DEAR EX-WIFE: IT'S PAYBACK TIME

CHAPTER 4

Her eyes fluttered severally, gazing at the kids who laughed and talked happily. Their voice, gaze and action held something she couldn't understand.

Was this what true happiness felt like??.

Jasmine thinned her lips, meddling with the necklace she won.

A symbol that kept her little hope up.

Her mom loves her.

She believed.

She enjoyed it outside. Outside was beautiful, outside meant she would believe for a while that she was like them.

Free and happy.

She directed her gaze to the lounge watching the nurse wander around,

Her finger grazed through the solid texture of the necklace, giving her the warmth she craved from her mother. At least she remembered her.

Swiftly, a hand grabbed the necklace, yanking it off her neck. She whined in pain but quickly recovered, her gaze turned to the person who held her necklace.

Leo?

She knew the little bundle of mischief well, an over-pampered one who derived pleasure from taunting her at school, seemed to have found her even at the hospital.

"Give it back."

"Eww, it's so ugly." Leo chuckled, looking at the necklace with disgust.

"Leo!! Give it back. It's mine."

"Lies, it's not yours."

"It's mine, my mummy gave it to me." She stretched fort her hands to get it, and he shifted. "It's my birthday gift from my mummy, give it back?

"Birthday gift??." His mocking laughter grew louder. "This is so ugly. Your mummy must hate you to give you this dirt."

"No. Mummy loves me, now give it back." She screamed, pushing herself little by little off the wheelchair.

"She doesn't!!!!. See.." he pulled out a necklace similar to hers from his pocket, unlike hers, his glowed, looking a lot beautiful and captivating.

"Guess who bought it for me??." He asked, jumping happily.

"My mom, also your mummy. She bought it on my birthday and this..." He raised Jasmine's necklace. "This was just a free junk they gave her as a complimentary gift. I got the real one while you got the cheap nonsense one."

Jasmine stiffened as she shook her head in doubt. "Mummy won't do that. No...no.. mummy..."

"Your mummy doesn't love you. My daddy says you are just a burden, a bedridden sicky who will soon die." She froze and so did the little children afar who heard him. Jasmine stared, his words dug deep into her heart, tearing it apart painfully. "He said you are already dead and no one would love a dead child, not even your mummy."

With that, her last ounce of patience snapped into shreds. She launched herself at him, pushing him to the ground as she pounded her hands against his body.

"Take it back!!! Take it back!!" She screamed, hitting with all her might while all Leo could do was cower and cry. "Take it back!!. Mummy loves me." She yelled, a hand gripped her, sweeping her away from Leo, yet she kept screaming and kicking her leg mid-air. "Take it back, mummy loves me."

"Sweetheart, enough," Ryan spoke, placing her in his arms as she kept repeating the same words.

"Daddy." She whispered.

Marco stepped, his eyes widened as he saw the child who was fighting with Jasmine.

His own son??

His fist clenched.

Here he was ready to sit back and watch the show unfold, to watch Ryan and his almost dead daughter humiliate themselves.

Embarrassment flooded his veins.

"Daddy," Leo called out, rushing to him, the two necklaces dangling in his hands.

He tsked.

The crowd directed their gaze to him whispering among themselves. He had few; they were all calling him a bad father, one with an ill-mannered son.

"Leo?" He lowered himself, resisting the urge to smack his face.

"She...."

"How can you be so selfish and heartless?" He barked, shocking everyone in the hospital, especially Ryan, who had successfully stopped Jasmine's tears.

"You know she is sick and you trouble her. How can you be so ill-mannered?"

"But Daddy...."

"You are in the wrong, Leo."

"Daddy..."

"Apologies, now."

"I wasn't at fault. She was the one who hit me first." Leo cried loudly. "She was the one who started it." Their gaze snapped to Jasmine, who stood, glaring angrily at him. He kept screaming, rolling on the ground. "She caused it, so why am I being scolded?"

"Sweetheart.." Ryan called out softly, trying to draw her attention to me. "What happened?? Jas." She kept her gaze on Leo. "Sweetheart, answer me."

"Can you stop it!!!" Macro barked, staring at Leo, who suddenly stopped, curling in fear.

"Aren't you ashamed??" He asked, pulling the little boy to his feet, "How many times have I told you to control your stupid actions!!!!Can't you use your brains?!”.

“I have warned you to stay away from this feeble child, she is barely a day away from her death. What if she dies? Your dream of having Rachel as your new mummy will only remain a dream! Is that what you want??" Leo shook his head in response.

"Repeat that." Ryan growled. "I dare you."

"Why?? Isn't it the truth?" Marco hissed angrily.

"Everyone, including you, knows your daughter is a weak, sickly child who is rotting away in the four walls of this poorly maintained hospital." He ignored the gaze, pressing further.

"She is barely a few days away from her miserable end and once she finally dies then Rachael can have the rest she desires. She is sick and tired of that little brat leeching off of her." He took a step closer, staring into his eyes.

"What do you think? that Rachael will spend another second with you once this little feeble brats dies. wrong! She is only here with you because she pities you two. that will all change when......."

He suddenly let out a loud cry, his snapped to the little Jasmine who sank her teeth into his finger, yanking it. He grunted, pushing her away as she stumbled, falling rashly to the ground.

"Jas," Ryan yelled, rushing towards her, cradling her from the ground. "Are you okay??"

"Leave my mummy alone!!!" Jasmine screamed. "Leave her alone, you sly fox, don't try to take my mummy away from us."

She screamed harder, kicking mid air, while Ryan clutched onto her, trying to stop her.

"Go get Leo his own mummy and leave my mummy alone. Leave her alone. Stop trying to take her away, you homewrecker, wicked heartless uncle!!"

"Jas, stop."

"No, daddy. Let me talk. He is trying to take Mummy away from us; he is a bad man." She turned her gaze to him.

"Go back to your own wife and leave my mummy alone. She isn't yours. She belongs to my Daddy and me, only! Not you. So leave us alone. Go away."

"Jasmine!!!!!." A voice thudded through the air.

they inclined their gaze to Rachael, who stormed in, boiling in anger. She bridged the distance between them and in a swift second she swung her hand, which came crashing against Jasmine's cheek with a thunderous sound.