The Seventh Miserable Bride

Chapter 58

Sebastian Simons saw the fear on her face, so he held her in his arms and let her lean her face on his chest. He comforted her softly, "Don't be afraid, relax, relax..."

Yasmine Taylor closed her eyes tightly and listened to his heartbeat. Her panic lessened, but she continued to break out in cold sweat. "I feel like I'm about to die," she said.

"Nonsense. Just hold on for a little longer."

As soon as Sebastian finished his sentence, the elevator stopped. Yasmine rushed out and she could not stop retching. The fear she felt was beyond description; those who had not experienced it could not comprehend it.

"Let's do it again," he suggested.

He bent over in front of her, handing her his handkerchief.

Yasmine shook her head firmly and said, "No, I told you I couldn't do it."

"As long as you persevere, there's no difficulty you can't overcome. Give me your hand."

Sebastian stretched out his hand and waited for her to give him hers. Yasmine hesitated for a moment and reached out her hand as she was afraid of letting him down.

They stepped into the elevator again. This time, Sebastian did not let her watch the elevator doors closing. Before the door closed, he put her face on his chest. Attempting to make her relax, he asked, "What do you want to eat at noon?"

"Nothing," she replied blankly.

Although she did not see with her own eyes, she could clearly feel the doors closing due to her sensitivity to the closed space in the elevator. Her body began to tremble again, and her heart was pounding. She placed her hands over her mouth, afraid that she would throw up on Sebastian.

"How can you not eat? Why don't we go have some barbecue? Although I don't like it I can be a gentleman and accompany you if you like it," he continued.

Yasmine did not dare say anything as her stomach was churning. When the elevator finally stopped, she rushed to the washroom and threw up.

When she came out, Sebastian was waiting outside the door. When he saw her red- rimmed eyes, he said, "Let's continue."

"No," she refused.

She wanted to give up, although she also wanted badly to succeed.

"Just once more?" he suggested.

"I really can't do it again, not even once," she said.

Sebastian's expression suddenly changed, and with an angry tone, he said, "The more you act like this, the more you can't overcome it. I thought that you had more perseverance than other women, but seems like you are just the same!"

Yasmine's eyes turned even redder. She sobbed and said, "Do you think it's so easy to overcome your own fear? If it's that easy, why can't you overcome your own PTSD? I don't need your sympathy, because you're the one who needs to be saved more than me."

"Yes, I need to be saved. I'm not a normal person, but I hope you can live normally just because I know how it is like to be abnormal," he blurted.

Seeing his eager eyes, she could not bear rejecting him anymore. She could only summon up courage, and try again.

The third attempt was still a failure, but Yasmine willingly tried the fourth time, because of Sebastian's words that he hoped she could live normally.

She still failed at the fourth attempt, and the fifth, then the sixth. They had gone up and down in the elevator so many times that the security guards of the shopping mall came over. After explaining their predicament, the guards expressed their understanding and support to them.

She could not clearly remember from which attempt onward did her symptoms finally eased. She no longer felt scared and panicky. She could do it just like any normal person, except being a little uncomfortable.

Sebastian continued to hold her tightly and talked to her to make her relax. As the elevator rose, Yasmine began to fall for him...

She could not describe her feelings. She had worked hard for many years trying to overcome her fear but to no avail. He helped her do it in less than an hour.

Sebastian was very happy since she was no longer afraid of taking the elevator as if he had completed a huge project. His face was filled with a sense of accomplishment. He grabbed her hand and walked through the shelves one by one.

"How about this one?" he asked.

Yasmine nodded and said, "Okay."

"What about this one?"

"Okay."

"This looks nice, and the color suits you," he commented.

"Yes, okay," she said plainly.

Sebastian frowned unhappily at her answers and said, "Can't you say anything else?"

She lowered her head and said gloomily, "I'm really okay with it."

"Yes, yes. But you have to at least express your opinion, right?" he asked.

"I have no opinion, as long as you like it," she replied.

"Even if I like it, you're the one wearing it. You have to like it as well. We usually have different views, how do I know whether you like it or not?" he reasoned.

"I will like it," she said.

Sebastian noticed that she was behaving unusually. "Are you okay? Let's go back and rest if you're not feeling well," he suggested. "I'm fine."

She said that she was fine, but her face showed exhaustion. It was not because of her taking the elevator, but because in the process of overcoming her fear, she had lost control of her heart and fallen for a person whom she should not have.

"Pack them all up."

