Chapter 65.2

Chapter 65.2

It was truly destructive. And never before had she felt so irritated by that fact. Jasmine rubbed her forehead and glared seriously at the teddy bear sitting opposite her.

“What are you doing, huh?”

“…”

“What’s the point of accepting it so easily again?”

“…”

“Why didn’t you just say, ‘I hate this. Get away from me. Talk to me from there. Why are you so stupid, huh?”

Naturally, the cute teddy bear made no response to Jasmine’s angry tirade. Feeling even more frustrated, she bit into a handkerchief. She looked like an angry puppy, but she wasn’t aware of it.

Despite all this, the sensation of his touch on her shoulder and hand still seemed to linger, leaving a burning trace. It had been such a long time since they had any contact.

His intense body heat was always paralyzed and incapacitated with ease before it became an addiction. Even if a long period had gone without thinking about him, just a brief touch had left her confused.

She realized that his touch was not as unpleasant as she had imagined or anticipated.

At the time, she had felt repulsion, fear, and the urge to flee, but she now realized that her inner feelings weren’t all that way.

Jasmine could not and would not accept anything if she truly hated it. Despite her seemingly easygoing nature, she had a stubborn streak. She was naturally honest and straightforward.

So, the fact that she hadn’t immediately pushed him away told her one thing: she was still, in some small way, slightly affected by him.

It was understandable. Six months was a long time, but it was too short to erase deep feelings entirely. Especially after 7 years of liking him…

Familiar feelings of helplessness and self-loathing surged within her again. ‘No, it’s okay to be a little shaken. But that’s all.’ Jasmine stared intently at the teddy bear.

Even so, nothing changed.

Did she want to see him?

Yes, she missed him.

Of course, she wanted to see him. Jasmine wasn’t made of stone.

But as the time apart grew longer, those moments gradually faded and became indistinct. And the more they did, the clearer things became.

She no longer wanted to experience such a painful love.

It was too painful and exhausting. The kind of relationships that others seemed to handle so easily were incredibly difficult for her. Perhaps this was because Jasmine had always been the weaker partner in her relationships.

Even though it might have seemed like she was the one receiving more care and love, she wondered if she had ever really been in control of any of her relationships.

Richard’s somewhat uncertain and contradictory behavior made the boundaries even more blurred and confusing.

Back then, she thought that it didn’t matter to consider such things, thinking it was better to go with the flow. But eventually, that’s where the problems began.

Although their conflicts stemmed from issues like his view of love and trustworthiness, with time, she realized that the roots of their problems had been there all along.

Their levels of affection had never been equal, and their starting points and paces were too different. So, despite being deeply invested in each other, their relationship was unstable.

In the beginning, she thought it was just part of the process. She believed that they would gradually align. Even amidst the whirlwind, Jasmine had to endure things that differed from her own desires and nature simply because of her emotions. It happened naturally.

This was because it was a relationship she had initiated, and she loved Richard very much for a long time. In fact, if it hadn’t been for that incident… Jasmine would stay with him for a long time.

Perhaps at some point, she would have adapted and become accustomed to it, or maybe even been swept up by him and already married by now.

Whether their relationship would have stabilized during that process is uncertain. It’s impossible to know the outcome of a path not taken.

It might have been fine…Even if she had been a happy fool, happiness is still happiness.

Thus, Jasmine wasn’t sure if she had been truly communicating with him six months ago.

She wasn’t even sure if she was being respected for who she was. The desire to be loved as a person and just be cherished might seem similar, but they are distinctly different.

While the latter was nice, Jasmine, who had an independent streak, wanted the former. She was a person, not a pet.

Now, she clearly understood. What was certain was that Richard hadn’t comprehended or understood her struggles and desires at all. Even if they had had a serious conversation, could he have empathized? She was doubtful.

Richard was certainly the smartest, most talented, and perceptive person she had ever met, with a keen insight into dealing with people. But there were parts of him that were indifferent and lacking.

This was probably what she had angrily called ‘unlucky’ in the past.

“Haha. Maybe that’s why we were already fighting even before.”

Jasmine sighed, holding her cheek. Nicky had said that couples usually fight about the same underlying issues, just transformed into different stories repeatedly, which seemed true. Yeah, the root cause is the same.

So, if, by any chance, she were to meet him again out of her lingering affection—wouldn’t the same situation just repeat itself?