Chosen By My Mate's Father-in-law
Chapter 33: Girl’s Day

Chapter 33: Chapter 33: Girl’s Day

A rhythmic beeping sound woke me up. The first thing I saw when I opened my eyes was Mindie’s anxious face.

“Oh, Jasmine,” my best friend said, her shoulders slumping in relief. “I’m so glad you’re awake.”

Disoriented, I looked around. My stomach swooped when I realized I was in a hospital room. The beeping sound was coming from a large machine beside my bed, and an IV had been inserted into my arm.

How did I end up here?

My head was pounding like someone had hit me with a hammer. There was an awful, bitter taste in my mouth, and my whole body ached.

What happened to me?

“Let me get a nurse to check you out now that you’re awake.” Mindie turned to leave.

I managed to catch her wrist despite my slow movements.

“Wait, please, tell me what happened.” My pulse quickened, and the beeping on the machine grew more insistent. “I don’t remember how I ended up here.” I also didn’t want to be alone right now.

Mindie’s face grew sympathetic. “You don’t remember anything from last night?”

I shook my head, and even that small action caused my head to throb with pain.

My friend sighed and sat down. She quickly explained how we’d been out celebrating my scholarship at a bar, Alpha Bryson bought me drinks, drugged me, and then carried me up to a room. When Mindie intervened, he tried to assault her too. But Gareth burst into the room and saved us. Alpha Bryson was stripped of his title.

Shock and horror flooded through me.

“How could I have let that happen? Look at the mess I created for you and Alpha Gareth,” I murmured. “He probably thinks I’m just a careless girl who can’t hold her liquor now.” Shame threatened to overwhelm me.

“Jasmine, you were drugged. The only one to blame for what happened last night is that evil man Bryson. I know for a fact that Alpha Gareth doesn’t think you’re irresponsible. He seemed very worried about you.”

Before I could respond, my mother rushed into the room.

“Oh, good! You’re awake.” She hugged me tightly against her.

Over the next thirty minutes, a nurse gave me a surprisingly delicious breakfast of eggs, toast, and bacon. Then, the doctor performed a checkup and cleared me to go home. Thankfully, my mother brought me jeans and a white shirt to change into.

At the reception desk, my mom nervously drummed her hand on the side of her purse as we waited for the receptionist to tell us how much the hospital bill would be.

“You’re all set,” the receptionist informed me with a wide smile. “The bill has been already paid for.”

Mindie and I exchanged looks of surprise.

My mother let out a deep sigh of relief. “So, Elliot had been telling the truth last night,” my mother muttered.

“ He came here last night?” I asked, shocked.

“Yes, he wanted to check up on you,” my mom explained as the three of us walked outside. The mid-morning sun felt nice on my skin. “I honestly think that what Bryson did to you scared some sense into him. Why don’t you give him another chance, Jasmine? I know what he wants from you isn’t ideal, but I truly think he does care for you...in his own way.”

My resolve toward cutting off Elliot faltered as my mother led me to her car. He was my mate, and he just paid for an expensive bill that would have caused me a lot of stress. But my heart hardened when I remembered all he did to me. Besides, I didn’t want to be anyone’s secret. I didn’t want to betray Isabella like that either.

Mindie’s eyes flitted between my mother and me. From her concerned expression, I could tell that she could feel the strain our conversation had put on me.

“Hey, Jasmine, if you feel up to it, why don’t we have a girl’s day to get your mind off of last night? Then, we could spend the night at your house like we used to,” Mindie suggested.

“Well, Elliot said he might stop by the house later. Maybe you should stay home and rest...” my mother chimed in.

That was what made me decide that I wanted to go with Mindie. “A girl’s day sounds like exactly what the doctor ordered.”

I hugged my mom goodbye.

“We’ll talk later,” she said.

I nodded, glad that I had a day out with my friend to forget about all of the problems weighing me down. I eagerly followed Mindie to her car, where she started to drive us to the mall.

