Chapter 533 Jessica's Memory (Part 2)
With Jasper's questioning, Jessica caught a flicker of irritation in his deep-set eyes.
'Does he think I'm a pain in the ass?' Jessica couldn't quite put her feelings into words; it hit her like a ton of bricks.
Jasper was probably super stressed and clueless about how to handle this mess. Waking up to find Jessica, the girl he always saw as a little sister, lying next to him was beyond awkward. The whole thing was just a nightmare.
Jasper's tone got icier. "How the hell did you end up here?"
Jessica was taken aback by his tone, feeling totally lost. She fidgeted with her fingers and mumbled, "I heard you were hurt, so I asked the driver to bring me here."
Hearing this, Jasper's face twisted with even more impatience, and his words cut deep. "Jessica, do you have any sense? A bar isn't a place you can just waltz into!"
Jasper's tone and expression were harsh as hell.
Jessica had already been chewed out by Zoey and had snuck out. After a crappy first experience and now getting ripped apart by Jasper's words, she felt incredibly wronged.
She held back tears, and lowered her head to apologize, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have come."
Seeing the red marks on her neck, Jasper's anger flared even more. Thank God it was him she ran into. What if she had ended up with some random creep?
But meeting him wasn't exactly a win either. He was great with people but clueless about this kind of stuff. All he knew was that he was pissed about Jessica showing up on her own.
Jasper had been set up. A business partner had tried to screw him over, giving him the drink and then sending a woman to him. Jasper would never hook up with some random chick, so he ducked into a private room to hide.
But the fire inside him just got worse, and when he stood up to find his phone, he banged his head on the table. Finally, after finding his phone, he called the driver, not expecting Jessica to tag along.
This whole mess could've been avoided, and he didn't have time for this complicated drama now. Plus, the bar was full of all kinds of shady people. Compared to those sexy, glamorous women, Jessica's innocent look would easily catch someone's eye, and she could be dragged into a private room for who knew what.
Thinking of this, Jasper's face darkened, "Jessica, whatever happens to me is none of your business. I think you have no clue about your own status. Has the Murphy family been too soft on you?"
Jasper wanted to scare her so she wouldn't dare to come to a place like a bar again. But to Jessica, his words were like a punch to the gut. Her eyes turned red, and she dug her nails into her palms to hold back her tears. Crying now would only make her more annoying.
This day shattered all the confidence she had painstakingly built over the years. Jessica fell into self-doubt, unable to lift her head in front of Jasper.
Jasper was usually a pretty chill man, rarely blowing his top like this. He barked at the driver, then tossed a suit jacket on the sofa for Jessica to wear.
The whole thing felt like a pity move. Anyone could see Jasper was dealing with a mess he didn't want to touch.
Jessica, feeling like a zombie, slipped on the suit jacket that screamed "charity." At this point, she couldn't just walk out with her head held high. Zoey was right; she hadn't known her place and shouldn't have had any wild thoughts. Just like Jasper said, she didn't even have the right to worry about him.
Jasper was the Murphy family's golden boy, and she was just the housekeeper's kid. They were in totally different leagues. She shouldn't have thought the Murphy family's kindness meant she could care for him or even like him.
Jasper turned and saw her standing there, head down, looking like she'd been drained of all life. The oversized suit jacket swallowed her up, making her look tiny and fragile. Her eyes, usually bright when looking at him, now seemed dead, matching her pale face, making her look like she was about to collapse.
Jasper was a bit taken aback, suddenly wondering if he'd been too harsh. Jessica was only eighteen, and compared to his cluelessness in handling relationships, she must be even more lost.
After a moment, he spoke, "About tonight..."
"It's okay," Jessica cut him off quickly, "I'm fine. You don't need to worry. I won't mention it to anyone."
Jasper paused, his eyes darkening, unable to find the words.
Jessica thought Jasper still had doubts and immediately promised, "Mr. Murphy, I swear I won't mention it to anyone. My status..."
Jessica's eyes wandered, landing on the dim mirror in the private room, reflecting Jasper's tall, handsome figure.
Jessica's voice grew weaker, "I know my status."
The matter was easily resolved, and Jasper should have felt relieved, but he felt even more irritated, unable to shake the feeling that things shouldn't have turned out this way.
Jasper took a step closer, about to speak, but Jessica, like a scared bird, took a step back. Then, she opened the door and bolted out, almost like she was running for her life.
The driver saw Jessica and felt a bit relieved, "Ms. Miller, you finally came. I was scared to death, couldn't find you anywhere."
Because Zoey was the Murphy family's head housekeeper, and Jessica just lived with Zoey, not working for the Murphy family. So, the driver would privately call her Ms. Miller. She had mentioned before that the title was inappropriate, but the driver said he called her that because he liked her. Jessica went along with it and didn't correct him.
But now, the title felt too harsh. It made Jessica feel like she was flaunting a status that didn't belong to her.
Her throat was hoarse, "Please don't call me that anymore. I'm just like you. If you want, just call me Jessica."
The driver was puzzled, "Alright, if you don't like it, I won't call you that."
Jasper walked closer and saw her still standing in the cold wind. He frowned immediately, "Why aren't you getting in the car?"
Jessica lowered her head, "Waiting for you to get in first."
After he got in the car, Jessica walked around to the passenger side. Just as she opened the door, she heard Jasper's deep voice. "Sit in the back."
