Chapter 2: The Woman Who Made the Decision
Jasmine felt as though the floor beneath her feet had shifted.
She had expected an explanation from Jessica.
Perhaps an apology.
Perhaps some excuse about a misunderstanding with the lawyer.
Instead, her stepmother had admitted to deliberately removing her from the family property as if she were announcing an ordinary household decision.
Jasmine shook her head.
“What? But that property belongs to our family!””
Jessica folded her arms.
“I know exactly what the property means to this family.””
“Then why would you do this to me?””
“Because I had to think about the future.””
Jasmine looked toward her father, hoping he would interrupt.
David was standing beside the sofa, holding the document so tightly that his knuckles had turned pale.
“Jessica,” he said, his voice low, “I want you to explain yourself.””
Jessica glanced at him.
She appeared uncomfortable now, but not remorseful.
“I was worried that Jasmine might sell the property one day.””
Jasmine's mouth fell open.
“Sell it? Why would I sell our family property?””
“You're nineteen,” Jessica replied.
“You're young. You might make decisions without understanding the consequences.””
“So you decided to make the decision for me?””
“I decided to protect the property.””
Jasmine stared at her.
There was something especially cruel about hearing those words from Jessica.
Protect the property.
As though Jasmine were a threat.
As though the daughter who had grown up in the family home, who had shared countless memories with her father, might suddenly turn against everything she had ever known.
Jasmine's eyes began to sting.
“I've never said I wanted to sell anything.””
Jessica looked away briefly.
“You don't have to say it now for it to become a possibility later.””
David stepped closer.
“Stop talking about possibilities as if they justify what you've done.””
Jessica turned toward him.
“I'm not trying to hurt Jasmine.””
“Then what exactly do you call this?””
He held up the document.
“You instructed our lawyer to remove my daughter from the family property without speaking to me.””
Jessica's composure began to crack.
“I thought it was the right thing to do.””
“You thought?””
David's voice rose.
“You thought you could make a decision like this without my permission?””
Jessica took a breath and delivered the explanation she had apparently prepared.
“I transferred the property to my son's name.””
Jasmine went completely still.
For several seconds, she could not even find the words to respond.
Jessica's son.
The property.
The lawyer.
Suddenly, the pieces seemed to fit together in a way that made her feel sick.
Jasmine turned toward her stepmother.
“You gave the property to your son?””
Jessica lifted her chin.
“I wanted him to have a place in this family too.””
Jasmine blinked rapidly, trying to hold back her tears.
“Does that mean I don't have a place anymore?””
“That's not what I said.””
“Then why did you remove me?””
Jessica sighed impatiently.
“Jasmine, you need to understand that your father has responsibilities to everyone in this family. My son deserves consideration as well.””
David stared at his wife.
“Consideration?””
Jessica continued, apparently believing that if she explained her intentions clearly enough, everyone would accept them.
“I didn't want a situation where my son would be left with nothing while Jasmine had everything.””
Jasmine looked at her father.
She had never asked to have everything.
She had never demanded that Jessica's son receive nothing.
She had simply assumed that she would not be secretly pushed out of her own family's affairs.
“Dad,” she whispered, “I didn't even know this was happening.””
David's expression softened when he heard the hurt in her voice.
He turned to her.
“I know.””
“But she thinks I'm going to take something away from her son.””
Jasmine wiped her cheek.
“I've never even asked for the property to be given to me. I just thought I was part of this family.””
Those words silenced the room.
For a moment, Jessica appeared unable to respond.
David looked at his daughter and then at his wife.
He had spent years believing that the people closest to him could be trusted to discuss important matters honestly.
He had trusted Jessica with household decisions.
He had expected her to treat Jasmine fairly.
And now he was discovering that she had made a major decision involving family property without consulting him or even telling his daughter.
The problem was no longer just the ownership transfer.
It was the secrecy.
It was the assumption that Jessica could decide who belonged and who did not.
David turned back to her.
“Listen carefully.””
Jessica straightened.
“We will discuss your son and the property later. Whether he gets the property or not is MY decision.””
Jessica's eyes widened.
“But I'm his mother. I have to think about his future.””
“And I'm Jasmine's father.””
David's answer came immediately.
“I will not allow you to protect one child by secretly stripping another of her place in this family.””
Jessica opened her mouth, but he raised his hand.
“No. You have explained what you wanted. Now I want to know how you thought you had the authority to do it.””
For the first time since entering the room, Jessica had nothing to say.
Jasmine stood quietly beside her father, tears slipping down her face.
She wanted to believe that this had all been a terrible misunderstanding.
But Jessica had admitted everything herself.
She had contacted the lawyer.
She had ordered the change.
She had transferred the property to her son's name.
And she had done it all without David's knowledge.
David picked up his phone again.
“I'm calling the lawyer.””
Jessica's face changed instantly.
“David, wait.””
He looked at her coldly.
“Why?””
“We should talk about this privately.””
“Privately?””
He let out a disbelieving laugh.
“You were perfectly comfortable making this decision privately when you thought nobody would find out.””
Jessica stepped toward him.
“Please, let me explain everything first.””
David looked down at the document one more time.
Then he began dialing.
“No. You're going to help me understand exactly what happened, and then you're going to fix this.””
Jessica's eyes followed the phone in his hand.
Her confidence was disappearing with every passing second.
Because she had expected David to be angry for a moment.
She had expected him to complain.
Perhaps she had even expected him to argue with Jasmine about the family's future.
What she had not expected was for him to challenge the decision itself.
And she certainly had not expected him to make it clear that the property was not hers to distribute according to her own wishes.
The call began to ring.
Jessica looked at Jasmine.
Jasmine looked back through tear-filled eyes.
Neither spoke.
May you like
Then the lawyer answered.
And David's first question made Jessica's face turn pale.
