For a moment, Jayden didn't see Cassandra standing before him. Instead, he saw Jasmine… his twin sister, lost to him so long ago. In his mind's eye, she stood there, her face twisted with the same hatred, saying those same words.
I hate you, Jayden.
The memory, whether real or imagined, destroyed something inside him. His eyes widened, his composure cracking as the weight of those three words crashed down on him.
"Please," he breathed, his voice breaking. "Please don't say that. Cassie, I'm begging you…"
But she remained firm, her tear-stained face set in resolute anger. "I never want to see you again, Jayden. Never. Do you understand me?"
He opened his mouth to respond, to plead, to say something that might fix this. But before he could even speak…
"Now, go! And don't ever come back!"
The scream tore from her throat, raw and agonized. She was trembling, her entire body shaking with the force of her emotions as she pointed at the door.
