Chapter 124 Welcome to Hell
Quinley was in the examination room.
The moment David showed up, he spotted Zachary.
"What are you doing here?" Fury flashed across his face as he confronted Zachary.
"Why aren't you here?" Zachary's brow furrowed, his cold voice firing back.
The two men faced off, tension crackling between them like they were seconds away from throwing punches.
"Mr. Brown." The exam room door opened. Quinley emerged in a wheelchair.
She'd strained the ligaments in her ankle. She needed to rest for a few days.
David moved closer, guilt written all over his face. "I'm sorry, Quinny. I should've been here sooner."
"I'm fine." Quinley's tone stayed flat.
"Next time something happens, call me first. I'm your future husband."
David was clearly jealous.
"Okay." Quinley's agreement came out mechanical.
"If you want to be someone's husband, then actually act like one. Leaving your fiancée behind while you go off having fun—that's really something." Zachary's dark eyes locked on David, practically daring him to respond.
"Mind your own damn business. Quinny's my fiancée. I don't need you telling me what to do." David roared.
He clenched his fists, eyes bloodshot, and charged at Zachary like he was ready to fight.
"Whether she actually becomes your wife remains to be seen." Zachary met David's glare head-on. The words came out of nowhere, unprompted. But in that moment, they planted seeds of trouble.
"Zachary, you're like a bad rash that won't go away. Quinny doesn't love you. Why don't you take a hike already!" David's language turned crude.
A vein pulsed at Zachary's temple. He reached out, shoving David aside, then turned his burning gaze on Quinley.
"Mr. Jennings, thank you for today. You can go now." Quinley made her position clear.
He was an outsider here. No reason for him to stay.
"My jacket." Zachary's voice came out casual.
Only then did Quinley realize his jacket was still tied around her waist. She struggled to rise from the wheelchair, untied it, and handed it back to Zachary.
"Thank you." She thanked him again.
Zachary looked at Quinley deeply, a thousand unspoken words in that single glance. He took the jacket, turned, and walked away.
David was fuming. He swung his fist and slammed it into the wall.
After leaving the hospital, Lucas was completely baffled.
"Mr. Jennings, if you were so worried about Ms. Elikin, why'd you call Mr. Brown to come?"
People were selfish—men especially. Pushing the woman you liked toward another man? That wasn't Zachary's style at all.
"What else was I supposed to do?" Zachary shot back.
Lucas couldn't think of an answer. He just felt like Zachary had changed somehow, though he couldn't quite put his finger on how.
"Let's go." Quinley said to David.
David looked dejected. Quinley wheeled herself forward while he trailed behind with heavy steps.
Outside the hospital building, Quinley pulled out her phone and ordered a rideshare.
"I'll take you home." David offered.
Quinley declined. "No thanks. I already called a car. It's here."
She pushed herself up from the wheelchair and hopped toward the hospital entrance on one foot. She'd rather struggle like this than accept his help. Yet she'd accepted Zachary's.
The jealousy in David's chest boiled over. He was losing control of his volatile temper.
"Why? Why do you keep rejecting me? You still love him, don't you? What does he have that I don't? Why does everyone love him and not me?"
David roared.
Quinley flinched slightly. She'd caught the key phrase: everyone.
So that 'everyone' included her, Susan, and probably Alicia too.
His inner turmoil consumed him. Both hands gripped Quinley's arms, shaking her. She felt uncomfortable but didn't resist. Her calm eyes simply watched David steadily.
He was too caught up in comparing himself to Zachary, desperate to come out on top. He'd completely lost himself in the process.
In that moment, Quinley thought David was truly pitiful. He believed that possessing the women around Zachary meant winning. He didn't realize that only losers operated that way.
"Mr. Brown, didn't we agree on this already? Since this is a partnership, why bring emotions into it? I understand how you feel, but I hope you won't let your feelings cloud your judgment."
Quinley spoke calmly. The calmer she remained, the more unbalanced David became.
She was different from those other women. They would bend over backward for Zachary, and they'd do the same for David—as long as the money was right, he could easily make them smile. But Quinley? She had no money. All she had was her pride.
"Can't you at least pretend to love me? Quinny, we're getting married."
David pleaded.
Quinley's patience wore thin. She looked away from him.
"Mr. Brown, deep down you know better than anyone—you don't actually love me. So why lie to yourself?"
"That's not true. I love you. I've never loved anyone this much. You have to believe me, please believe me..."
David denied it, growing even more agitated.
"What about Susan? She was Zachary's girlfriend once, and yours too. Right?"
"'Princess' is Alicia, isn't it? Mr. Brown, your relationship with her isn't exactly ordinary, is it?"
"Oh, and about today at the estate—I wasn't deliberately targeting Lisa. She came looking for trouble. If I damaged The Brown family's reputation, I hope you'll forgive me."
Quinley delivered each statement with perfect composure.
David stood before her, transforming from a raging lion into a silent lamb.
So she knew everything. It wasn't that his act wasn't convincing enough—she'd figured out the script from the very beginning.
"When did you find out?" Suspicion clouded his face.
"If you don't want people to know, don't do it in the first place."
"Why didn't you call me out?" David asked again.
He stared at Quinley, this woman suddenly becoming a stranger in his eyes. He'd liked her intelligence, but when a woman was too smart, it scared men.
Quinley exhaled softly. "Because I need you."
Her answer was brutally honest. Their relationship was transactional from the start. Partnerships meant exchanging benefits.
"So you'll never fall in love with me." David let out a bitter laugh. Quinley didn't respond.
"I get it now. I get it."
He stepped backward, but his eyes held no relief—only pain.
Whether he truly understood or not, Quinley didn't know.
David got in his car, started the engine, and drove away with a grinding roar.
By the time Quinley got home, Lisa's naked lap was already going viral online. Pixelation covered the important parts, but her face was completely visible. She ran while screaming, "Quinley, you bitch! I hope you rot in hell!"
The incident escalated quickly. Media coverage uniformly pointed fingers at The Brown family.
Right before bed, Quinley received a text from an unknown number.
[Ms. Elikin, welcome to hell!]