“Are you looking for anything specific?” I asked.

“Yes, I need to buy a gift for Arianna’s birthday.” Arianna was Mindie’s older sister. “And I need a dress for the party. You should look for something to wear too. I want to bring you as a plus one.”

I quietly sighed as Mindie pulled into a spot in the busy mall parking lot.

“With everything going on, I might be too busy to go,” I said. I didn’t know if I would enjoy spending time at a party with Mindie’s popular older sister.

We walked into the four-story mall. The entrance was adorned with tall palm trees and a large fountain where kids were throwing coins in.

“Let’s get some coffee before we shop,” Mindie suggested.

We got in the back of the long line for the mall’s popular coffee shop. The line shuffled forward slowly, and I began to people-watch. My eyes widened when I noticed a woman that looked like Isabella on the other side of the food court. But that was impossible - there was no way Isabella would do something as mundane as hanging out at the mall. With her family’s wealth, she could have hired people to shop for her.

But the fact that said woman had two guards flanking her made me believe it was her. As if she detected my stare, she turned around and caught my eyes. Her face broke out into a relieved smile.

Isabella ran towards me, her bodyguards trailing after her.

“Jasmine! I’m so glad I ran into you. How are you feeling? Are you alright?”

I nodded, still getting over the shock from seeing her here. Next to me, Mindie was struck dumb by Isabella’s presence.

“I was actually going to visit you later and give you these.” Isabella reached into her large purse and pulled out a card and a wrapped bouquet of yellow daisies. “These are from Michelle. We heard what happened to you from our father.”

“Oh,” I took the gifts from her, my cheeks flushed with embarrassment. “Thank you for the gifts. It’s very kind of you and Michelle.”

I was touched by their concern, yet part of me felt self-conscious about the fact that the incident yesterday might become common knowledge, especially for young Michelle. It seems like Gareth told the entire family.

“It’s the least we could give,” Isabella replied brightly. I thought she would leave, but instead she joined us at the back of the line, even though she could use her status to cut to the front of the queue. Her guards kept a small amount of distance behind us. “What are you guys up to today?”

I gestured to Mindie. “This is my best friend, Mindie. She’s the one who saved me last night along with your dad. We’re having a girl’s day and a sleepover.”

“Nice to meet you, Mindie,” Isabella greeted.

“Um, you too,” my friend replied and then let out an awkward, self-conscious giggle. Mindie wasn’t used to talking to someone with such illustrious status as Isabella.

We moved forward a little bit in line.

“That sounds like a fun day you guys have planned,” Isabella noted wistfully.

Her comment made me pause. Why was there such a longing note in her voice? Didn’t she have girlfriends to hang out with? What a silly thought, of course she did. Someone who was as nice and popular as Isabella must have loads of friends. But then again, had I ever seen her with anyone besides Elliot, her family, or bodyguards?

I opened my mouth to invite her along, but this day had been Mindie’s idea. I caught Mindie’s eyes, and caught how she fidgeted anxiously in Isabella’s presence. I didn’t want to make her uncomfortable by inviting someone she didn’t feel like she could be herself around.

After the three of us ordered iced coffee, I said goodbye to Isabella and assured her that I’d be at the house tomorrow for Michelle’s tutoring session.

Mindie and I had the best day. She found a gift and a dress for her sister’s party, we ate lunch at a delicious Italian restaurant, and then went back to my house for a movie marathon, ordering pizza. I went to sleep with a smile on my face, feeling fully relaxed for the first time in a while.

But I woke up to the sound of someone sobbing uncontrollably.

At first, I thought it was Mindie, but she was fast asleep beside me. With a racing heart, I dashed outside to investigate, only to find my mom lying on the kitchen floor.

“Mom!” I cried out. Her eyes were bloodshot, and tears gushed down her face.

“I can’t feel him anymore. My mate is...gone!” She sobbed, clutching at her heart with a shaking hand.

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