassandra entered.

"Hello" a voice was heard from the other end.

"Why are you calling me now? Why?" asked William as he looked behind him at intervals so he would be sure that Cassandra is not out of the bathroom yet.

"I missed you and wanted to hear your voice. You didn't call me last night after expecting you all day?. Hope all is well?"

"Look, you...."

"Wait, what sound am I hearing?. Where are you?. I can hear the sound of running water, that's unusual Willy. Don't tell me.........," there was a pause.

"........Don't tell me you just had fun with her again" the voice interrupted William from saying what he wanted to.

"Er..., it's not what you're thinking. I..."

"Just shut it. Don't dare lie to me, don't!. Just don't"

Then, the call got disengaged after the person spoke angrily making William sigh rubbing his fingers on his forehead.

"What happened Willy?. I heard your voice just now." Cassandra came out of the bathroom clad in a white robe and a white towel wrapped around her head.

William moved closer to her and hugged her waist.

" was speaking to someone on the phone" he was honest.

"Who?"

"Someone who needs help" he lied with a grin on his face.

"Help?" she asked with furrowed brows not understanding what he meant.

"Yes help."

"What help?. Like... I mean, in what way is the help needed?" she looked straight into his eyes with her head raised since he's a bit taller than her as she used a matching white head towel to dry her hair.

"Nothing you should worry about baby. You don't need to think about it." he kissed her lightly on the lips.

"Why shouldn't I?. Tell me right now Willy." It was more or less like a persuasion.

"Okay, fine. The person needs some amount of money for goods clearance and other urgent business activities. But you don't have to worry, even though the person is so much important to me, I already told him I don't have such a huge amount." William added quickly playing with the tip of Cassandra's hair as he rolled it around his finger continuously.

"Like seriously William?. How could you say that?. You just said the person is so much important to you and you told him off just like that?"

"What do you expect me to say?. Sincerely, I don't have so much money with me right now. Let's just forget it, baby."

"No, we aren't. How much is the money we're talking about here?"

"To be precise, 10 million dollars," William whispered.

"That much?" Cassandra exclaimed upon hearing the amount involved.

"Yes, that much. Which was why I said we should forget it."

"Emmm. Don't worry. Since the person is someone important to you, I can help you with it." Cassandra offered. Just what William was expecting. He had played with words while speaking to Cassandra knowing fully well what she's like.

"Seriously?" he pretended to be surprised.

"Yes, baby."

"Oh my, thank you so much. I appreciate you, darling. I'll make sure I repay the money when I have up to the amount."

"It's okay. You don't need to. I'm giving it to you instead."

"Woooaaah, thanks so much baby." He placed quick kisses from her face to her neck with so much elation.

"Anything for you darling" Cassandra pecked his cheek and left his embrace to dress up.

Ten minutes later, she was done dressing up. She applied her lipstick and sprayed her cologne, then checked herself in the mirror after which she left without waiting for Jackson to finish bathing. He had entered the toilet to clean up, so she could dress up freely.

However, she left a note:

"See you later, and expect the money soon" so it read.

William found the note after bathing, and a smile was evident on his lips. He picked up his phone and sent a message to someone.

"I'll make it up to you, we're going to have fun. Trust me!."