Chapter 100 Ex-Girlfriend
That day, Rosewood City's media went into overdrive. The two Jennings brothers dominated every front page.
#Bizarre Will: Zachary Forced to Step Down as Apex Global Group CEO!
#Second Jennings Son Hits Double Jackpot: New CEO and Expecting Father!
When these stories broke, Quinley had just arrived at the Brown family home. She hadn't checked her phone and had no idea what was happening.
David led Quinley inside, carrying an armload of carefully prepared gifts. "Mom, Dad, I brought Quinny home!"
David called out excitedly from the entryway. Sophia stood up, beaming as she hurried over to greet them.
"Mrs. Brown, hello." Quinley took the initiative to introduce herself.
Sophia responded warmly, practically glowing with joy as she gave David a playful smack on the arm. "David, this better be your last girlfriend! This girl's a bit thin though—if she wants to have sons, you need to fatten her up."
Meeting for the first time, Sophia had zero filter. Quinley stood there feeling awkward.
David shot his mother a stern look. "Mom, you're scaring Quinny! And I don't have 'many girlfriends'—I only have Quinny. Plus she's not my girlfriend anymore, she's my fiancée. We're getting married next week!"
Right in front of Sophia, David put his arm around Quinley's shoulders. Quinley maintained her gentle smile while Sophia grinned even wider.
"Quinny, my son really is a player and totally unreliable, but he loves kids. Once you marry him, you should hurry up and have a bunch of babies. With children around, he won't have time to run around."
"Mom, do you even hear yourself?" David panicked, protectively pulling Quinley toward the stairs. "Quinny, don't listen to her rambling. I'm totally devoted and reliable. Let me show you my childhood photos."
David was terrified Sophia would spill all his embarrassing secrets, so he practically dragged Quinley away.
The Brown family mansion had a classic style—understated décor that still managed to scream money. Quinley followed David upstairs, where he excitedly pulled out every photo album he owned.
As Quinley flipped through the albums, he provided enthusiastic commentary. "Is this you?" Quinley pointed to a photo of David in kindergarten.
"So smart!" David confirmed proudly.
Quinley's finger traced over the photo as she looked at the next one. Suddenly, she spotted a familiar figure. It was David's photo from joining the Young Pioneers—not just him in the shot, but he was the only one grinning from ear to ear.
But Quinley's eyes immediately found the child with the cold, melancholy expression. He stood in the center of the formation with perfect posture, but his face showed not a hint of happiness. Quinley recognized him—it was Zachary.
David and Zachary had been classmates since elementary school. Wherever David appeared in photos, Zachary was always there too. Quinley slowly turned through the pages. Without exception, David was always grinning carefreely while Zachary maintained that eternally grim expression.
The last group photo was from high school graduation. Zachary and David stood one person apart, Zachary wearing that same unchanging expression.
Looking at it stirred something indefinable in Quinley's chest. If she could travel back in time, she'd want to hug that lonely version of Zachary.
"Guess who this is?" David suddenly leaned over, pointing to the girl standing between him and Zachary.
Quinley studied the face carefully but couldn't place her. "Don't know."
"You don't know? You don't even recognize her?" David exclaimed, then quickly explained. "Though I guess that's normal—she started getting plastic surgery right after high school graduation. Of course you wouldn't recognize her now. That's Alicia."
Quinley gasped. The girl in the photo looked completely ordinary, nothing like the current Alicia. In the photo, everyone was looking at the camera except her—she was stealing glances at Zachary.
"She liked him even back then?" Quinley found herself asking.
David didn't seem eager to discuss this topic. He flopped back on the bed, arms behind his head, a mocking expression crossing his face. "Who knows if it was real or fake?"
Sophia's voice drifted up from downstairs. "Dinner time! Come down!"
David headed downstairs first. The dining table was already set with an elaborate seafood lunch.
"Mr. Brown, hello." George had just returned from the office. Quinley greeted him proactively.
George had salt-and-pepper hair. He glanced up at Quinley and gave her the slightest nod. "Let's eat." He walked directly to the head of the table.
Just as Quinley and David sat down, the doorbell rang. The maid answered, and David's two sisters walked in.
"Traffic was murder. Why lunch? Dinner would've been so much better." That was David's second sister, Lisa. She changed into slippers in the entryway and headed straight for the dining table.
"This is Lisa, my second sister," David introduced. Quinley stood up to greet her.
"Hello, Lisa."
Lisa let out a cold snort. "Don't get so familiar. We're not family yet."
Her dislike was obvious. Under the table, David patted Quinley's hand reassuringly. Quinley had heard from David beforehand that his second sister was difficult, so she held her tongue.
David's eldest sister was on the phone when she entered, but she also made her way to the table.
"Helen, this is my fiancée Quinley. You can call her Quinny," David introduced.
"Ms. Brown, hello." Quinley had learned her lesson.
Helen looked slightly surprised. She seemed kind enough, her gaze quickly scanning Quinley before extending her hand. "Quinley, hello. Just call me Helen. Welcome to our home."
Helen was polite and courteous, but maintained perfect boundaries. Quinley could read the room—everyone at this table was Brown family, and their attitudes ranged from cold to warm, but without exception, none of them approved of her relationship with David.
Since this was all an act anyway, Quinley didn't take it personally. She shook Helen's hand, but before she could sit down, Lisa started complaining again.
"Are you guys done yet? The seafood's getting cold—it won't taste good later."
"Don't you always eat the most anyway?" David shot Lisa a look.
"Mind your own business! If you're so great, don't eat any!" Lisa snapped back.
"I will eat, and I'll make sure Quinny and Helen eat plenty too." David bickered with Lisa while peeling shrimp for Quinley.
Helen kept her head down, sipping soup quietly. She seemed used to her siblings' arguments, occasionally chiming in with seemingly neutral comments that actually favored Lisa.
Sophia busied herself directing the staff, George sat silently at the head of the table, and the three children traded barbs without any parental intervention.
Quinley ate one of the shrimp David had peeled for her. The sea shrimp had a strong fishy taste, and the moment she swallowed it, nausea hit her hard. She quickly covered her mouth and ran for the bathroom.
"David, is Quinley pregnant?" Helen asked.
"Helen, what are you saying? Don't you know whether our brother is even capable?" Lisa threw shade.
"Who says I'm not capable? Quinny is carrying my child!" David shot back angrily.
"If you were capable, why didn't any of your previous girlfriends get pregnant? Ha! If you ask me, that baby in her belly might not even be yours."
Lisa's words were particularly vicious. "You're full of it!" David roared.
"Okay, okay, can you two stop fighting for five minutes? Every time you see each other, you go at it. Do you want people laughing at our family?" Helen tried to mediate, but Lisa wasn't backing down.
"Laughing? Helen, are you forgetting how many embarrassing situations our brother has already created? I heard this Quinley used to be Zachary's secretary. David, what's wrong with you? Why do you always have to pick up Zachary's leftovers?"
Lisa's words were absolutely cruel. Quinley had just stopped throwing up when another wave of nausea hit her.
"I'll tear that mouth of yours apart!" David was furious, ready to lunge, but Helen quickly held him back.
Lisa looked even more smug. "Am I wrong? Didn't you have a girlfriend named Susan? Wasn't she also involved with Zachary?"