THE FORGOTTEN DAD

Chapter 22: Whispers of Regret

The night had fallen heavy, and Emil stumbled through the door of the mansion, the effects of the alcohol making his steps unsteady. His mind was a haze of regret and despair as he wandered through the house, searching for a sense of solace he couldn't quite grasp. His thoughts kept returning to Jasmine and their unborn child—his failed attempts to make things right and the realization of how much he had hurt them both.

As Emil made his way down the corridor, he heard soft rustling from one of the rooms. He pushed open the door to find Jasmine in their daughter's room, carefully organizing baby clothes and arranging toys. The sight struck him with a wave of emotion.

Jasmine looked up, her eyes widening in surprise as Emil approached her, swaying slightly. She could smell the alcohol on his breath, and a frown of concern crossed her face.

"Emil, you're drunk," Jasmine said, her voice steady but tinged with frustration. "You should go to your room."

Without heeding her words, Emil closed the distance between them, his tears flowing freely. He wrapped his arms around Jasmine, pulling her into a tight embrace. His voice was muffled against her shoulder as he cried. "I'm so sorry, Jasmine. I don't want the divorce. I've made so many mistakes, and I can't bear to lose you..."

Jasmine tried to push him away gently, but Emil held on. His gaze fell to the baby clothes strewn across the room, and he sobbed uncontrollably. "I'm so sorry, baby," he choked out, speaking to the tiny clothes as if they could hear him. "Daddy's been hurting mommy and you. This is my punishment for all the bad things I've done."

Jasmine's frustration mounted. She wanted to shove him away, to make him understand how his actions were impacting her, but as she tried to do so, Emil suddenly seized her face in his hands and kissed her—a desperate, urgent kiss that spoke of his regret and longing.

Before Jasmine could react, Emil's knees buckled, and he collapsed to the floor, unconscious. Jasmine gasped and knelt beside him, her heart racing. She checked his pulse and tried to wake him, but he remained unresponsive. Her frustration turned to a deep, aching pity as she stared at him, her emotions a tangled mess.

Sitting in front of Emil's motionless form, Jasmine wondered if she had made the right decision. The man who had caused her so much pain now lay before her, vulnerable and broken. The sight of him, so small and defeated, made her question everything she had resolved.

She looked down at Emil, her mind swirling with questions. Was this genuine remorse, or just another display of weakness? She thought about their past, the hurtful mistakes, and the promises broken. Was Emil truly repentant and willing to change, or would he inevitably repeat the same patterns and hurt her again?

Jasmine's heart was heavy with uncertainty. The future seemed shrouded in fog, and she grappled with the fear that, despite his apology, the same issues would resurface, dragging them back into the cycle of pain they had endured before. As she sat there, she knew that whatever decision she made, it had to be one that would bring stability and peace for their daughter—something she wasn't sure Emil could guarantee. The turmoil within her left her questioning if love could ever be enough to overcome the deep scars of their troubled past.