KASMINE.
"I am so sorry. I..." I said, heaving a sigh of frustration.
The phone felt slippery in my hand as I clutched it tightly, careful to keep my voice low. My heart pounded with an anxious rhythm that almost left me breathless.
"Kasmine... I know it's not your fault, but how many more apologies will you have to offer?" He questioned.
"I'm trying, Jake," I whispered, pressing my palm against my mouth to muffle the words. "I don't know how to make him see reason. Kester is—he's suffocating me." My voice cracked, and I bit down hard on my lip to stifle a sob.
On the other end, Jake's silence lingered for a beat too long before he finally spoke. "Mine, you have to fight for yourself. You deserve your own life. He can't keep dictating everything you do." His voice was so gentle that i
