Married To My Ex-Lover: A heart shattered, a love reborn.

“Yes! I made it! I’m finally a graduate!” Jasmine squealed, her smile lighting up her face as she turned to Natalie, her best friend, who was seated beside her in the backseat. “Yes, bestie, we made it.” Natalie laughed, squeezing Jasmine's hand tightly. Natalie and Jasmine have been inseparable since their second year in college. They did almost everything together since they live in the same dorm. Although their majors are different, that doesn’t hinder the bonds between them. “Let’s go.” Jasmine flung the car door open. “I can’t wait to see Ethan. It feels like a lifetime I’ve seen him.” Jasmine hurriedly stepped out of the car, eager to see her boyfriend, while Natalie followed behind her. Dressed in a short, tight, black gown, paired with eight-inch stilettos, with a small clutch in hand, Jasmine walked elegantly towards the clubhouse, where her classmates had booked for the celebration of their graduation. The moment she opened the door, the blast of the loud music playing in the room almost made her retreat . Natalie’s hand caught her arm gently. “Hey babe, where are you running to? Aren’t you eager to meet your boyfriend?” Jasmine froze, her smile faltering for a second as she met Natalie’s blue eyes. There was something there. Something sharp behind the warmth, but she brushed it off. Jasmine took a deep breath and walked into the booked private room, Natalie trailing behind her. What she didn’t see was the hatred that flashed across Natalie’s eyes the moment she turned away. “Hey Jasmine, you are finally here.” One of Jasmine's classmates with blonde hair walked up to her with a glass of wine in hand, her cheek rosy from drinking. Jasmine nodded. She exchanged pleasantries with some course mates in the room, her eyes searching every corner to catch a glimpse of her boyfriend, Ethan. However, he was nowhere to be found. Jasmine couldn’t help but frown a bit. ‘Where could he be? Didn’t he inform her earlier that he would be here?’ Just as her mind was running wild, one of Ethan's friends came out of a door inside the private room. It turns out that there is another private room in the room they are currently celebrating. “Jasmine, you are finally here.” Donald sighted Jasmine immediately and walked up to her with a sloppy smile. His movements were somehow stiff. Jasmine turned around to see Donald walking towards her. “Hey Natalie, you are here too.” Donald waved happily at Natalie who was standing behind Jasmine, a sweet smile plastered on her face. “Donald, where is Ethan? Have you seen him?” Before Jasmine could ask, Natalie had already rushed forward and held Donald’s hands , her eyes shining with eagerness which Jasmine couldn’t see since she was standing behind her. None of them think that Natalie’s behavior was off. She had always been like that when it came to Ethan, making everyone think that she cared about Ethan because he is Jasmine’s boyfriend. “You mean Ethan?” Donald stutters while Natalie nods her head eagerly. “He is in there with some friends. He had been waiting for you guys to arrive.” Donald pointed at a door not far away. The door was slightly opened. “Thank you, Donald.” Jasmine said before she turned around and rushed towards the door, her heart beating in anticipation. She can’t wait to see Ethan. It's been more than a day since she had seen him due to their graduation preparations. Natalie dropped Donald’s hand and followed behind Jasmine. Her face twisted briefly with loathing before she quickly masked it, afraid that someone would see her loathful expression. Jasmine ran towards the door, her hand placed on the handle. Just when she was about to open the door, she paused for a second. Her gaze ran all over her body, trying to check if anything was out of place. By then, Natalie had caught up. “Why aren’t you going in?” Natalie asked, leaning forward to peek through the small gap between the door. “I was just trying to see if anything was out of place.” Jasmine said with her head bowed as she straightened the invisible crease on her dress. “Come on babe, you are perfect. Let’s go in already.” Natalie said reassuringly, not even looking at Jasmine. Her eyes were still fixed between the small opening of the door. “Alright. Let’s go in.” Jasmine said as she pushed the door open. She entered first, while Natalie walked behind her. The atmosphere in the room was different from that of the outside one. A snooker table was surrounded by three young men. Two of them were holding the snooker cue in their hands, their eyes fixed on the balls on the table. The third man was standing not far away, He was twirling with a glass of champagne in his hand, his eyes fixed on the game his friends were playing. A powerful aura was radiating from him as he stood there in a black pants and white shirt. Jasmine's eyes never left his body after sighting him. She was in a daze as she looked at the handsome man, her palm sweaty. He was none other than her boyfriend, the man that had occupied her heart for the past four years. Natalie was also looking at the man, her eyes filled with complicated emotions. The hit on a ball echoed all over the room, bringing the two women out of their reverie. The men had not noticed them yet. They were all immersed in the game as they continued their discussion. “Ethan,” Josh called, dropping his snooker cue beside the table as he turned around. “Hmm,” Ethan answered, his eyes still focused on the game as if in his own world. “It's been four years already. When are you planning to tell Jasmine that you don’t love her? Or have you forgotten that you being with her was because of a bet we made four years ago?” The room suddenly felt smaller, suffocating. Jasmine felt like all the energy in her had been drained away as she stood rooted in place, unable to move forward. The word she just heard Josh spilled out echoes in her ears like a curse she couldn’t escape. A bet…? Four years…? Natalie and Williams, the other guy in the room, were taken aback by what they just heard. Natalie’s eyes widened as she stared at Ethan, before directing her gaze back to Jasmine who was frozen in place. Who does not know that Jasmine and Ethan have a loving relationship on campus? Josh’s revelation was like an eye opener. Who would have thought that Ethan was just playing Jasmine. Looking at Ethan, who just stood there, not commenting on what Josh said, Jasmine’s sharp nails dug into her flesh, a tiny bead of blood visible. She couldn’t believe her ears. The man she had loved with all her heart for the past four years was with her not because her love for him was reciprocated, but because he made a bet with his friend. She felt like rushing over and confronted Ethan, who was still silent, his face creased in a frown as if thinking about something. “Don’t tell me you really fell in love with her, Ethan?” Josh walked towards Ethan and tapped him on his shoulder, seeing how lost he was, his expression unreadable. Jasmine’s heart felt like it was about to stop as she awaits Ethan’s response, her fists clenched tightly around her clutch. “I was just fooling around with Jasmine. Why would I fall in love with her? It’s just a game bro.” Ethan said with a small chuckle, but no one knew the pain he felt in his heart the moment he said that. His heart felt heavy. His chuckle faded just as it came. He raised the champagne glass to his lips, pretending to take a sip, though the liquid burned his throat more than usual. He said that just now in order to look exactly like the same Ethan his friends knew — cold, composed, and unfeeling. But deep down, he knew the truth. He loved Jasmine. He had fallen for her long ago. The moment she gave him her sweetest, shy smile without any expectations. Her carefree, gentle, and sweet soul had long held a place in his heart. The bet with his friend has started as a foolish game in their freshman year, a dare to win the heart of the quiet, unattainable cold-beauty. But what had started as a bet had turned into something real. Something that terrified him. In his attempt to look strong and unfeeling in front of his friends, he had just spat out the biggest lie of his life. He had lied about the one thing that meant the world to him. Ethan’s words were the deal breaker for Jasmine. The tears she had been holding in her eyes fell silently, her chest heavy. If she hadn’t heard this from Ethan himself, she would never believe it if someone else had told her about it. She stared at Ethan with wide eyes, still in disbelief. The man in front of her was familiar, yet unfamiliar. Jasmine’s heart stopped breathing at that moment. With no courage to confront Ethan, Jasmine turned around and dash out of the room silently, just like the way she had entered, not calling attention to herself.