Forsaking the Years of Longing

Chapter 9 "We'll see. I plan to stay with the old man for a while," I said, giving Jasmine's chubby cheek a squeeze.

"Well, the Wood family will surely be after you now that you've left. I heard Jason is considering calling off the engagement, so they probably hate your guts."

I nodded, unconcerned. "It's fine; they'll just use the same old tricks. Just keep an eye out for me."

"And Jason? Are you really... over him?" Jasmine asked, sneaking a glance at me as she mentioned his name. She knew better than anyone how much I had invested in Jason over the past five years. Even I found it hard to believe I could move on so quickly. And Jasmine, who had seen it all, knew this as well.

But I smiled. "What else would you have me do? Hang myself over him?"

Jasmine laughed along with me, clapping me on the shoulder.

"That's the spirit! Go ahead, and I'll come to visit whenever I can."

She stopped mid-sentence, suddenly looking back and catching the cold glare in my eyes as I spotted Jason standing behind us.

"Damn!" she muttered, startled. "Why is he here?"

Jason's expression was beyond unpleasant, almost menacing. I grabbed my suitcase. "Time to go."

"Go, go!" Jasmine urged, stepping between me and Jason as he approached.

"Caroline!" Jason called out, reaching for me, only for Jasmine to swiftly smack his hand away.

Watching me walk farther and farther away, Jason looked both lost and angry, trying to follow but blocked by Jasmine.

"What do you think you're doing?! Haven't you done enough to Caroline? Don't think I won't stand up to you just because I'm not as rich as you!"

I couldn't resist looking back one last time. I saw Jasmine holding him back while Jason, visibly annoyed, locked eyes with me, mouthing the words, "You'll regret this."

I smirked, mouthing back, "Idiot."

Regret?

I'd regretted it long ago.

Five years of my youth wasted on a jerk like him-I'd been regretting it for a long, long time.

After landing in New York, I was hit with a flood of notifications the moment I stepped off the plane.

I didn't even need to check to know I was involved in yet another scandal.

After bailing out Emily, the Wood family had stirred up a storm online, redirecting their attacks toward me, someone who had already left their world.

Opening the link Jasmine had sent me, the first thing I saw was a recorded livestream clip of Emily sobbing hysterically.

Emily: "Yes, I did something foolish

in a moment of weakness, but Caroline, forced me! She knew I was Jason's fiancée yet still tried to steal him from me. What woman could put up with that?"

"And now, Jason has completely abandoned me because of her.

I'm the real victim here! Family, hit the follow button -I'l spill even juicier gossip for you all."

Me: .?

I may have been with Jason for five years, but when we started, Emily wasn't even in the picture! She's making it up as she goes!

Jasmine, knowing my arrival time, called immediately.

"Has Emily lost her mind? She's dragging Jason down with her too?" I asked.

Jasmine's voice fired off like a

machine gun. You don't know the half of it. The night you left, Jason officially announced he'd broken off the engagement with Emily. Although the company leak scandal had passed, Jason refused to have someone as idiotic as Emily as his future wife. After all, there are plenty of other heiresses in Seattle on the same social level as Emily-why not marry one of them?"

"Then the Wood family lost it. Since the older Woods are still in business with the Parkers, they didn't dare directly target Jason. Instead, they've been posting all kinds of fabricated dirt about you online, even claiming you faked your academic credentials!"

"But Emily's gone off the rails. She's doing livestreams, crying and calling you a mistress, showing some fake doctored photos claiming you had a dozen sugar daddies! That witch! Don't worry, Caroline - I'm sending people to rough her up in an alley to give you some proper revenge!"

After hearing everything, I felt nothing but annoyance. They were all acting insane. Steadying myself, I hailed a cab and headed back to the home I hadn't seen in five years.