Sebastian handed over several sets of clothes to the attendant, and then turned to ask Yasmine, "Do you need anything else?"

"No, that's enough," she answered.

"Okay, let's go back," he said.

When they got out of the mall and returned to the hotel, Marcus Zaneson and the rest were having some drinks in the lobby on the first floor. As they saw them coming back, they quickly waved their hands and said, "Sebastian, over here."

"I'll go back to my room to rest."

Yasmine tugged at Sebastian's sleeves as she did not want to follow him.

Sebastian paused, then nodded and said, "I'll call you when it is time for lunch."

"You don't have to call me. I want to sleep a little longer," she explained.

"Okay, go ahead," he said.

Yasmine turned around and left. After a few steps, Sebastian suddenly called her. She turned around and asked in confusion, "What's wrong?"

"You're brave today." He raised one of his hands and clenched his fist. Yasmine's heart fell deeper for him.

"Thank you."

She had never thanked a person so sincerely, what's more, this person who had once hurt her.

Yasmine returned to the hotel room and soon fell asleep. In her dream, her mother suddenly appeared and questioned her angrily, "Yasmine, did you fall in love with a man?"

She knew that her answer would make her mother sad, but she admitted frankly, "A little bit."

Sure enough, her mother was very angry and said, "You disappoint me so much, how could you forget my warning? Have you forgotten how I died? Have you forgotten what you promised me?"

"Mom, I didn't forget, but not all men are like Dad," she defended.

"Every man is the same. If you don't believe in my words, then you're on your own!"

Her mother gradually disappeared into her dream. She tried to reach out and grab her, but she could not. Her mother's disappointed eyes broke her heart. She cried, "Mom, mom..."

It was dead silent when she woke up from her dream. Yasmine sat on the bed and wiped away her tears. Content from NôvelDr(a)ma.Org.

When she was 12 years old, her mother was sick in bed. Her mother took her hand and said desperately, "Yasmine, remember what I said. Love is like a malignant tumor, you must remove it before it can hurt you. Otherwise, it'll become cancerous and hurt you anytime and anywhere."

Her mobile phone rang suddenly, breaking her train of thought. She blankly pressed the answer button and said, "Hello?"

"Where are you, darling?"

It was Lily Adams who called. She would always call Yasmine darling whenever she was in a good mood.

"What's the matter?" Yasmine asked.

"Can't I call you for no reason? You're really heartless. Remember who took you in when you were driven out by Sebastian."

"When did he drive me away?"

Yasmine was speechless.

"Well, I don't want to talk nonsense with you. Let's get to business. Are you free this Friday?" Lily queried.

"What's the matter?"

"The university wants to organize a summer camp and invite some teachers to participate."

"It's Scott's idea again, isn't it?" Yasmine knew without a doubt.

Lily spat out, "Yes, and no..."

"Is it his idea or not?"

"What's the difference?"

"Of course there's a difference. I'll refuse if it's his idea."

"Why?" Lily couldn't understand. "Because... I like someone else. I don't want him to waste his time on me anymore," Yasmine explained.

"What? You like someone?" Lily screamed, "Don't tell me it's that psycho Sebastian Simons!"

"What's wrong with him? Can't I like him?"

"Of course you can't! You prefer a psycho over a gentle and elegant man like Scott! Yasmine Taylor, are you also a psycho?" Lily accused.

"You're the one who's a psycho."

Yasmine said to her grumpily, "That's it. I'm hanging up."

"Wait a minute, don't hang up. I haven't finished talking..."

Yasmine did not care if she had finished or not. She hung up the phone. Her heart was in a mess now, she could not let Lily make her more confused.

As soon as she hung up the phone, someone knocked on the door. She went over and opened the door and there stood Sebastian. After her dream just now, her mood and her thoughts were somewhat conflicted the moment she saw him.

"Did you have a good rest? Let's go."

"Go home?"

"Yes."

"Okay, I'll pack up."

Yasmine got changed and followed Sebastian out of the hotel. When she got into the car, she sent a text message to Richie Lind, "Uncle Richie, Leighton has taken my ID card. Please bring it to me when you come to City B next time." "Okay."

Richie gave a simple reply.

"You're hungry, right? There's something to eat here."

Sebastian stretched out his hand to the back and placed a large bag of food in front of Yasmine. She was stunned. Then, she took out a packet of yogurt and took a few sips. She pretended to ask casually, "You're being so nice to me all of a sudden. Have you fallen in love with me?"