Chapter 6 The Ex-Fiancé
Ophelia and Juniper hung around outside the ward for a bit before Ophelia took off.
Juniper took a deep breath, pulled herself together, and headed back in.
Jenny was still busy with her toy.
The second Juniper laid eyes on Jenny, all those emotions she'd been holding back came rushing in.
Jenny beamed, "Mommy, I've got a huge surprise for you! Promise you won't cry when you see it."
Juniper hugged her tight, "Alright, I can't wait to see what you've got for me."
Jenny's smile lit up the room. "Okay!"
Later that night, Juniper found herself outside the VIP suite at the Comte de Brando Hotel, waiting for a client's call.
Tonight's gig paid well; if she played her cards right, she could pocket a few grand.
But as soon as she stepped into the suite, all those thoughts flew out the window.
She bumped into Magnus again.
She hesitated, unsure if she should go through with it when someone inside grabbed her arm and pulled her in. "Juniper! Get in here."
She looked up and saw it was her ex-fiancé, David Clark.
Growing up in the Beaumont family, Juniper's only job was to become a perfect lady and marry whoever Alexander picked for her.
Her marriage was just a pawn in Alexander's power game. Her happiness or consent didn't matter.
So, Juniper learned to fight back. When she found out she was supposed to marry David, the heir of Horizon Innovations Group, she bolted from the heavily guarded Beaumont Villa and told David she was already pregnant.
David lost it and publicly swore he'd never marry Juniper.
Juniper became worthless to Alexander and got kicked to the curb.
Encountering David here only filled Juniper with hatred.
She asked coldly, "What are you doing here?"
David shoved her in front of him. "If the mayor's daughter of X City can be here, why can't I?"
Juniper frowned and pushed him away; she didn't want to be anywhere near him. "I'm not his daughter anymore. If you want a song, I'll sing. If not, I'm out."
David suddenly got it, "Oh, right, you got kicked out. If I'd known, I wouldn't have called off the engagement. Didn't think it'd mess you up this bad."
"Are you gonna listen or not?" Juniper had zero patience for David, a spoiled jerk who loved to bully people. She wasn't wasting her breath on him.
David smirked, "Don't be so touchy. If you ask nicely, maybe I can talk to your dad and get you back home. Then you wouldn't have to live like this."
Juniper didn't hold back, "Oh, right, I owe my current mess to you. May you rot in hell."
David shot back, "Aren't you worried about karma for spouting such nonsense?"
Juniper scoffed, "What could be worse than wasting my time here with you?"
"That's up to Mr. Blackwood," David said, shifting his gaze to Magnus, who was sitting at the head of the table. "Mr. Blackwood, how do you think about it?"
Juniper's confidence wavered, and all eyes turned to Magnus.
Magnus took a call and then stood up. "Sorry, Mr. Clark, I've got an urgent work thing. Hate to cut our first meeting short. I'll make it up to you when we discuss the project next time." With that, Magnus headed for the door, not even glancing at Juniper.
David replied, "No problem, Mr. Blackwood. But aren't you gonna say hi to your ex? She's looking at you like she misses you."
David's words were meant to give Magnus and Juniper a moment, but he pulled Juniper closer to him.
Magnus looked at David and smiled, "I have no relationship with her."
Juniper's heart sank at those words.
"So you two don't know each other," David said, aiming his words at Juniper, not Magnus.
After Magnus left, David's hand slid onto Juniper's shoulder. "Since your ex-boyfriend doesn't want to catch up, why don't you catch up with me, your ex-fiancé?"
Juniper slapped his hand away. "Mr. Clark, don't talk about nonsense."
"Juniper, six years ago, you humiliated me. Everyone knows I had a pregnant fiancée who wasn't carrying my child. You should pay for it." David grabbed her neck, his grip tightening.
Juniper struggled until David let go. "David, what do you want?"
David picked up a bottle of wine from the table. "I heard you're allergic to alcohol. How about you drink this bottle of wine, and we'll call it even?"
Juniper thought, 'Why does everyone know I'm allergic to alcohol?'
She looked at the bottle in David's hand and then at the bodyguard by the door, realizing she wouldn't be able to leave without drinking it.
Juniper agreed, "Okay, I'll drink it."
She quickly snatched the bottle from David's hand, staring at him with determination. "I hope you keep your promise, Mr. Clark."
Without hesitation, Juniper started chugging the wine.
She ignored everything around her, focusing solely on finishing the bottle. Soon, it was empty.
Juniper casually smashed the bottle at David's feet, the sound of glass shattering echoing in the room.
She looked at David with a defiant smile. "Can I leave now?"