Chapter 15 A Three Million Dollar Deal
When Grace left, her legs felt like jelly. Still, she tried to keep it together, not wanting Henry to notice and make things worse. But did it even matter? For the past three years, Henry had put her through countless humiliations; this was just another one. Besides, they hadn't actually had sex! It was just a moment of arousal.
The hallway was still dim, filled with the lingering scent of their entangled bodies. Grace picked up the fallen box of food and her neglected violin, swallowing her shame. Dragging herself home, she was about to open the door when a voice called out, "Grace!"
The hallway light flicked on. Grace saw a familiar face and murmured, "Juniper." After a moment, she snapped out of it and asked, "How did you find me?"
"I went to the hospital, Clara gave me the address," Juniper said, raising her chin. "I came straight here after getting off the plane. Get me something to eat; I've been starving for almost 12 hours. Airplane food is the worst!"
Grace opened the door and let her in. As soon as Juniper stepped inside with her bags, a scent caught her attention. She spun around and hugged Grace. Grace knew what she was thinking and choked up, "It's okay, Juniper, really. I'm used to it here."
Juniper stayed silent, knowing Grace was lying. How could Grace ever get used to this? She'd been pampered her whole life; even the bathrooms in the Windsor family mansion were bigger than this place. After a long pause, Juniper pretended to be relaxed. "Make me some food. I'll take a shower first! I'll stay here tonight; we haven't seen each other in ages, and we can catch up."
Grace hugged her again. Grace was good at cooking. By the time Juniper finished her shower, she'd reheated the sandwiches and made two servings of classic Italian pasta and some German-style sausage. During the meal, trying to lighten the mood, Juniper leaned in and whispered, "While I was waiting for you, I heard some noises in the hallway."
Juniper's expression turned mysterious. She cleared her throat, "It was a couple getting it on! It was too dark to see clearly, but I could tell. The guy was really going at it, and the woman sounded pretty pleased. I bet that guy has some serious stamina!"
Grace's memory jolted as she recalled it was her and Henry in the hallway earlier. She hadn't expected Juniper to overhear. Reluctant to address it, she stayed silent.
Juniper's keen perception didn't miss a thing. Noticing Grace's expression and the subtle lean-in to sniff, she detected a faint trace of a man's scent on Grace's neck. Juniper's eyes were piercing. "It was you and Henry, wasn't it?"
Grace lowered her head and ate her pasta. After a while, she softly said, "Yes, he was here."
Juniper stabbed her pasta, furious. "You two are already like this, and he still wants to have marital relations? And in the hallway, no less? He always acts like he doesn't enjoy sex, but in private, he's like this!"
Grace couldn't bring herself to talk about what Henry did in bed.
Feeling sorry for her, Juniper dragged Henry and Elodie into the conversation and cursed them out. After venting, she placed her hand on Grace's and spoke seriously, "Clara told me everything about home! Grace, playing the violin in those places isn't a solution. You need to protect your reputation."
As Juniper made her point, she pulled out a slim lady's cigarette, lighting it before taking a slow, deliberate drag. Being a model, Juniper was very slender. When she smoked, her face had a certain allure, making her quite attractive.
She stared at Grace for a long time before saying, "You should go to Frank Cavendish's place! It's a proper six-star hotel, and the audience there is of a higher caliber. I've talked to him; it's $2,000 a night, no less, with four days off a month."
Grace knew about Juniper and Frank Cavendish. She wanted to refuse, but Juniper was unusually firm. Juniper held the cigarette between her red lips, slowly exhaling gray smoke, looking indifferent. "I've slept with him long ago. It's not a sacrifice."
Grace didn't know how to respond.
Juniper patted Grace's hand. "But there's one thing you need to watch out for! Remember Mr. Garcia? I heard a wealthy businessman back home set up a project fund and invited him to come back and lead it, on the condition that Mr. Garcia teaches his mistress!"
Grace nodded. "I know! It was Henry."
Juniper's eyes widened. "That mistress is Elodie, isn't it? Grace, how are these two still haunting you? If it weren't for that accident back then, you would have gone abroad to study with Mr. Garcia. You wouldn't have to serve Henry!"
Juniper took a drag of her cigarette to calm down. "Is Henry like a rare gem or what? The price of getting involved with him is just too steep!"
Juniper thought Grace would back down. But Grace said calmly, "Mr. Garcia called me. He said he hopes I can study with him for the four years he's in the country."
Juniper got excited and put out her cigarette. "If you miss this opportunity, Grace, I won't forgive you."
Grace smiled faintly. "I know."
Feeling somewhat relieved, Grace cleaned up the dishes, took a shower, and went to bed.
Juniper was already asleep. Grace lay down beside her, unable to resist resting her head on Juniper's shoulder. She missed Juniper so much; as long as Juniper was around, everything seemed manageable.
The next morning, Juniper took Grace to Frank's hotel. The Azure Palace Hotel, the most upscale in Evergreen City, was a near six-star establishment. Normally, such affairs wouldn't be Frank's concern, but as a gesture of "appreciation" towards Juniper, Frank personally sat down with Grace and secured the position for her.
From 8 PM to 11 PM every night, three hours of work, with a monthly salary of $60,000, it was quite generous. Grace understood deep down that Frank was acting in Juniper's best interest. She glanced over at Juniper, who responded with a playful wink.
Frank glanced at her, then called the hotel manager to show Grace around. Once they left, Frank walked to the door and locked it. There was a lounge attached to the office, but he chose not to use it; instead, he took Juniper right on the desk.
At first, Juniper resisted, biting his shoulder hard. Frank leaned down, his thin lips close to her ear, and sneered, "Haven't touched you in two months, and now you're biting?" He hadn't been with a woman in a long time, so he was very excited. Juniper was tormented to the point of exhaustion.
Afterward, Frank didn't care about her, pulling away and leaving her there as he went to shower. The sound of running water came from the bathroom. Juniper slowly got off the desk, not caring about her disheveled state, and lit a slim cigarette, taking slow drags.
She knew Frank couldn't understand why she was so good to Grace. But it was because Grace had been good to her. They had met in middle school. At that time, her parents were addicted to gambling, selling everything they could, almost selling her. Eventually, her parents lost everything and ran away.
She became an orphan, with no place to live and unable to pay tuition. Her classmates distanced themselves, looking at her like she was a freak. One day, she couldn't take it anymore and stood on the rooftop.
It was Grace who pulled her down from the rooftop. Grace discreetly brought her home, provided her with clothes, a soothing bath, and a generous meal. It was an experience Juniper would always remember. Grace hid her for three days. Later, she persuaded Oliver to rent a place for her.
Grace supported her for six years. No one knew what Grace meant to her. As long as Grace needed her, Juniper was willing to do anything and give up anything.
After finishing her cigarette, Juniper got dressed and left with determination. By the time Frank emerged from the shower, she was nowhere to be found. He slowly walked to the desk, staring at a small water stain, and slightly curled his lips. Juniper was quite smart. Even Henry would give him some respect here.
He wondered what Henry's reaction would be. Probably none. Frank had heard bits and pieces about Henry and Grace's unhappy marriage. They had been married for years but were always lukewarm, without even a child. People in their circle were even betting on when Henry would divorce Grace. Wasn't Henry said to have a mistress?
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