Chapter 181 Have You Slept with Him?
Grace stumbled back home, leaning against the door, her breath shaky, lost in her own head for a sec.
After a bit, she touched her lips, eyes all teary. She couldn't forgive Henry, but she couldn't forgive herself either.
That whole mess in the car? Yeah, she wasn't exactly cold to it.
Grace had been bottling up her feelings, but her body? It wasn't lying. When Henry touched her, it lit up her needs, and she felt all kinds of ashamed.
The apartment was dead quiet; Clara had already gone to bed, leaving a snack for her. Grace had no appetite.
She strolled into the bedroom, turned on a reading lamp, and settled by the bed, observing Taylor as he slept. The medication Brenda had provided had been a godsend these past few days, no more nosebleeds.
But Taylor's illness was always on Grace's mind. That was why she practically threw herself at Henry, almost begging him to stay the night.
Thinking about it, Grace felt a stab of bitterness.
Taylor woke up, all groggy, staring at Grace. 'Mommy is so beautiful!'
Grace tucked Taylor in and softly asked if she had any dreams.
Taylor shook her head, then nodded. She whispered, "I dreamed of Daddy! Mommy, when's Daddy coming to get me?"
Grace wrapped Taylor in a small blanket, holding her close, gently saying, "Daddy will come to take you out for dinner in a couple of days!"
Taylor simply replied, "Oh."
Then she sniffed Grace like a little puppy. After a bit, she said, "Mommy smells like Daddy!"
Grace's face went red, and she had no clue what to say.
Taylor was all happy, doing a somersault on the bed. What kid didn't want their parents together?
Grace coaxed Taylor for ages before she finally fell asleep.
Once Taylor was out, Grace hit the bathroom, turned on the shower, and scrubbed herself like crazy to get Henry's scent off. But when she put on body lotion, she could still faintly smell him, like he was a snake burrowing into her skin.
Grace was lost in thought when Juniper pinged her on Facebook.
Juniper: [Did you see Brent? Did he mention me?]
Juniper: [Even if he did, it wouldn't matter.]
Juniper: [Grace, Brent is such a jerk. Last time he... Anyway, I'm just mad!]
Grace felt both amused and exasperated, but she was happy for Juniper. Finally, Juniper had found someone who truly cared for her.
They set up a coffee date.
The next day, at some fancy business club, Juniper got there first. She was now the second-biggest shareholder of Serene Petal Dining, always flying around, hardly ever seeing Grace.
Juniper rocked a black wool suit, looking all sharp and beautiful.
When Grace showed up, Juniper, though anxious, played it cool, subtly probing. Finally, Grace pulled out a jewelry box from her bag and slid it over to Juniper. "Brent got this just for you! Jewelry for a beauty!"
Juniper gently opened it, revealing a dazzling, super expensive piece.
She was thrilled but pretended to grumble, "Brent thinks a necklace can make up for last time! He's dreaming; I'm still mad!"
Though Juniper complained, her smile gave her away as Brent treated her exceptionally well and cherished her!
Grace had some stuff to handle and left after a bit.
Juniper hesitated but didn't ask about Henry, not wanting to upset Grace.
After Grace left, Juniper opened the box again, silently admiring it several times. She actually missed Brent a bit and thought about calling him that night to let it go.
Suddenly, a hand snatched the box from behind.
The familiar presence made Juniper's body stiffen. It was Frank!
Three years had passed, and after a rollercoaster of events, Frank had most of the Cavendish family under his control. Even the Green family had to rely on him.
Yet, all the power in the world couldn't fill the void of Frank's deepest regret—losing Juniper.Frank silently looked at the expensive jewelry, recognizing it as the one Brent bought last night. Henry had thought it was for Grace.
Turned out Juniper was with Brent.
Frank could see she was totally stoked about the jewelry. He gently put it down, looking at Juniper not with joy, but with a deep sense of despair.
He'd always imagined Juniper getting hitched someday. But he never thought it'd be to someone like Brent, someone they'd still bump into at fancy parties.
Frank straight-up asked, "Are you with him?"
Juniper, usually so chill, had a slight tremor in her voice. "Yeah! Brent's been treating me real good."
Frank blinked, his long lashes almost too pretty for his sharp features.
He stared at her for what felt like forever, then softly asked, "Have you slept with him?"
Juniper's eyes got misty. She felt humiliated and started packing her stuff. As she turned to leave, she shot back, "Yeah, we have!"
Frank wasn't exactly a saint; he never held back his desires. But hearing Juniper say that? It hit him hard, and he couldn't handle it.
He sat in his car, his hand shaking as he smoked.
That night, he drank himself half to death and stumbled back to the villa in the middle of the night.
Thalia was waiting for him downstairs.
Three years had passed, and Thalia was no longer the glowing socialite. A crappy marriage had worn her down, leaving her looking cold and thin, no longer catching any guy's eye.
In those years, Frank had only made a move on her a couple of times in an intimate way, each time when he was wasted.
When he was drunk, he'd press Thalia on the sofa, whispering Juniper's name in her ear, calling it with deep affection and passion.
In those moments, he was happy. Because to him, Thalia was just a stand-in for Juniper, a way to get his kicks.
Seeing her, he smirked. He leaned back on the sofa, tilting his head slightly, with a mocking expression. "Mrs. Cavendish, keeping tabs on me? There are so many women out there; can you keep track of them all?"
Thalia's tone was somber. "You met with her, didn't you?"
"Which her?" Frank glanced at her. "You mean Juniper?"
Thalia's tone got darker. "Frank, don't play dumb! All these years, you've always had her in your heart. Do you think I don't know?"
Frank's expression turned icy.
He sneered, "Thalia, do I need to report to you if I think about her? Who are you to me? Am I supposed to be scared of you finding out? Yeah, I do think about her. So what? She was with me for so long, we developed feelings. I think about a woman I wronged, so what?"
Thalia trembled with anger. "Frank, you're a bastard!"
Frank grabbed her throat and threw her onto the sofa, loosening his tie with a cold smile. "If I'm a bastard, what does that make you? A bitch clinging to a bastard? We agreed on a marriage of convenience, so just be Mrs. Cavendish. Why did you have to provoke her? Do you think you're so noble? Do you think you're better than her?"
Thalia lay on the sofa.
Frank's words cut deep, making her feel humiliated. To Frank, she was just a bitch.
Thalia's lips trembled as she softly said, "Frank, I'm pregnant!"
Frank was stunned. How could Thalia be pregnant?
Thalia got up, choking, "Yeah! I'm pregnant! I'm carrying your child! Frank, now we're in this together. Are you still gonna suppress me and the Green family? The kid in my belly is the most legit heir of the Cavendish family and a powerful bargaining chip for you."
Under the crystal chandelier, Frank's blue eyes were unreadable.
Thalia's heart raced. The baby in her belly was her only shot at turning things around. She feared Frank.
Unexpectedly, Frank's expression softened.
He rarely touched her face, and he even spoke to her in a gentle tone, saying, "Then have the baby! I'll treat this child well and treat you well."
Thalia cried and threw herself into his arms. "Frank!"
The lights were bright, but Frank's face was dark and unreadable.