Double Fatal Desire

CHAPTER 1

THE HEART OF GOLD

"Never, mum, Never! I will not sacrifice my love and career just to be entangled in marriage to Mr Stewart Jones for his selfish reasons”. Said Jasmine Thompson, as she yelled on top of her voice at her mum lying down critically ill.

Billionaire Stewart Jones had visited them in the hospital ward and after discussions with Mrs Brenda Thompson, Jasmine's mum, he walked out with smiles on his face.

Mr Stewart earlier that day received a passionate plea via a phone call from his former domestic staff Mrs Brenda Thompson who was on hospital admission.

Brenda informed her former boss she had been diagnosed with an ailment and needed him to help her pay the bills for her surgery so she can get well again.

He saw this as an opportunity to capitalize upon and decided to visit her in hospital and made known his intentions.

On entering the ward, Mr Stewart met Jasmine sitting beside the sick mum in the ward. He had always admired her beauty and sought an opportunity to be close to her which never came.

He walked majestically into the hospital ward and after exchanging pleasantries, he told Mrs Brenda that he had agreed to her request to pay her bills for the surgery on one condition.

"Oh thank you very much Mr Stewart, I am short of words to express gratitude", " replied Mrs Brenda. "But what condition if I may ask?"

Mr Stewart held her hands and said, "I will give you my words Mrs. Brenda. I will pay the money, but on the condition that your daughter Jasmine would be my wife".

He smiled at her, as he gazed at the shocking expression on the face of Mrs Brenda. He stepped back suddenly as he heard the raging tenacious outburst from Jasmine.

“Not in your wildest imagination”, Jasmine exclaimed. She stood up from where she

sat, raised her voice further and said.

"Listen Mr Stewart or whatever you call yourself, you must be living in illusions to think I will ever be your wife. Not even in my lifetime".

Mr Stewart walked backwards, looked at Mrs Brenda, and said, "I am just a call away. Think about my offer and all settlements will be history. You know I always keep to my words". Then he left.

"It can't be mum, you know I can't marry that fellow". Jasmine walked to and fro the ward, looking agitated and tense. She raised her voice further in response.

"Not in his wildest dreams mum. You won't even dare consider his offer, for that will be the last thing I will ever consent to".

Brenda, as weak as she was, managed to speak to Jasmine subtly. "My dear, please listen to me. This is the only available option for us to get the needed money to pay for my surgery".

"It's not a matter of debate, you have to get married to Mr. Stewart or else I die.

"Never, it can't be", Jasmine replied. "There's no way I will leave Lewis, my love and the man of my dreams and get married to Mr Stewart. I don't love him, I am not close to him and I know virtually nothing about him".

The tantrums and echoes of raging words filtered through the room and nearby wards and this drew the attention of doctors and nurses going on ward rounds as they stopped by, entered the ward and whispered.

“Is everything alright, Jasmine?”Dr Murphy asked quietly, “you seem very tense”.

"Yes doctor. Everything will be fine". Replied Mrs. Brenda Thompson in a very weak tone.

As they stepped out, Jasmine moved closer to her mum's bed side once again, and said with her voice shaking.

"Listen mum, there is no way I will get married to Mr Stewart Jones. He is not just my kind of person. I barely know him, he is so commanding and I can't stand his personality from all I have heard about his escapades".

"No more words on this matter from you again Jasmine. I am your mother and I have made my points clear. It's either you get married to Mr Stewart or I disown you". Brenda replied.

"But mother, all I ask for is more time. I have a blossoming career and am on the verge of signing a lucrative deal with Epsom apparels. That deal is worth millions of dollars".

"With this mum we will be fine. I will talk to my manager Lewis and we will call the brands manager and fix a date to sign the needed contract documents and once that's settled, I will be paid mum".

"Oh stop this Jasmine". Her mum uttered. "I don't have time. You heard what Doctor Murphy said. If the needed transplant and surgical procedure isn't carried out within the next 72 hours, there will be complications and he said I may not survive it".

"Please my darling. I am dying. Save my life. Go to Mr Stewart now. Tell him you have agreed to marry him. Proceed with whatever date he fixes and terms and just let me live and be well again".

"Please don't say no. Don't say no to your dying mother Jasmine". Brenda sighed, stopped talking and closed her eyes as they were filled with tears.

"Just give me more time mum, I will get the money for your surgery and you will be well again", Jasmine assured. "I don't have to be married to that brute before he decides to settle your medical bills".

Brenda in a very weak tone simply replied. "Perhaps when I am gone, you can tell that to whoever cares to listen. But I will never forgive you even in death Jasmine".

Those words, as calm as they were, pierced through her soul. And kept ringing a bell as she got up and walked out of the hospital.

Jasmine took a long walk for a while and pondered how tight making this decision would be for her.

The thoughts that she would lose her mum soon if she made the wrong decision ravaged her memory.

She lost her dad when she was 5 years old. He suffered a heart attack and could not survive it after days of intense pressure from creditors he was indebted to.

Ever since, her mum Brenda Thompson single handedly catered for her as she toiled day and night for many years to make ends meet.

On such occasions, the mum worked as a housekeeper for Mr Stewart Jones a billionaire business magnate. The proceeds from those jobs were used to train Jasmine till she graduated from college.

Jasmine was indecisive. On one hand, her lifelong dream of becoming a mega star super model was gradually fading away.

And on the other, the thoughts of losing her mother this way from a diagnosed ailment haunted her.

"What do I do now"? She was uttering the words in a confused state as she walked down the road.

"Where do I get $10,000 for a transplant, chemotherapy sessions and the cost of the rehabilitation process after the surgery? How do I pay these bills"?

She began to ruminate as she remembered how her mum suffered and sacrificed a lot for her in the absence of father.

"Mum has a heart of Gold. I think now is the best time for me to make a sacrifice and repay her good heart towards me".

"On another note, Mr Stewart's kind gesture to oblige mum's request was a good one, but going by the condition he gave, this privilege is not from a good heart".

"I have no choice. I will have to marry Mr Stewart and save mum from dying". Then she remembered the words of Doctor Murphy again that the mum has just a few more days to live if they don't carry out the much needed surgery.

There and then, she made up her mind and decided to go and see Mr Stewart to give him a piece of her mind.