Later that night, at the Roberts mansion, Mr. Roberts sat in his study, his face stern as he looked at Ivy. Despite being in his mid to late fifties, Mr. Roberts stood tall, around 6 feet with a broad chest and shoulders that hinted at an athletic build in his younger years. His hair was graying at the temples and his eyes were a deep brown, warm and kind but also piercing when he wanted them to be."Ivy, why did you do it?" he asked, his voice was firm and filled with disappointment. "Why did you ruin your sister's relationship by sleeping with her fiancé? I never thought you were capable of something so...so shameful."
Ivy's eyes widened in surprise, and she immediately put up an act. She started to cry, her voice shaking as she spoke. "Dad, I'm so sorry," she said, her words tumbling out in a rush. "I don't have an excuse. I didn't think about how my actions would affect Jasmine or our family. I regret what I did, and I want to apologize to Jasmine."
Just then, Jasmine walked into the study. She walked over to her father and greeted him ignoring her Ivy completely. Ivy continued to play the role of the remorseful sister as she continued crying "Sister , please forgive me," she said, her voice trembling. "I know I don't deserve it, but I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me."
Jasmine raised an eyebrow, looking at her sister with disbelief. "This devil" she said gritting her teeth as she mumbled under her breath. She didn't act like this when they had met earlier. She wasn't buying Ivy's act, not for a second. "You are really something Ivy. You'll surely win the Oscars if you go into acting."
Ivy sniffled, her eyes welling up with tears. "I know I was wrong, Jasmine," she said. "But you're not exactly innocent either. You're already married, and you broke up with Daniel just yesterday. How did you manage to get married so quickly? It can only mean one thing Jasmine, you were seeing someone else before you broke up with Daniel. You're not any better than me." She said , her tone filled with mockery and a hint of jealousy.
Jasmine looked at her sister her and couldn't help but feel a wave of disgust wash over her. How could she talk about her supposed infidelity when she had done something far worse? Ivy had slept with her fiancé, for goodness' sake! Jasmine felt like slapping her sister, like giving her a good brain reset. But she didn't. She kept her cool, her expression unreadable as she gazed at Ivy's tear stained face.
Meanwhile, their father looked on, dumbfounded. How had it all come to this? He wondered, shaking his head inwardly. His daughters, who were supposed to be close, were now at odds with each other. He sighed, his eyes moving from one daughter to the other before he finally spoke up. "Enough," he said, his voice was firm but calm. "Let's keep the accusations and recriminations for another time.
He looked at Jasmine and her expressions were unreadable. "I found out about your marriage from the media," he said, his voice tinged with disappointment. "Why didn't you tell me yourself, Jasmine?
Jasmine apologized to her father, her voice soft. "I'm sorry, Dad. I had my reasons for not telling you, reasons that are best known to me." She didn't elaborate, and Mr. Roberts didn't press her. He knew that his eldest daughter was a smart and capable woman, and he trusted her to make her own decisions.
As he looked at Jasmine, he couldn't help but think that she had every right to act rashly. After all, her sister had betrayed her in the worst possible way. He couldn't really blame Jasmine for marrying in haste, not when he knew what Ivy had done. But still, he wished she had come to him first, before making such a major decision.
Ivy, on the other hand, looked like she was seething with anger. She had expected Jasmine to be more forthcoming with their father, to reveal more about her marriage and her supposed secrets. But Jasmine was keeping her cards close to her chest, and she didn't like it one bit. She glared at her sister, her eyes flashing with resentment.
Just then, Olivia, their mother, swept into the room. She has a way of making a dramatic and a attention grabbing entrance. She was a woman in her late forties, with a youthful appearance that belied her age. Her long, curly brown hair cascaded down her back, and her bright green eyes sparkled with a fierce intensity. She was a petite woman, but her presence was larger than life.
Olivia's eyes landed on Jasmine, and she didn't waste any time launching into a tirade. "Jasmine, how could you do this to us?" she demanded, her voice shrill with indignation. "Getting married in secret, without even consulting us? It's immoral, and it's not like you to be so reckless."
Jasmine shook her head in disgust, her eyes flashing with anger. She knew that her mother has always favored Ivy, but this was the heights of it. She won't take it from her anymore. "I can't believe you'd say that to me, Mother. Do you even know what immoral means? Your beloved daughter slept with Daniel and I caught them. He was supposed to go out with me but he went with my her instead. I won't be surprised if you knew about this earlier ."
Olivia's face turned red with rage, and she clutched at her chest, as she widened her eyes and stumbled backwards.
Ivy rushed to her side, concern etched on her face. "Mother, don't worry, I'm here," she said, glaring at Jasmine. "You're going to kill her with your harsh words, Jasmine. How could you be so cruel?"
Jasmine looked at the duo with disgust written all over her face. She can't believe that her mother would be so shameless. "Sometimes, I wonder if you're really my mother," she said calmly but irritated. "Maybe I was adopted because I can't believe that you'd still take her side in this type of situation." She said and stormed out without giving them a chance to react.