…Jasmine Blay's POV…

The day was bright, with fresh air brewing around me, refreshing the day with warmth.

The school surroundings were unusually lively. As I walked out of the washroom, stretching my arms wide, I let out a playful sigh. “Ah, today is going to be a good day,” I murmured, a smile lingering on my lips.

But good days have a way of taking strange turns.

The final bell rang through the hall, signaling the end of the day. I hurried to pick up my bag and wait for my sweet mom at the entrance. She had said she would make a cake and couldn’t wait for me to taste it.

Walking through the group heading toward the entrance, I felt something was off. Their eyes. Their expressions.

They weren’t just looking at me—they were staring. Wait! Why were they staring at me so weirdly? Their stares sent a shiver down my spine. Shrugging, I brushed it off and continued toward my destination.

As soon as I entered the classroom, I felt the heavy tension. The room felt suffocating and abnormally silent. The only sound was their breathing.

I was about to ask what was going on when Kayla rushed to me, her brow furrowed and eyes narrowed slightly. “Jasmine, are you okay?”Concern was clear on her face.

I stared at her, puzzled. “Of course, I’m perfectly fine,” I said with a wide grin. I didn’t read much into it.

“Are you sure?” she asked again, her eyes scanning my face as though searching for answers.

I laughed a little too loudly and patted her shoulder. “Kayla, I’m fine. Why are you acting so strangely?” I spun around to ease the tension, but it only made things worse.

Whispers started behind me: “Do you think she knows?”

“I don’t know.”

My chest tightened. Something was wrong—very wrong. Grabbing Kayla by the arm, I pulled her outside the classroom. “What’s going on? Why is everyone acting so weird?”

“Can she handle it?” I heard one of the students ask.

“I don’t know.” The whispers continued.

---

…Kayla Swift POV…

When I saw my only friend enter the classroom with a smile on her lips, I knew she didn’t know what had happened. But what if she knew and was pretending to be okay? I quickly rushed to her side and asked, my throat tight.

From her answers, I realized she wasn't aware. Suddenly, I regretted asking those questions. But if I hadn’t, she would still find out. I sighed in sadness as I didn't want to be the one to let her know.

She deserves happiness and not this.

When she dragged me outside and asked what was happening, I swallowed hard, trying to keep calm. I bit my lip as my hands trembled while scrolling through my phone, then showed her a video.

“What’s that?” she asked suspiciously before taking the phone.

I saw her hands shake as she watched the video unfold. My heart broke when she stumbled backward, almost dropping the phone.

“No! This is not true, the video is fake!” she said softly, her voice fading. Her eyes seemed lost as if searching for something in another world.

I hugged her, trying to comfort her, but she pushed me away and ran off, sobbing silently.

I wanted to chase her but realized she needed to be alone, so I followed quietly.

---

…Jasmine Blay’s POV…

Watching the video Kayla showed me, I couldn’t believe my eyes.

I paused it, zooming in on the images desperately. It couldn’t be her.

My mom’s sex tape—leaked? No, it wasn’t possible. The man wasn’t even my dad.

My chest heaved as my fingers trembled. The world blurred through the tears welling in my eyes.

My mom wasn’t that kind of woman—she was decent, proud, and had married my father as a virgin. I struggled to accept the reality and almost dropped Kayla’s phone.

My chest rose and fell rapidly, tears welling up as I shook my head in denial.

I pushed Kayla away, unable to face her sympathy, and ran home. I needed answers, and only my mother could give them.

I took a cab and told the driver my destination. I didn’t bother to check if our chauffeur had come or not. I knew Mom wouldn’t come; she wouldn’t want to implicate me.

I wanted to call her and check if she was okay first. I dialed her number, and seeing her name pop up with three red heart emojis, I gently brushed the screen and whispered softly, “I trust you, Mom, and I love you.”

I called the number, and the phone rang, but no one picked up. I knew she might be avoiding the world’s confrontation and might have thrown the phone somewhere for peace of mind.

Upon reaching the entrance, people were crowded in front of the house. Police cars, ambulances, and journalists surrounded the place. I rushed out of the car and even forgot to pay the driver. I heard him shout behind me, but I paid no attention.

I understood the journalists—they would want to dig out information. I understood the police—they wanted to protect my mom. But why the ambulance?

A fleeting thought crossed my mind, but I dismissed it immediately. It was impossible. I know the one who gave birth to me.

“Mom!!” I screamed in fear.

I pushed through the crowd and quickly entered the mansion. I could hear people mumbling and pointing fingers at me.

As I reached the main hall, I saw my mom lying on the floor with foam in her mouth. Her eyes were wide open as if surprised by something.

“No!!!!”

I pushed the policeman who was about to squat beside her. He fell backward.

I shook my mom to wake her up, even though I knew she was gone.

“Mom, wake up!

Mom, I’m here!” I shook her hard as my screams echoed through the mansion.

How was this possible? God, why? This wasn’t what I expected. No matter what, my mom was a strong woman and wouldn’t unalive herself.

The whole world seemed distant. My eyes widened and my breath seemed to pause.

“Mom… Mom… No. It can’t be.” I shook my head, my hands trembling. “It can’t be. How can Mom… How can my mom be lying on the floor?”

No. This must be a joke. Can Mom be acting? If it’s acting, then this isn’t funny.

“Mom.” Even though there were a lot of people in the room, it felt as if I was alone with Mom.