Tea

Rosaline had not yet accepted her defeat.

"David!" She wasted no time pushing through the crowd, shoving aside guests who had insulted her just moments ago. If she could prove that David was by her side, all was not lost. "I've missed you so much! How are you back? Did your business in Vietnam end?"

Everyone watched in stunned silence at her shameless display.

David barely acknowledged her presence. Without so much as a glance, he walked past her, heading straight for Jazmine Harrison.

Rosaline froze. The whispers around her stung, the derisive scoffs of those she had rudely pushed making her chest tighten. He ignored me. He completely ignored me. Humiliation burned her face. Unable to endure another moment of mocking stares, she spun around and fled upstairs to her room.

Meanwhile, Jazmine stood still as David approached.

"Why didn't you inform me you were visiting home? I could have accompanied you," he said.

Jazmine hesitated. What was this? In her past life, she had asked him to come with her, only to be coldly dismissed.

"I thought you would be busy," she replied carefully.

David's brows furrowed slightly. "You are my wife. I can always make time for you. You should know there is nothing more important than that."

His voice held traces of warmth, something almost like concern.

Jazmine stared at him. What the hell is happening?

The crowd murmured amongst themselves. If the rumors were true, why would David Anderson look at Jazmine like that? Why would he speak to her with such devotion?

To the world, they seemed like a loving couple. But Jazmine knew better.

He hated her. That was an undeniable fact. She had lived an entire lifetime knowing that his hatred was real. He had proven it to her again and again in her past life, no matter how much she tried to understand why.

But she wasn't naïve.

If he was playing a game, if this was some new way to manipulate her, she wasn't about to be fooled.

Sabrina Voss, the host of the reality show, took the opportunity to approach with a well-timed smile. "Mr. Anderson, we are in the final moments of our show. Would you like to say a few words about your new bride?"

David looked at Jazmine and smiled. Warmly. Affectionately.

She saw through it instantly.

He could fool Sabrina. He could fool the guests. He could fool thousands of viewers watching the broadcast.

But not her.

"She has all the qualities any man could desire in a wife," David said smoothly.

The cameras captured the moment, the perfect closing scene for the show.

And with that, the three-hour broadcast came to an end.

Upstairs, in her room, Rosaline was a storm of rage.

"That whore! That bitch! I'll kill her! I'll kill her!" she screeched, smashing a porcelain vase against the wall. The shards scattered across the floor, but she didn't stop. She grabbed the nearest lamp and sent it crashing down as well.

Today was the worst day of her life.

"David always greeted me first before her!" she raged. "What happened today?! Why did he ignore me?! What witchcraft did that whore use to seduce him?!"

Sarah Whites tried to soothe her. "Calm down, Rosaline—"

"How can I calm down?!" Another glass shattered against the wall. Rosaline's breath came fast and furious. "I was humiliated three times today! And now David won't even look at me! The show is going to be streamed everywhere! Everyone is going to love that bitch!" She clutched at her hair, seething. "I've lost my backing!"

Sarah hesitated before whispering, "Then... we do what you suggested earlier."

Rosaline's hands stilled.

Her ragged breathing slowed.

Sarah leaned closer. "As long as you regain control over David, everything can be reversed."

Rosaline's eyes gleamed.

Amelia had left early due to an urgent call from her manager. The rest of the guests had dispersed after the show, leaving only family at the dinner table.

Jazmine ate silently, ignoring the elaborate display of affection her father was showering on David. President Anderson, ever the strategist, was using this dinner to push Rosaline into David's favor.

"And that time," President Anderson said, voice filled with pride, "Rosaline brought in the best price for our winter collection. Some companies were so impressed that they fought to have her endorse their products—"

Jazmine resisted the urge to scoff. Who was he fooling?

Rosaline was a complete newbie. She was nothing in the industry. Nobody even knew her name.

As Jazmine took a sip of tea, she caught a subtle glance from Rosaline.

Something about it felt... off.

Jazmine kept her head down, pretending to sip again, but her focus was on Rosaline.

Sure enough, Rosaline's eyes flicked toward her cup, watching intently.

Jazmine set her cup down. So that's what this is.

She discreetly examined the liquid. The color seemed slightly unusual. Even the scent was odd.

A bad feeling settled in her gut.

She reached for the water pitcher instead and poured herself a fresh glass.

"Elder sister, I prepared that tea myself," Rosaline said suddenly. Her tone was light, but there was something sharp beneath it. "Why don't you drink it all? Did you not like the taste?"

Jazmine raised a brow.

Rosaline pressed on, her voice turning emotional. "I put so much effort into it. If you don't drink it, it'll go to waste."

Jazmine didn't need to keep up any pretense anymore. The guests were gone. She had no reason to play along.

If Rosaline was this fixated on making her drink the tea, then her suspicions were confirmed.

She leaned back in her chair. "Forgive me, Rosaline, but there's something wrong with this tea," she said bluntly. "The taste is odd. After only a few sips, I already feel nauseous." Her voice was calm, matter-of-fact. "I have a company to run. I can't afford to fall sick."

Then she slid the cup forward. "If you're worried about your effort going to waste, why don't you drink it yourself?"

Rosaline paled.

The dining table fell into stunned silence.

Jazmine smiled faintly, pushing back her chair. "If you'll all excuse me," she said, rising gracefully.

She didn't wait for a response.

As she walked toward the staircase, a wave of drowsiness crept over her.

Damn it.

Even drinking just half of the cup had an effect.

She forced herself to move, steadying her breathing as she climbed the stairs. Her vision wavered slightly, but she reached her room, locked the door behind her, and leaned against it.

"Luckily, I didn't drink the whole cup," she murmured.

If she had, she wouldn't be standing right now.

Her thoughts sharpened. What were they planning?

Whatever it was, she needed to be ready.

She couldn't afford to let her guard down.

"She didn't drink the whole cup," Rosaline hissed. "Now what?"

"Don't panic," Sarah whispered. "The drug is powerful. Even half a cup will do the job."

Rosaline clenched her fists. "What about David?"

"He drank his."

Rosaline's expression shifted. A slow, wicked smile curled her lips.

"Then we move now—before the effects wear off."