The Carousel Lies Chapter 05
Jasmine kept checking her watch, an unusual flicker of impatience crossing her face.
She couldn’t put it off any longer. What time was Charlie’s contest again?
She froze, realizing with a jolt that she couldn’t even remember the exact time, even though Cody had drilled it into her the day before, over and over.
A flicker of panic hit her. She slipped away from the birthday crowd and headed toward the office, where she’d stashed the toy she’d bought that morning to give Charlie after the contest.
Josh had been watching her the whole time, and he caught up to her quickly.
“You haven’t even had cake yet,” he said.
Jasmine gave a distracted hum and kept walking without looking back.
“You all go ahead. I’ve got something to take care of.”
Josh shot a quick look at his son.
Luke grabbed the hem of her jacket, staring up at her with wide, pleading eyes.
“Jasmine, weren’t you going to teach me the violin? Why are you leaving already?”
She looked down at him, torn. “I have something to take care of right now, sweetheart. Let’s do it another day.”
But Luke wouldn’t let go, gripping her jacket stubbornly. Jasmine’s head was starting to pound. She shot Josh a pleading look, but he just shrugged, helpless.
She thought it over and decided to call Cody first. But when she pulled out her phone, she realized it had been turned off at some point without her noticing.
No one else would have dared touch her phone without permission. She looked calmly at Josh. He deliberately avoided her eyes, and in that instant, she understood everything.
Without hesitating any longer, she gently pried Luke’s hand loose and walked straight out.
Luke was always asking something of her, and no matter how hard she tried to give him everything he wanted, he was never satisfied. But how had she treated her own son? Charlie was always so careful, asking for so little, and she’d brushed him aside again and again.
All the small details she’d let slip past her over the years came rushing back at once, and her heart started to race.
Jasmine couldn’t bear to think about it anymore. The moment her phone powered back on, she pulled up her chat with Cody, desperate to reach him. But the next second, a fille caught her eye. Divorce papers.
She stared at the words like she’d never seen them before, until her vision blurred and doubled. Only then did she panic and speed off toward the preschool.
She didn’t even bother pulling into a parking spot, just stopped the car by the curb and jumped out. The school was empty She grabbed the nearest teacher and asked, breathless
“Excuse me, wasn’t there a craft contest today? Hasn’t it started yet?”
The teacher looked at her, startled “It ended a while ago I almost dark out. Which kid’s parent are you?
Before Jasmine could answer, realization dawned on the teacher’s face
“You’re Charlie’s mother, aren’t you? You’re the only parent in the whole class who didn’t show up.
“I’ll be honest with you, Charlie’s mother. He kept smiling the whole time, but his eyes never stopped being puffy.
The teacher’s gaze settled on Jasmine, carrying an unmistakable note of judgment.
“I know boys are supposed to be tougher, but from the looks of things, your family’s not hurting for money. So why is Charlie dressed like… and his father too…”
The teacher trailed off, but Jasmine was already mortified. The dress on her back alone cost four figures, never mind the car parked outside. She hadn’t really wanted to keep up the act anymore anyway.
The whole absurd charade had started with a promise she’d made to Josh back when she was young. Impulsive and stubborn back then, she’d sworn to the boy she loved that she’d spend every cent she ever made on him, that she’d be good to him for the rest of her life. Even after he’d later left her for a model, she’d still kept that promise.
Over the years, she’d rarely contributed to the household, and she didn’t even know how much Cody made. She’d simply assumed, selfishly, that he could handle everything on his own. He’d always been so strong, never once asking her for anything.
A shiver ran through her. Maybe he’d never asked because he understood there was no point in asking.
