Chapter 532 Jessica's Memory (Part 1)
The room was so dead quiet. If it wasn't for the faint woody scent Jasper left on the pillow, she'd think no one had been here, leaving Jessica all by her lonesome.
She slowly turned around, spread her hands, and placed them on the spot where Jasper had just been. Her palms slowly came together, like she was trying to hold onto him. As the warmth in her hands faded, the sadness in her heart started to spread, wrapping around her like a heavy blanket.
Memories came rushing in like a tidal wave, past scenes flooding her mind like cold seawater that wouldn't go away.
Back in the day, Jessica had it pretty good. They weren't rolling in dough, but her family was comfortable with what they had and didn't have much to worry about.
Her dad, Louie Miller, was a big shot at a big company, and her mom, Zoey, worked in the finance department of the same place. After Jessica was born, Zoey, worried she couldn't handle it all, hired a nanny.
With Louie and Zoey's income back then, paying a nanny a few grand a month was no big deal. But the good times didn't last. Jessica's mom, Zoey, caught the eye of some higher-up at the company. Using work as an excuse, he made several moves on Zoey.
Since they worked at the same place and he was her boss, Zoey kept quiet about it. Seeing Zoey put up with it, the guy got bolder, eventually tricking her into a drinking party under the guise of work and trying to take advantage of her.
Zoey fought to get away and hid in the bathroom to call Louie. Louie showed up fast and, not caring about the guy's status, beat him up good. The whole thing caused a big scene, and Louie even called the cops. But with no hotel surveillance and the power dynamic between Zoey and the guy, it was hard to press charges, especially since the guy didn't succeed and Zoey wasn't seriously hurt.
The company's higher-ups talked to Louie and Zoey separately, making it clear that the guy was related to the CEO. Without solid proof, it wasn't smart to push it. If they wanted to keep their jobs, they had to drop the report and apologize to the guy. They promised the guy wouldn't make a fuss anymore.
Louie was floored that they went from being the victims to being accused of making stuff up. He refused to go along with it, but Zoey got the bigger picture. If they left the company, the vengeful guy would probably ruin their reputation elsewhere. Plus, the CEO kept promising that Zoey would be moved to a different position, away from the guy.
Zoey agreed to drop the report but flat-out refused to apologize, as they hadn't done anything wrong and couldn't admit to a lie. The company had no choice but to accept it, and the whole thing got swept under the rug.
Not long after, the guy started getting back at them. First, a project Louie was in charge of hit some snags, then Zoey's finances got investigated for embezzlement. Louie's situation was the worst, with a mistake leading to a worker's death.
Both of them got canned, and the company put out a statement that made it nearly impossible for them to land another gig. Louie spiraled into a pit of despair and started hitting the bottle hard. When he was wasted, he'd lash out at Zoey, blaming her for his downfall. Jessica, not even five years old, lived in constant fear of Louie laying hands on Zoey.
To keep the family afloat, Zoey swallowed her pride and took on jobs washing dishes in restaurants and sweeping streets. Worried that Louie might hurt Jessica when he was drunk, Zoey took her everywhere she went. Jessica, wise beyond her years, would quietly wait by Zoey's side.
One day, Louie, drunk out of his mind, stumbled and fell into a river, drowning. After Louie's death, Zoey found out he had left behind a mountain of debt. He had mortgaged the house for a loan, claiming it was for a business venture, but had drunk away all the money.
Zoey had no choice but to sell the house to pay off the debt. The executive who had harassed Zoey started pestering her again, using all sorts of tactics to pressure her. Desperate, Zoey took a chance on a business card given to her by a wealthy woman, Elodie, Harper's mom.
Understanding Zoey's plight, Elodie invited Zoey and Jessica to move abroad with them, where Jessica could be a companion for Harper. So, Jessica officially joined the Murphy family and started a new chapter in her life.
The Murphy family was kind, and Jessica and Harper quickly became best buds. Jessica thought life would continue happily until Elodie and Harper's sudden disappearance cast a dark cloud over the Murphy family.
Since Zoey had been brought in by Elodie, Clayton convinced her to stay and keep working for the family when she wanted to leave. Zoey, being meticulous, was entrusted with some household management duties by Clayton.
Jessica and Zoey lived in the servants' quarters, while Jasper, devastated by Harper and Elodie's disappearance, fell into a slump. After getting a stern talking-to from Clayton, Jasper pulled himself together, diving into his studies to become stronger, hoping to find Elodie and Harper sooner.
Jessica grew up watching Jasper's diligent figure from dawn to dusk, admiring him deeply. He was always gentle, treating both her and Zoey with utmost respect.
At the time, Jessica didn't realize that Jasper saw her as a shadow of Harper.
As Jasper grew into a young man, he started socializing more, often coming home with a hint of alcohol on his breath. But he was a good drunk, quietly sleeping without causing trouble or being abusive. During these times, Jessica would bring him water, placing it by his bedside.
Seeing her, Jasper would smile appreciatively, "Jessica, you've grown up. You even start to take care of me now."
Jessica, noticing the lack of youthful vigor in Jasper's face, knew he must be exhausted, working ten times harder than others to succeed quickly. Hesitating, she said, "Mr. Murphy, don't overwork yourself. I believe you'll find Ms. Murphy and Mrs. Murphy."
Jasper lowered his eyelids, chuckling, "I hope so."
Seeing Jasper's dejected expression, Jessica's young heart felt a pang of pain for the first time. She suddenly wanted to smooth out the wrinkles that had no business being on a young guy's face. But in the end, she didn't dare reach out.
After a pause, Jessica said firmly, "Mr. Murphy, I'll work hard too."
