Page 70 of The Love Audit
I fell silent. I hadn’t. I’d been so consumed by my own anger and sense of betrayal that I hadn’t stopped to think about her side of things.
“Look, Derek,” CJ said, his tone softening. “You’ve always had a tendency to jump to conclusions. But before you write Jasmine off completely, maybe you should try to understand her reasons.”
“I don’t need to understand her reasons,” I snapped. “She’s just like her parents. It’s in her blood.”
“Whoa. Back up. What the hell are you talking about?”
“You know what I’m talking about.” I paced the living room. “Jasmine’s parents. They betrayed our parents. That’s why the company fell apart. That’s why Mom and Dad got divorced. Jasmine’s betrayal—it’s just history repeating itself. You can’t trust a Morgan.”
“Derek, stop.” CJ’s voice was sharp, cutting through my rant like a whip. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
He let out a heavy sigh. “It means you’re wrong. The divorce had nothing to do with shady business dealings. It had nothing to do with Jasmine’s parents allegedly embezzling money. That was a rumor that our parents didn’t bother disputing.”
I froze, my heart pounding in my chest. “What are you talking about?”
“Sit down. This is going to take a minute.”
I sat, my legs feeling like jelly.
“The truth is, Dad had an affair,” CJ said bluntly. “With Celine Morgan. Jasmine’s mother.”
The world tilted. “What?” I whispered.
“It started when you and Jasmine were kids. Dad and Celine… they were close for years because of the business but even before that. But somewhere along the way, it turned into something else.Mom found out when Jasmine was seventeen. That’s when everything fell apart.”
My mind raced. “But… Mom always said…”
“Mom lied.” CJ’s voice was filled with regret. “She didn’t want you to know the truth. She wanted to protect her reputation and Dad’s, I guess.”
I sat there, stunned. Everything I thought I knew about my parents’ divorce, about Jasmine’s family, about the past… it was all a lie.
“So, you’re telling me,” I said slowly, “that Jasmine’s mother had an affair with our father?”
“Yes, but it’s not Jasmine’s fault, Derek. She was a kid. And as far as I know, she doesn’t even know about the affair.”
I leaned back on the couch, my head spinning. The anger I’d been holding on to for so long—the anger I’d directed at Jasmine—suddenly felt misplaced, hollow.
“Why didn’t you tell me this before?”
“Because it wasn’t my story to tell,” CJ said. “And because I knew it would shatter you. But now you’re letting this anger and bitterness ruin your life. You need to let it go, Derek.”
I closed my eyes, taking deep, steadying breaths. CJ was right. I’d been holding on to a grudge that wasn’t even rooted in truth. And now I’d pushed away the person who… who might actually love me.
“What do I do?” I whispered.
“You start by talking to Jasmine,” CJ said. “And you listen. Really listen. Then you figure out what you want. But, Derek, don’t let the past—our parents’ mistakes—ruin your future.”
I nodded, even though he couldn’t see me. “Thanks, CJ.”
“Anytime, little brother. Now go fix this.”
I hung up and sat there for a long moment, staring at the phone in my hand. Then, I stood, grabbed my keys, and headed for the door. It was time to find Jasmine and get some answers, but I wasn’t strong enough to do that yet, so I settled for the next best thing.
“Derek, honey.” My mother’s deep, velvety voice called across her foyer. “I’ve been worried about you.” She wrapped her arms around me before holding me away from her so she could inspect me for damage. “Bags under your eyes, skin and bones.” She bent over to greet Tora with a pat on the head before beckoning us toward her sitting room. Three days had passed since my phone call with CJ. Two days had passed since I received the phone call from my mother asking to see me and letting me know that my older brother had given her the full rundown of the past three months of my life. They were details that I’d intentionally kept from her because I thought telling her about Jasmine Morgan would dredge up painful memories for her, but it turns out that I wasn’t the only one keeping secrets.
“You know I’m always happy to see you, but I’ve been dreading this visit.” She settled into a large armchair. “Christopher told me happened at MasonCorp and that you’ve been flitting all over the world to avoid your difficulties. You are so much like your father.” She sighed, and my head snapped to attention.
