Love Scattered by the Wind Hatred Drowned in OblivionChapter 1
"Remove the mango cheesecake. Bring the strawberry mousse instead."
"And the foie gras. Switch it to the steak."
The moment Simon Henson arrived, he started commanding the waiter to overhaul the entire table.
I watched in silence as the dishes I had carefully chosen were cleared away one by one. My appetite vanished. A cold knot twisted in its place.
"Is Jasmine going to be mad?"
The girl in the wheelchair looked up at me with wide, timid eyes.
Today was New Year's Eve. It was also our anniversary.
But I was used to this routine. Every major holiday, Simon brought his adopted sister along. She was his responsibility, after all—her leg had been crushed for his sake.
Simon smoothed her hair. "Your Jasmine isn't that petty."
He turned to me, his gaze softening into a practiced apology.
I forced a smile. "It's fine."
It didn't matter anymore. From this moment on, whatever Simon did would no longer concern me.
——
As soon as Simon finished speaking, Sarah Henson added cautiously, "Jasmine, I'm sorry. I didn't do it on purpose."
"The doctor said my leg recovers slower when I'm in a bad mood, so my brother..."
She stopped halfway, her voice dissolving into soft, barely audible sobs.
Simon immediately crouched down, pulling out a tissue to dab at tears that didn't exist.
"Alright, alright, it's not your fault."
"It's on me. I forgot to ask her in advance."
He looked up. His eyes hardened the second they landed on me.
"Jasmine, apologize to Sarah."
"You scared her."
My smile stiffened. Froze on my face.
"Scared her? How?"
"Didn't I just say it was fine?"
Simon's patience snapped.
"You call that fine? Dissatisfaction is written all over your face!"
"Sarah is in poor health. Is it so hard for you to yield to her, just a little?"
His raised voice drew curious glances from the neighboring tables.
I lowered my head, refusing to play the role of the immature shrew in this public farce.
"Fine. Sorry."
I looked directly at Sarah, enunciating every word.
"I shouldn't have been unhappy. I shouldn't have scared you."
Sarah's face went pale. She shook her head frantically.
"No, Jasmine, don't be like that! It's all my fault!"
"Brother, stop blaming Jasmine. Let's just go home. I won't eat anymore, okay?"
As she spoke, she tried to maneuver her wheelchair around.