Chapter 1
The rain flooded the entire city. My boyfriend handed his umbrella to Brenna from his project team.
"Brenna is fragile. She'll get sick if she gets soaked," Cason said.
Brenna smiled sweetly and accepted it in front of everyone. "Thank you for caring, Cason."
I was running a fever of 102.2°F. In that moment, I realized I didn't need him anymore.
When I brought up the breakup, his tone was cold and dismissive. "It's just an umbrella. Is it really worth being jealous over? Brenna is the core member of the project. You're just back-office staff. Do you really think you can compare yourself to her?"
I looked at the man standing so arrogantly before me and made my decision. I resigned and terminated my lease, clearing everything in one clean sweep.
After all, my hometown's demolition compensation included ten apartments. I still had to rush back to sign the papers and officially begin my new life as a landlady.
*****
"That's my umbrella," I said.
As soon as Cason Valencia reached out to hand Brenna Horne the umbrella, I instinctively protested.
But Brenna didn't even blink. She just took the umbrella without backing down, like I hadn't said a word.
She ignored me completely, just flashed Cason a sweet smile.
"With rain coming down this hard, I was starting to think I might not even make it home," Brenna said. "Totally forgot my umbrella this morning. Appreciate it, Cason."
After that, Brenna gave me a casual glance and said, "Thanks, Jasmine. Classic office work. Gotta say, you're pretty detail-oriented."
Seeing her act like she didn't hear a thing I said, I couldn't help but let out a bitter laugh. I was so mad I could barely stand it.
Just as she was about to leave, I grabbed her wrist. My feverish fingers were burning, and though my voice sounded calm, you could hear the anger simmering underneath. "I told you, that's my umbrella."
"If you want an umbrella, go buy one at the convenience store," I shot back.
Cason's mouth flattened, his brows furrowing. "It's just an umbrella. Let Brenna have it, what's the harm? Just buy another one. Why are you being so petty?"
"Brenna's been running herself ragged for this project. She barely has time to think about an umbrella. She's pretty fragile. If she gets sick from the rain and the project gets delayed, are you gonna be the one to answer for it?"
With that, Cason roughly pulled my hand away and gave Brenna a look like she was the most precious thing in the world.
When he saw the red mark on Brenna's wrist, his face turned even darker.
"Here, Brenna, take the umbrella. The rain's coming down even harder. You should hurry home," Cason said. "It's pouring and getting colder. You're not dressed for this weather. Don't get sick."
"Jasmine's just an office worker. If she gets sick, it's not like the company would even notice," Cason said. "She has no idea how crucial you are to the project. Don't waste your breath on her."
Hearing Cason trash me to my face just to make Brenna feel better, it was like someone dumped a bucket of ice water over my heart.
With a 102.2°F fever, my brain was totally fried. I could barely think straight.
But the way Cason belittled and dismissed me, there was no fooling myself anymore.
He never respected me at all, even though I was the one he was officially dating.
Brenna popped open the umbrella, shooting a look of pure distaste.
"This thing's so old, I bet it'll fall apart in this downpour," she snarked. "And seriously, what's up with these colors? Red and green? So lame."
"Cason, not gonna lie, Jasmine's taste is kinda tragic," Brenna added.
"Buying cheap stuff is one thing, but this is just plain tacky. Honestly, only you, Cason, would put up with her taste," Brenna snarked.
"Jasmine, I seriously envy you for snagging a boyfriend who's so tolerant of you. Right?" Brenna said with a smirk.
Brenna was all smiles, pretending it was just a joke, while Cason nodded along in agreement.
But I didn't find it funny at all.
If she thought I had zero taste, then maybe stop trying to steal my umbrella, huh?
My blood was boiling with rage, and I was so mad I could barely keep it together.
Even with my whole body burning up from the fever, my thoughts were sharp as ever.
Fed up, I marched straight over without a hint of hesitation.
Without warning, I snatched the umbrella right out of Brenna's hand.
Brenna was caught off guard and staggered, her shoulder getting drenched by the downpour in an instant.
It was a summer workday, and Brenna showed up in a silk blouse.
The rain soaked right through, highlighting her alluring curves for everyone to see.
Surrounded by coworkers heading out, Brenna instinctively covered her chest and gave a startled cry.
"Jasmine, what are you even doing?" Brenna snapped.
"Just because we disagree, you start shoving people? Why do you have to be so petty?" Brenna shot back.
Cason was already right next to Brenna. The moment he saw her caught in that awkward situation, he hurriedly took off his suit jacket and wrapped it around her.
Without thinking, he held her close and whispered gently to calm her down.
"Jasmine, you're seriously out of line. If you're gonna get jealous, at least don't make a scene," Cason snapped.
"You drenched Brenna's clothes and embarrassed her in front of everyone. That's just mean," Cason shot back.
"You're a woman too. Do you really have to stoop so low?" Cason said, shaking his head. "It's literally your job to look out for everyone. So what were you even doing?"