Chapter 3

My chest tightened as I circled the pool. "I didn't spot anything."

Maurice shot me a frosty look. "There are plenty of bushes around here. If it's not right by the edge, can't you check the rest?"

I froze for a moment, but had no choice. I knelt down in the thick, tangled bushes.

My legs and arms got scratched up pretty badly.

After digging around for two hours, I said, "I swear, it's nowhere to be found. It must not be here."

Maurice let out a cold, mocking laugh. "If it's not up here, then go search underwater, why don't you?"

My blood ran cold, and I started shaking all over.

Maurice was doing this on purpose. He knew I was terrified of water.

My mom drowned during a rafting trip, so now, the moment I got in the water, I felt like I was suffocating.

I shook my head desperately. "No, I'm not going in."

Maurice looked like he was enjoying the show. "Yasmin, didn't you say you were sorry and wanted to make it up to me?

"What, you don't want to make it up to me anymore? Can't even do something this simple? I want you in that water, now!"

The pool loomed before me like a giant, bloodthirsty maw, and my panic spiraled out of control. I couldn't get a single word out and just kept shaking my head, desperate and terrified.

"No, I can't, I just can't," I stammered.

But Maurice advanced on me, step by step, his eyes cold. "Get in there and find it. Now!"

I retreated, my back pressed against the edge, nowhere left to go.

He lifted his hand threateningly, and my heart was numb with dread. Before I knew it, my foot slipped, and I tumbled straight into the deep, shadowy water.

Memories of death and losing the people I loved flooded in from every direction, like I was drowning in them.

"Mom, Mom... please, save me. Why did you leave me here all alone? I'm so tired," I begged in my heart, the ache almost unbearable.

My head was pounding, and I couldn't breathe, not even a little.

I couldn't even fight anymore. Everything faded away as I sank to the bottom.

When I came to, I hadn't followed my mom into the darkness. I was still in the room.

Maurice set down the papers in his hand.

"You're awake? Got anything to say?" he asked.

I had no idea what he wanted to hear, so I just spoke, my voice flat and numb.

"I'm sorry. I can't look for Lexie's ring underwater. The moment I'm in, I can't see a thing," I said.

Maurice shot me a mocking look.

"Alright, looks like you're fine. I'm heading out. You're such a saint. Just don't go running to my mom and snitching on me, okay?" he said.

Just before leaving, he gave me a cryptic look. "Yasmin, you're such an idiot. This is all you'll ever be."

If only I could prove to Olivia that I was just as normal as anyone else, maybe things wouldn't always be this way for me.

Maybe then, my life wouldn't have to be like this forever.

It was kind of a pity, though. I really thought Giancarlo would've made a pretty great boyfriend.

On Maurice's birthday, as the head of the Raymond Group, his birthday was always a high-profile social gathering, lavish, crowded, and impossible to ignore. This year was no exception.

As his wife, no matter what was going on between us, I had to play my part and attend, putting on a convincing act for everyone watching.

I caught sight of Giancarlo, someone I hadn't seen in ages. He glanced up, amused, as if watching us perform on stage.

I lowered my head, feeling awkward. After the media interviews, Maurice shared a glass of light champagne with me, but barely stuck around before moving on.

But something felt seriously off. My head was groggy and spinning, and my whole body was hot and itchy.

There were sensations coursing through me that I'd never experienced before.

I could already tell. If I stayed any longer, I was going to make a fool of myself.

I practically tripped my way up to the suite, and as soon as I stepped out of the elevator, I bumped right into Giancarlo.

"What are you doing? Stop trying to get close to me. I already told you, I'm not getting involved in your mess..." Giancarlo started.

But before he could finish, Giancarlo stopped short when he saw how red my face was.

"What... what's wrong?" he asked.

My body couldn't take it anymore. I barely managed to get past him and rushed straight to my suite.

After locking the door behind me, I turned to see a strange man in a bathrobe sitting on the bed, leering at me with a sleazy grin.

My legs were already giving out. "Who are you? This is my room!" I demanded.

The man stood up with a leering smile and started walking toward me.

"Mrs. Raymond, I'm Maurice's buddy. Just thought I'd get friendly with you too," he said, his tone full of sleazy intent.

I instantly picked up on the danger, my hand gripping the doorknob, ready to make a run for it.

But the guy looked totally unfazed. "Mrs. Raymond, the reporters are all camped out downstairs. The second you step outside, they'll snap your picture, and Maurice will have the perfect excuse to divorce you, no questions asked."

He yanked at my shoulder strap, and it made my skin crawl. I almost burst into tears. I shoved his hand off me.

"No, I'm still Mrs. Raymond!" I shouted, my voice trembling.

The guy snorted. "Did Maurice ever tell you how he usually 'makes friends' with people?"

"I just want to get friendly with you, that's all," he said.