Chapter 24 The Floor-to-Ceiling Window
Who enjoys taking side jobs at nightclubs?
It’s nothing but a need for money.
Juniper bit her lip, "Have you forgotten, Mr. Blackwood? You were the one who destroyed my career; no company in the industry will hire me now. I need money to survive. If I can't even take side jobs, I might as well starve to death by tomorrow."
Magnus just looked at her, an incomprehension in his eyes.
A month ago, he had her fired from the TV network. He thought she would come begging to him, maybe through Michael, or by dropping hints. But Juniper had done nothing of the sort.
She simply left the network quietly and sought other employment. Even as doors were slammed in her face, she never once pleaded with him.
"Is begging me really that hard, Juniper?"
"Would it make any difference if I begged you, Mr. Blackwood? If I begged you to leave me alone, would you? But it's what I deserve; I accept that. I'm just asking you not to cut off my last means of survival."
If it weren't for Jennifer, maybe... she would have already ended this dull and painful life.
But right now, she couldn't afford to miss any chance to make money – Jennifer's surgery costs were still not fully covered, and giving up was not an option.
The man was silent for what felt like an eternity until Juniper began to think that Magnus wouldn't yield.
Out of the blue, he said, "Tomorrow, bring your resume and report to the real estate sales department at Sycamore Group."
Juniper was stunned. She hadn't expected Magnus to offer her a job opportunity, and certainly not at Sycamore Group Real Estate.
A smile finally touched her eyes. "Thank you, Mr. Blackwood."
Magnus raised an eyebrow.
She always had such a sweet smile for William, yet her expression remained cold around him.
This was the first time since they'd reconnected that she smiled at him, and so sincerely at that. Was it all because he had offered her a job?
"Don't get too excited. Working sales at a property office isn't exactly a dream job, and if you don't meet your targets, you could be fired at any moment. You'll need to be on call 24/7 for the potential buyers..."
Juniper cut him off, full of conviction, "Thank you for informing me, Mr. Blackwood. I will work diligently."
"I'm not warning you. I just thought you'd quit knowing the difficulties."
He wasn't that generous.
Juniper simply smiled, not arguing.
When she reviewed the contract, her hand hesitated as she reached for the pen to sign.
Magnus frowned, "Now what?"
"Does Miss Sinclair mind?"
Wasn't Mary his fiancée? How could she tolerate another woman close to him?
"That's not for you to worry about, Juniper," he retorted. "Right now, I'm your creditor. You owe me a whopping 1.5 billion dollars. Other than selling yourself to me, do you have a better way to pay off your debt? Or would you prefer I send you to prison?"
Juniper conceded.
She grabbed the pen and decisively signed her name on the dotted line.
Magnus's lips curled slightly as she complied without further fuss.
...
Returning home, Juniper found Ophelia and Jennifer sitting on the couch, engrossed in a cartoon.
Jennifer ran to Juniper and clung to her for a while. Juniper then sliced some fruit and prepared a fruit salad to keep Jennifer occupied with the cartoon.
Ophelia immediately cornered Juniper in the kitchen, eager to catch up on the recent events.
"So, you're telling me Magnus himself came to the Clarks' to rescue you?" Juniper was befuddled, "Yeah, I can't fathom why he suddenly went all Good Samaritan on me. Perhaps my sincere apology to God really got through?"
"That's not the point! The point is, did you sign an indenture contract with Magnus?"
Juniper's face flushed crimson as she corrected her, "It's not an indenture contract, it's a debt contract."
Ophelia scoffed, "What’s the difference? Before you know it, you're Mrs. Blackwood. Go for it, Juniper, I’m rooting for you!"
Juniper nearly choked.
What on earth was Ophelia going on about!
"Magnus and I aren't just some common exes. I was the one who pointed the finger at him as the offender, putting him behind bars for three years. And... he nearly got stabbed in the heart there, almost died. The title of Mrs. Blackwood could suit anyone, but definitely not me. I'll never be worthy in this lifetime."
A shadow of unspeakable pain cloaked Juniper's eyes.
"If it weren't for that mess six years ago, you and Magnus probably would have had a bunch of kids by now! It's all Alexander Beaumont's fault; how could he be so heartless! And listen, Jennifer needs surgery, why didn’t you ask me for help? I’m her godmother after all, I should chip in."
"Do you even have enough for yourself after your expenses? If I borrow from you, would you still have money left for your little luxuries?"
"I'm about to get paid! Besides, you don't buy a new purse every day. Jennifer's surgery is what's important."
Juniper didn't want to burden Ophelia, "Magnus has agreed to give me a job at Sycamore Group. It’s base salary plus commission. If I perform well, I'll earn the money quickly. You should save your own money for emergencies. And how many times can you bail me out? Haven’t I borrowed enough in the past? If I can't even provide for Jennifer, maybe she would be better off living with Magnus?"
"How could Jennifer bear to leave you? But really, you two are something else... You're raising his child, while he's still taking care of your cat. What's with you two?"
"He said he intended to give Potato away, but the cat's so ugly, no one would take him."
Ophelia groaned, "You can't be serious! That's Magnus's cat—any cat of his, even the ugliest, would find a home!"
"Maybe he just couldn't bear to part with Potato, you know. He did raise him for years," someone chimed in with a touch of reason.
"You guys are impressed," Ophelia scoffed.
Juniper didn't dare entertain the thought that she still held a place in Magnus's heart.
"Let's not talk about him. What about you and Robert? How's that going?" Juniper diverted the topic.
Mention of Robert made Ophelia's face sour.
Stuffing a slice of apple into her mouth, Ophelia mumbled, "What can I say? It's a marriage of convenience. We're not exactly a romance for the ages like you and Blackwood..."
"Look, I knew Robert in college. He can be a bit sharp-tongued, but he's a decent guy at heart. Give it a chance, Ophelia. Robert's more reliable than he seems. Blackwood wouldn't partner with him if he wasn't."
"Let's focus on you," Ophelia deflected. "My mom's been on my case enough already without digging into my married life."
"She just wants you to settle down, doesn't she? Or are you still hung up on...?"
Thomas Hawthorne.
Before the name was fully spoken, Ophelia clamped her hand over her friend's mouth. "Don't bring him up! We're still friends!"
Silence fell.
Jennifer came running with Juniper's phone. "Mom, it's Mr. Anderson on the line!"
Juniper took the call. "Hello, William?"
"Juniper, I've been transferred to Santa Maria Hospital in S-city. I'm leaving tomorrow. Wanted to let you know."
William was someone Juniper and Jennifer owed a lot to.
"That's quite sudden, William. Do you know when you'll return?"
"I'm not sure; it could be a year, or longer... Juniper, there's no set return date, and I don't know when I'll see you next. Would it be possible for you to come to the airport to see me off?"
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