I Choose to Love Me

Morgan frowned at the look on my face. With a cold edge, he ordered his subordinate, "Evan, lock Jasmine in the basement to reflect. She's only to be let out tomorrow!"

As Evan Watson and the other men dragged me away, I saw Morgan press a kiss to Evelyn's forehead. The sight shattered my heart. In that moment, I lost all faith in him.

Down in the basement, I couldn't stop thinking about the abuse from my parents when I was little. The pain surged in the dark until terror consumed me, making me shake uncontrollably.

Then, the scenes flipped. I remembered every moment of Morgan caring for me. The next second, I remembered how his love had been calculated from the start. Tears poured down my face, and I cried until I passed out.

When I woke the next morning, I was already back in the bedroom. Morgan took my hand, full of remorse as he explained his reasons for yesterday's punishment.

I instinctively pulled away, but he didn't get angry. He just assumed I was still upset. He bought me a ton of gifts, apologized over and over, before finally leaving for the office.

The moment he was gone, I got up to pack. I couldn't wait to leave the country.

However, as soon as I finished, the bedroom door flew open with a kick. Mom and Dad marched in with whips in hand. Their faces were twisted with rage as they snarled at me.

"Wasn't killing your brother enough for you, Jasmine? Now, you want to get rid of Evelyn?"

"You're so vicious. It's like you're not even our child!"

I parted my lips to tell them the truth. However, when I saw the looks of disgust on their faces, I smiled bitterly, suddenly feeling freed. If I told them now, they would only try to stop me from leaving.

I lowered my eyes, ignoring them. I grabbed my suitcase to walk past them.

"You're beyond rude. As your parents, it's our duty to teach you a lesson!"

With that, their whips lashed down on me, making me scream in pain.

They ignored my shouts as they struck me again and again. My heart-wrenching screams filled the room.

They only stopped when they were tired. Then, they threatened, "Try to bully Evelyn again, and we'll have someone make sure you end up dead!"

They kicked me hard a few times for good measure before leaving.

Tears streamed down my face as I stared at their retreating backs, wondering whether they would regret everything they'd done after learning the truth.

After that, I forced myself up and treated my wounds. I checked my flight time and hurried to the airport.

As I reached the terminal, Morgan texted me. "Jasmine, I'm sorry. I was going to take you out for a fancy dinner tonight, but something came up at work. I'll make it up to you tomorrow. Don't be mad, alright? I love you."

A second later, Evelyn's message came through. "Take a good look at this—Morgan is at a theme park with me right now! He spent ages getting tickets for the toughest show to book here. He's so in love with me!"

I abruptly laughed at the two messages. I was genuinely curious to find out whether Morgan would still love Evelyn after learning the truth.

Instead of replying to either of them, I emailed the surveillance footage I'd saved to both Morgan and my parents. In my email to Morgan, I also laid out the details of how I'd saved him all those years ago.

Once I was done, I pulled out my SIM card and boarded my flight, feeling calm and steady.

From now on, love wouldn't cage me. I was going to start my new life.