I wanted to put an end to this ludicrous situation swiftly. I reached out, feeling like a beggar. "Mr. Griffins, please repay the money. If I hadn't used it to pay your hospital bills, I wouldn't be broke now."

Joel looked baffled. He grasped my hand, unconcerned about appearances. "You paid for my hospital bills? What's going on, Jazz?"

I jerked my hand away abruptly. "Mr. Griffins, please call me Jaslyn." I refused to be anyone's stand-in anymore. Back then, I mistook his calling 'Jazz' as a call to my name, but I don't want to hear that name now.

Jasmine wedged herself between us and produced a check, sliding it across the table to me. "Here, for you. Thank you for being with Joel for so long. Now that I'm back, it's time for you to leave. I hope you won't ever come back to disturb him."

I took the card and left, but Joel once again caught my hand. "Can you please tell me what's going on?"

Jasmine pulled Joel away. "Let bygones be bygones. I'm back now, aren't I?"

I didn't look back at him again as I walked out of the restaurant.

Tears streamed down my face uncontrollably. The beautiful love I had believed in, the mutual understanding I thought we shared—all of it was just a game played by the Prince of Blumens' Elite Circle with a poor girl like me.

I took the money to pay for my grandmother's hospital bills, only to find out that the check couldn't be used.

I dialed Joel's number, but it remained frustratingly out of reach.

Driven by desperation, I rushed to Griffins Enterprise, only to be informed that Joel and Jasmine had jetted off for their honeymoon abroad.

In a panic, I scrambled to gather funds, scouring through my grandmother's medical files and contemplating loans, only to face rejection from banks citing my student status.

I tossed and turned all night, consumed by worry, unable to sleep. Yet, I had to mask my anguish from my grandmother who was laying weakly on bed, until the unexpected day she finally regained health.

I eagerly called for the doctor. However, after his examination, he sadly shook his head and warned me to prepare for the worst.

Through blurred vision from tears, I gazed at my frail grandmother. She smiled gently and urged me not to cry. "Be good, study hard," she whispered.

"We still have the sauerkraut I made at home, Jaslyn's favorite," she recalled with a nostalgic smile.