I'll never hurt you

"Can you believe he did that to me?!" Janice exclaimed, pacing the room with clenched teeth and balled fists. She let out an audible exhale through her nose in frustration.

"I don't think he's aware of it. I trust what Jules is saying, and there's no need to point fingers at him. He's probably just as surprised," Maggie offered, briefly glancing up from her phone to meet Janice's gaze.

"I don't care if he's surprised or not! Why on earth would he go around evaluating every woman he sees in a skirt?!" Janice gestured with frustration. "I should have realized he'd never truly change. I actually believed he was becoming the man I wanted..."

"He changed for you," Maggie interjected gently. "Yes, he might have had that past, but he loves you. And remember, this was all before he even met you. So, don't direct your anger at him."

Janice scowled, wiping away the angry tears streaking her cheeks. Her phone buzzed, grabbing her attention.

She gasped at the several explicit pictures of Jules with an unclothed woman that had appeared. The images were recent; she could tell because he was wearing the same suit he had on during her labor. The date at the bottom of the screen confirmed it.

Her phone slipped from her grasp and clattered to the floor. Her chest constricted as her breathing quickened, and she struggled to maintain her balance. She staggered towards the vanity, clutching it to steady herself as her mind spun.

Maggie's voice broke through her daze. "What's wrong?" Maggie asked, noticing the vacant expression on Janice's face.

Tears welled in Janice's eyes and traced a slow path down her cheeks.

Observing that Prince Michael was still asleep, Maggie gently picked up the infant and carried him to his room, which was located beside Janice's and Jules's, ensuring their conversation wouldn't disturb him. She sensed Janice was on the brink of a meltdown.

Returning to the room once the baby was settled, she picked up the phone that Janice had dropped and shook her head at the images displayed on the screen.

Jules took advantage of the moment to step inside, but before he could utter a single word, Janice advanced toward him.

Her blow landed square on his left cheek, causing his head to snap back. The force of her anger continued as she followed up with several punches to his chest.

He grabbed Janice's hand, his eyes glaring at her. "What the hell, woman?! I had no clue about any of this. I don't understand why you're blaming me."

Jules growled as she fought against his grip. "Fucking keep yourself in check, damn it!"

Maggie cringed at the stream of profanities pouring out of Jules' mouth. In all the time she had known him, she couldn't recall the last time she had heard him swear. He only unleashed such language when he was truly furious, and that was an uncommon occurrence, given his usually composed demeanor.

"You don't know?!" Janice seethed, wrenching her hand free from his grasp. "I doubt I'll ever believe your lies again. You're a cheating bastard, and I despise you! Every time I lay eyes on you is a reminder of my mistake. If I ever claimed to love you, it was a lie. You're nothing more than a piece of shit and a cheat!"

"Enough!" Jules snarled, stepping closer to her.

"Don't you dare touch me," Janice gritted out. She swung the door open and stormed out of the room.

"Damn it!" Jules yelled, delivering a swift kick to the door. He turned to find Maggie looking at him disapprovingly.

"That was really not cool," Maggie shook her head, extending the phone towards him. "Imagine if I had been here trying to defend you."

Jules glanced at the phone, his eyes narrowing. "That conniving bitch!"

"It's a good thing you're not defending yourself. So, why did you do it, knowing you have a wife? Just imagine if this picture had surfaced while she was in labor. What could have happened?"

Jules didn't want to consider the possibilities. The birth of his son had already been fraught with difficulty, and he was certain that had such an image emerged at that time, it could have led to complications for Janice. Even if not, she wouldn't have stayed around for this long.

Although they were legally bound, he knew she would have left-just as she had before.

He stared at the phone in his hand once more, a wave of anger surging through him. If he had known she had taken those pictures to use against him later, he would have insisted she delete them.

"It's quite a sight to see you lost for words," Maggie remarked, gently caressing her slight baby bump while shaking her head. "I'm relieved I picked the son with fewer complications. I don't think I'd handle it well if a woman showed up with Jeremy's child or if something like this happened."

"I didn't intend to hurt her," Jules mumbled after a pause, sinking onto the bed and running his hand through his tousled hair. "I had no idea when that picture was taken. I suspect it was a setup because I wasn't even aware she was in bed with me until the next morning. I'd never betray Janice. I genuinely love her."

Yet, Jules understood that love alone might not mend the situation. He pondered whether she would ever be able to forgive him.

Maggie studied Jules, her gaze narrowing as she held his gaze for a prolonged moment. "I believe you," she murmured. "But you have to make amends, Jules. She's in pain."

Jules let out a sigh, his shoulders slumping. "I don't think she wants to lay eyes on me right now."

Maggie nodded in agreement. "I don't think so either."

Both of them recognized that winning Janice back wouldn't be an immediate task. The process might be smoother if she wasn't consumed by anger, as conversing with an enraged Janice could potentially worsen the situation.

"I'll give her some time," Jules muttered. "I can only hope she'll eventually find it in her heart to forgive me, even though this wasn't my intention."

Maggie shrugged slightly. "She will forgive you, but you also need to acknowledge your own responsibility. If you had been more cautious, you wouldn't have ended up with a surprise child or an unidentified woman in your bed."

Jules nodded, contemplating the same perspective. He questioned if he could truly exercise caution, considering his friends were skilled at setting him up.