Jessica's fingers paused for a moment, then she got into the back seat, but she only occupied a small corner. The tearing pain in her body made her hunch over unconsciously.
"Are you feeling unwell?" Jasper frowned and, as usual, raised his hand to feel her forehead for temperature. Jessica quickly moved her body towards the window, putting a considerable distance between them. Jasper's hand paused mid-air and then slowly retracted.
"I'm fine, Mr. Murphy." Jessica masked her emotions, her voice soft and gentle, not sounding like anything was wrong.
Jasper then calmed down, thinking about how to deal with the bar incident. He would never let the person who spiked his drink get away with it.
The car sped down the road. Inside, it was very quiet.
Perhaps due to a headache and a hangover, Jasper leaned back in his seat with his eyes closed. Jessica was not sure if he had fallen asleep. She hid herself under the oversized suit jacket, trying to minimize her presence, not even daring to breathe too loudly.
Passing by a pharmacy, Jasper called for the car to stop. The driver quickly asked, "Mr. Murphy, what do you need? I'll go get it."
Jasper glanced at Jessica and said, "I'll go myself."
He got out of the car and returned with a pharmacy bag in hand.
When they got home, Jessica tried to escape from the car but was stopped by Jasper. He handed her the bag and said, "Don't forget to take this."
Jessica saw that it was labeled as birth control pills and immediately clutched the bag tightly, whispering, "Got it."
Jasper hesitated for a moment and then said, "About tonight, it happened suddenly. I was at fault too; I couldn't control myself. If you have any physical discomfort, let me know."
Jessica, who had been holding back tears all the way, couldn't help but let them fall when faced with Jasper's restored gentleness.
Jasper looked down and sighed, "Jessica, I was a bit confused earlier, and I was worried about you being in a dangerous environment like a bar alone, so my tone was harsh. I apologize. Don't take those impulsive words to heart. Also..."
Jasper frowned and said slowly, "I'm not considering any romantic relationships for now. If you want me to take the responsibility, I'm afraid I can't."
Jasper knew his words were harsh. He himself was confused about the situation, let alone Jessica, who was still young and not fully mature. Having watched her grow up, he feared she might be psychologically hurt, so he said gently, "If you want any compensation, I'll do my best to fulfill it."
Harper and Elodie were still missing, and Jasper had sworn not to marry or get involved with anyone until he found them. This was the only solution he could think of for now.
In the night, Jessica's delicate face was as pale as paper, her figure frail, like a bewildered fawn. Jasper felt like a jerk, but he really couldn't consider a serious relationship now, so he had to be honest.
He said in a low voice, "If you're still not satisfied, I can explain everything to Zoey and try to seek her forgiveness."
"No!" Jessica lost her cool, "Don't tell my mom!"
Seeing her finally speak up, Jasper felt a bit relieved and said gently, "Think it over carefully. If you have any thoughts, let me know. I respect your feelings."
Jessica didn't expect Jasper to explain and apologize to her. But as for compensation, how could she possibly accept it? It would make her seem calculating and turn the whole affair into a transaction.
Maybe Jessica was just a blip in his life, but for her, giving her first time to the person she liked, she didn't regret it.
She lowered her eyes and said, "I have no thoughts and don't need compensation. Let's just pretend it never happened, Mr. Murphy. Don't worry about it."
Seeing her so obedient and indifferent to losing her virginity made Jasper feel a surge of irritation. Jasper placed his hand on her shoulder and told her seriously, "Jessica, you need to understand that even I can't bully you."
Jessica returned to her room and soaked herself in the bathtub. Her mind kept replaying Jasper's last words.
He said he couldn't bully her.
Jessica understood that Jasper's attitude tonight might have been, as he said, partly out of concern, which made him lose control of his emotions. But some words, once spoken, leave a deep imprint on the heart. Unintentionally, they would resurface, bringing back the feelings of grievance and sadness from that moment.
For the next few days, Jessica avoided Jasper, or maybe he was avoiding her. They didn't see each other for several days.
After school one day, Clayton called Jessica to the study. Once inside, Jessica stood respectfully and asked in a low voice, "Mr. Murphy, what can I do for you?"
Clayton looked up at Jessica, his expression kind, "Jessica, you're 18 now, right?"
Jessica nodded. Clayton said, "I heard you want to study design in college?"
"Yes, Mr. Murphy."
"Have you thought about going to Novaria? The school of Visual Arts there is very famous."
Jessica was stunned, not understanding why Clayton suddenly mentioned that.
Novaria and Auroria were far apart. Jessica had already planned to apply to the design school in Auroria, which was also a well-known university. This way, she could stay with Zoey and look after her.
Jessica honestly replied, "Mr. Murphy, I plan to apply to the local design school."
Clayton smiled and took a file folder from the drawer, saying, "This is information about the school in Novaria. Take it and have a look. If you decide to go, I'll cover all the tuition, living expenses, and procedures."
Jessica didn't want to study so far away. To her, Auroria was already very good. She had even earned her tuition through part-time jobs, without taking any money from Zoey.
Out of politeness, Jessica took the file folder and said, "Thank you, Mr. Murphy."
Clayton, seeing her obedience, looked very satisfied, "Jessica, about the bar incident, Jasper was deceived and set up, but he was also wrong. I gave him a good scolding."
Jessica didn't expect Clayton to know about the bar incident. Instantly, her face turned pale.
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
