Jasmine's days were filled with the same routine every day. She would help her mother with the homework, help her father on the farm, and take perfect care of her daughter, Dena.
Two more years had passed, and Jasmine still never heard anything from Daniel. No calls, no texts, no letters. He had disappeared into thin air with his fake promise, leaving Jasmine alone to raise their child single-handedly.
Everything about her had stopped immediately she got pregnant, her education and dreams. Still, Jasmine kept on pushing on.
Her condition didn't affect her intelligence; of course, she still helped her father make accounts on the farm and helped the neighbors track their finances.
Life as a single mother wasn't a bed of roses, but Jasmine still managed, determined to give Dena the best.
She had met Ethan, the only son of Mr. and Mrs. Donald. Ethan was a handsome, young, and respectable man in the community, and he helped manage his father's fish business.
Ethan had fallen in love with Jasmine the very day he set his eyes on her when she came with her mother to purchase some fish at the cold room.
He had tried to make advances on her, but she always resisted him, yet he never gave up.
He would come over to the Lewis home to help in any way he could. He would help Dena get groceries and a few things the Lewises need in their household, and in no time, he became Mr. and Mrs. Lewis's favorite.
"Ethan is a nice young man, Jasmine. "Mrs. Lewis said to her daughter one evening as they were sorting out clothes for laundry.
"Mama..., I know…. but…" Jasmine dragged.
"But what, dear?, You've been alone for close to eight years!. Eight years, Jasmine."
"I know, Mama, but you know what happened between Daniel and me. I'm scared of all of them, " Jasmine responded.
" I understand my love, but you're a grown ass woman now, and you can navigate things better, Jasmine, you need a man! Most importantly, Dena needs a father!. See how happy she gets anytime Ethan is around. See the relationship they both have, Jasmine. You need to give love a second chance. Ethan is a nice young man." Mrs Lewis continued.
"Mama, I know he is, and undoubtedly I'm liking him. Ok, I'll give him a chance, " she said, smiling towards her mother, and her mother smiled back.
Everything with Ethan had been beautiful. He was a sweeter person than Jasmine had imagined. He was calm, loving, understanding, and very gentle with Dena. The quick bond he had with her daughter surprised Jasmine. They bonded so well and quickly. And he was a passionate lover too.
The first night they got intimate was magical for Jasmine. The way his masculinity blended well into her body was divine. The soft kisses on her head, her mouth, her nipple, it was divine. Ethan didn't just stop there. He unzipped her pants and pulled them down her thighs, he spread open her legs, and before she could resist, he buried his head between her thighs.
Jasmine had never felt that type of pleasure. Ethan licked and sucked gently and passionately on her clitoris. He licked every bit of juice pouring out of her opening as Jasmine moaned and struggled to breathe.
The romance was nothing compared to the sex. It was hard and intense, making Jasmine plead for life as much as she doesn't want it to end.
"I hope I pleased you, my woman, " Ethan asked with a smile on his face.
"Ethan, pleased is an understatement, " Jasmine replied between breaths.
"I'm glad," he said, still smiling. "You taste like honey ".
"Pleeeeaaase…." Jasmine replied jokingly. " I just want to stay in your arms forever. "
"I'm going nowhere, my woman, I'm all yours. " Ethan replied, "But wait, Jasmine, I heard a customer talking about an open application at KPMG. I think you should try giving it a shot. I know you're smart." He continued.
"Nah, I may be smart, but I don't have the qualifications for the position, Ethan, and KPMG is a big accounting firm in the city, there is no chance for me ." She hesitated.
Ethan cupped her face in his arms. " I know you can, Jasmine. I want you to believe in yourself as much as I do in you."
As she folded the clothes that were piled on the sofa, Jasmine's eyes landed on the envelope that was tucked in the corner of the sofa.
She had almost forgotten about the letter sent to her by the mailman. An interview she had gone for, weeks earlier, had approved her application for the job. Jasmine's heart skipped at the approval letter. She was both scared and excited. Excited that, finally, she would have a proper job, excited that, finally, she would not have to wake early to soil her hands in black earth, excited that, finally, she would be able to afford some basic things for Dena. All thanks to Ethan.
But she was scared because this job would put her many hours apart from her daughter, who was already a second skin to her.
Dena would be eight years old in a month, and she had grown way bigger than her age would suggest. She didn't just inherit Daniel's facial features but also his bold build. Dena was everything that reminded her of Daniel.
Jasmine's heart skipped again as she read the letter in her hand. She didn't think she stood a chance of being employed.
She put on her best dress, saved for a special occasion, and set off for the city. Jasmine thought she was still dreaming. She had applied for the vacancy absent-mindedly because she knew she had no qualifications for that kind of company. But surprisingly, she was employed. A reason that would be clear to her later.
As Jasmine got to the building, it was a massive, sleek glass tower that stretched farther into the sky.
Her nerves got the better of her as she rode the elevator to the eighteenth floor. The receptionist who was behind the big oak desk was friendly and welcoming. She directed Jasmine towards the CEO's office, just opposite her office.
As Jasmine walked towards the door in big anxiety, many questions ran through her mind. What if the CEO doesn't like me? What if the CEO later changes their mind and withdraws the employment offer?
As Jasmine flung open the office door, nothing in this world prepared her for what she met right in front of her.
Sitting on the mighty expensive chair was Daniel Wright. The man who had disvirgined her. The man who had made her get pregnant out of wedlock. The man who had made her drop out of school. The man who had killed her dreams of going to college. The man who had left with empty promises. The man whom she bore her only child for.