Jasper rubbed his head with his long, beautiful fingers, smiling, "Do you have any dreams, Jessica?"
"My dream is you!" Jessica blurted out, summoning all her courage.
Jasper was stunned for a moment, "Me?"
Jessica got shy again, lowering her eyes and whispering, "I want to make you happy. I also want to help you find Ms. Murphy and Mrs. Murphy."
The room wasn't lit, just the baseboard lights casting a dim glow, making Jessica's face look soft and tender.
Jasper's lips curled up, showing a genuine smile for the first time in days. He sat up straight, just level with Jessica, then reached out to ruffle her hair gently, "Jessica, you've really grown up. But I hope you can study well, do what you want to do, live your own life, and not carry any burdens for others, okay?"
Jessica seemed to get it but not entirely. In that dim light, with Jasper's handsome face and gentle voice, she felt her heart skip a beat for the first time.
Jasper leaned back in his chair, looking a bit tired, "Go back and rest early."
Jessica nodded, walked out of the room, and looked back. Jasper's shirt was unbuttoned, the collar casually open, showing off his delicate collarbone.
No matter the posture, Jasper always looked super handsome. Jessica felt her admiration for Jasper had changed, gradually turning into something more greedy.
Knowing it was impossible, she couldn't help but think about it. Until one day, a star-shaped paper hidden in her book fell out and was picked up by Zoey. After reading it, Zoey was shocked and, for the first time, argued with Jessica.
Zoey was also shocked, but more than that, she felt heartache. She knelt on the ground, pointing at the love note, "Jessica, we must live with integrity. Mrs. Murphy kindly took us in, and Mr. Clayton Murphy is paying for your education. You must not have improper thoughts about Mr. Jasper Murphy, understand?"
Jessica, with a swollen face, cried, "Why can't I? I just like him. Why is that wrong?"
Zoey, clutching her chest in anger, rasped, "Do you want people to say we had ulterior motives from the start? What is our status compared to Mr. Jasper Murphy's?"
Jessica was stunned, not knowing how to respond. Clayton's kindness had made her forget the vast difference in status between her and the Murphy family.
Zoey tore the note to pieces, shattering all of Jessica's hopes. She said sternly, "Mrs. Murphy and Mr. Murphy have been so good to us. Remember, we must never do anything to betray them!"
Jessica ran out of the room crying, and just as she stepped out, she heard the driver say that Jasper seemed to be drunk and injured at a bar. Worried, she begged the driver to take her along. The driver, knowing Jessica's good relationship with Jasper, agreed without much thought.
At the bar, the driver told her to wait in the car, but he didn't come back for a long time. Out of concern, Jessica got out of the car and went into the bar to look for him.
The piercing music hit her eardrums as soon as she entered. Jessica had never been to a bar before, and the smoky air made her eyes water.
After a few steps, a guy blocked her way, "Here alone?"
Jessica ignored him and tried to walk past, but he wouldn't let her. "Don't go."
He looked her up and down, noticing her out-of-place school uniform, which, though odd in this setting, had an inexplicable charm.
"First time here? How about I show you around?" As he spoke, his hands reached for Jessica's shoulders. Jessica bolted, and the guy, missing his chance, followed her.
She hid in an empty private room, narrowly escaping. Looking at the room's decor, she remembered Jasper's habit of sending her a picture when he didn't have time to reply to her messages, showing he was at a social event.
This room looked like the one in his pictures. So she came out of the empty room and peeked through the door cracks one by one. Finally, she saw Jasper lying on a sofa in one room.
Jessica hurriedly pushed the door open and saw that his forehead was bruised, as if he had really been in a fight. Panicking, Jessica grabbed Jasper's hand, "Mr. Murphy, what happened..."
Before she could finish, Jasper suddenly opened his eyes. Whether it was the alcohol or something else, his eyes were bloodshot, filled with veins, looking like a demon's.
Jessica was startled, murmuring, "Mr. Murphy,"
But Jasper pulled her hard, making her fall onto him, and then his burning lips pressed against hers.
Jessica's eyes widened, unable to react. At eighteen, she had never even held a boy's hand, let alone kissed. But Jessica knew Jasper was drunk, and what he was doing might not be what he wanted, but the effect of alcohol.
She remembered Zoey's words and hurriedly pushed Jasper away, mumbling, "Mr. Murphy, look at me."
Jasper loosened his grip slightly, frowning as he focused, "Jessica?"
Jessica, breathing heavily, nodded, "Mr. Murphy, let's go home."
Jasper, whether sober or not, pinched her chin, his voice soft, unlike his usual rational self. "Help me."
Jasper's lips came down again, sucking on her small earlobe, and the atmosphere suddenly changed.
Jessica’s cheeks flushed a vibrant crimson, her gaze unfocused, every word of refusal caught in her throat. For him, and only him, she would endure anything.
Their subsequent entanglement lacked the grace of their earlier kiss. Barely had he brushed his lips against hers before desperation overcame him.
His touch was feverish, like searing metal against cool skin. Jessica whimpered from the agony of the first lovemaking in her life, merging with the humid air thick with sweat. Jasper, consumed by his own need, paid no heed to her discomfort, seeking solace in physical release.
In the aftermath, a subdued calm settled. Jessica lay in Jasper's embrace, having succumbed to a pain-induced stupor. When she woke up, she moved her aching body, accidentally waking Jasper. He was dazed for a moment, seemingly unaware of the situation.
Jessica adjusted her clothes, sitting up tiredly, and called out, "Mr. Murphy."
Jasper frowned, rubbing his forehead, looking exhausted from the hangover. Seeing who was in front of him, his expression instantly darkened, "Why is it you?"
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