CHAPTER TWO – THE CONFRONTATION

"Shhh, don't say that." There was a rustle of movement from the other side of the door as Lila, no doubt, moved closer to offer comfort to her husband. Jasmine's husband. "You were just young and got caught up in the whirlwind. Anyone could have made that mistake." "Young and stupid is more like it." Ethan's self-deprecating tone squeezed Jasmine's aching heart. "I trapped myself in a life I never truly wanted, and now I've dragged you into this mess as well. You deserve so much better, Lila." "Hey..." Lila's voice was little more than a whisper now. "We're in this together. I chose to be with you, no matter how complicated things got. Because what we have is once in a lifetime. You're my soulmate, Ethan." There were no more words after that, only the undeniable sounds of a passionate kiss. Lips moving feverishly together, hands roaming over fabric in desperate caresses. The intimacy of those familiar noises she had shared so often with Ethan pierced Jasmine's soul like a twisting dagger. This wasn't just some harmless flirtation or emotional affair. Her husband and his coworker were lovers carrying on a torrid romance right here in this office. As the reality crashed over her, Jasmine had to clamp a trembling hand over her mouth to stifle the anguished sob that threatened to burst forth. Tears blurred her vision, but she couldn't bear to move from that spot, to leave and accept that her marriage had disintegrated into shards of betrayal. She remained frozen, gutted by the utter callousness in Ethan's words about her and their life together. So many years, so many memories and dreams...all meaningless to him now. Finally, when she could no longer hold back the current of grief, Jasmine turned and stumbled blindly back towards the elevators. She didn't know where she was going, she just had to get out of this place that now represented her unraveling reality. The spacious lobby tilted dizzyingly around her as she fought for steadying breaths. Her feet carried her woodenly towards the revolving door, one shaky step after another. "Mrs. Delacroix?" Kayla's concerned voice cut through the fog. "Mrs. Delacroix, are you alright?" Jasmine squeezed her eyes shut, forcing the treacherous tears to halt their descent down her cheeks. Slowly, she turned to face the bright-eyed receptionist who had been so encouraging about her romantic lunchtime plans just minutes ago. What a cruel joke that all seemed now. "I'm...I'm fine, Kayla. Thank you." The bald-faced lie tasted like ashes on her tongue, but she couldn't bear to reveal the mortifying truth. Not here, not to this cheery stranger. Kayla's perfectly arched brows knitted together skeptically as she took in Jasmine's stricken pallor and reddened eyes. "You don't look fine at all. Is there anything I can--" "No, really. I'm alright." Jasmine mustered a tremulous smile, though she could tell Kayla didn't buy it for a second. "I just...I should be going." She spun away before the younger woman could protest further. Each step out the door and into the bright afternoon sunshine felt heavier than the last, as if her feet were being weighed down by the crushing pain blossoming through her very core. How could she ever go on after this? Jasmine's steps faltered as she neared the building's exit. Her mind spun with the anguish of Ethan's callous words, the visceral sounds of his betrayal. But another emotion began burning through the devastation - a searing rage at how casually he had discarded their marriage, their sacred vows, all for this tawdry fling. Her hands clenched into tight fists as a surge of uncharacteristic boldness emboldened her. No, she would not slink away and allow Ethan's cowardice to have the final say. He didn't get to trample all over her dignity like this. Pivoting sharply on her heel, Jasmine marched back towards the elevator bank with purposeful strides. She jabbed the call button with far more force than necessary, then impatiently tapped her foot as she waited for the doors to open. This time, she didn't need to check the directory - she knew exactly where she was headed. The ride up seemed to take an eternity. With each passing floor, her anger bubbled hotter until she felt fit to explode. How dare he! How dare Ethan sit in smug judgment over their relationship after carelessly squandering it himself? By the time the doors opened on Ethan's floor, Jasmine was trembling with a potent mix of rage, hurt, and nervous adrenaline. She stormed down the hallway, not even bothering to mask the clacking of her heels against the tile this time. Ethan's office door was ajar, the hushed murmurings from within now clearly audible. Jasmine didn't pause or hesitate - she threw the door open with enough force to make it slam against the wall. The abrupt invasion shattered the intimacy of the scene before her. Ethan and Lila sprung apart from their close embrace, eyes widening in shock and panic. For a long moment, a tense silence stretched between them as Jasmine struggled to find her voice amid the torrent of emotions choking her. "Jasmine...I...we..." Ethan was the first to break the stillness, his words trailing off weakly as he seemed to realize there was no justification, no excuse that could undo this. "Don't," Jasmine hissed, mustering every ounce of her dwindling control. Her eyes bored into Lila with an accusatory glare. "Don't you dare try to explain this away." To her surprise, the younger woman didn't cower or look abashed in the slightest. In fact, Lila squared her shoulders defiantly as she lifted her chin to meet Jasmine's fiery gaze head-on. "And why shouldn't we, Jasmine?" Her tone dripped with condescending pity. "You barged in here making assumptions about something that has nothing to do with you." "Nothing to do with me?" Jasmine sputtered in disbelief. She rounded on her husband with a incredulous glare. "Ethan, are you going to let her speak to your wife like that?" His pained expression and refusal to meet her eyes was all the answer she needed. Sickened realization flooded through her - he was on Lila's side in this. The ultimate betrayal. "That's right, Jasmine," Lila purred, slinking her arm possessively around Ethan's waist and pulling him closer. "He's my husband in every way that matters now." White-hot anger licked at Jasmine's nerve-endings. "You delusional little homewrecker! You think this...this fling with a married man is true love?" "Our love is very real," Lila shot back without hesitation. "More real and passionate than whatever dead thing you two had going on. He was just trapped, but I've set him free to finally be happy." "Trapped?" Jasmine whirled on Ethan again, needing to hear the truth directly from his mouth no matter how much it eviscerated her. "Is that how you see our marriage? As some kind of prison?" For a long, agonizing moment, the only sound was their ragged breathing filling the tension-drenched space. Then, finally, Ethan seemed to find his voice. "Jasmine...I never meant to hurt you like this. Things just...got so complicated between us, and then Lila came along and--" "And what?" she cut him off, anger and hurt lacing every word. "You just decided our vows, our commitment to each other meant nothing?" Ethan's shoulders slumped in resignation. "I know this is devastating, but maybe...maybe it's for the best if we just end things. Cleanly and officially." The cruelty of his matter-of-fact tone struck Jasmine like a physical blow. She gasped out a bitter, incredulous laugh as hot tears stung her eyes. "You're...you're actually suggesting we get divorced? Just like that?" "It would be the most civilized solution," he said stiffly. "I could provide you with a generous settlement to avoid any scandal or drama--" The sharp crack of Jasmine's palm across Ethan's cheek cut him off abruptly. She hadn't even realized she moved to strike him until the sting reverberated up her arm.