Chapter 67 Gaining Visitation Rights
Inside the car, Jennifer was crying so hard that she was gasping for air, her little face pale as a sheet.
Magnus suddenly realized something was wrong, and he quickly took Jennifer into his arms, "Jennifer, what's wrong?"
"Daddy, I..."
The little one was clutching her chest, mouth open, taking large breaths as if she was having difficulty breathing.
"Turn back to the hospital!"
The black Maybach gradually disappeared into the distance. Tears blurred Juniper's vision.
Just when she felt completely hopeless—
The black Maybach reappeared in her sight, heading towards the hospital. Could it be that something had happened to Jennifer? Juniper immediately followed them back to the hospital.
At the hospital, Jennifer was rushed into the emergency room. Juniper hurried in after them and immediately informed the doctor, "Doctor, Jennifer has always had a problem with a patent ductus arteriosus."
"She's this big already. If you knew about the condition, why hadn't surgery been performed?" the doctor asked.
"I..." Juniper faltered.
Magnus stepped in calmly, "Then let's proceed with the surgery now."
"We might not be able to schedule it for today..."
Quickly, Dr. Boris arrived. He greeted Magnus first, "Mr. Blackwood, hello."
"Hello, Dr. Boris."
Magnus had called Dr. Boris on the way to the hospital. After hearing about the situation, Dr. Boris spoke up, "Dr. Jimmy, this is Mr. Blackwood of SY Group. The child inside is his daughter. Can you perform the surgery right away?"
With the hospital director intervening, Dr. Jimmy wouldn't dare oppose.
Although he wasn't familiar with Mr. Blackwood, Dr. Boris's influence was something to be respected. "Okay, I'll start the preparations now. Please excuse me."
After Dr. Jimmy and Dr. Boris left, Juniper stood at the door of the operating room, her voice hoarse, "I'd like to stay here until Jennifer's surgery is safely completed. That's not too much to ask, is it?"
Magnus didn't send her away, which was tacit permission by default. But the next moment, his tone turned cold as he pressed, "If this issue was identified so early on, why wasn't the surgery performed earlier?"
Juniper felt utterly exposed, as if stripped bare before him.
"Because I'm short on money," she confessed, her lip curling slightly in admission.
"So, now you should understand who the best choice for Jennifer to be with is," Magnus's words were piercingly precise.
Juniper's heart felt as though it had been stabbed, bleeding profusely.
Tears welled up in her eyes. "Yes, with just one word from you, Mr. Blackwood, Jennifer could have immediate surgery. She'd have a better life with you than with me. But there's something you must be aware of, Mr. Blackwood. Jennifer can't be without me right now. If you try to take her away by force, it will be like just now…"
"Are you using Jennifer to blackmail me?" His gaze turned icy and dangerously sharp.
Juniper admitted that just this once, she stooped to such a level.
"It doesn't matter what Mr. Blackwood thinks of me. But I believe you wouldn't want Jennifer to suffer, to be unhappy because her parents are apart, or worse, to carry some childhood trauma. Even though it's hard for me to let Jennifer go, Mr. Blackwood and I share the same starting point. I want her to have a good life, not just materially, but emotionally as well."
The man's expression darkened. "Are you accusing me of not providing sufficient fatherly love for Jennifer?"
"Of course, I hope Mr. Blackwood can give her all the fatherly love she needs. I'm just reminding you. After her surgery, Jennifer will be very weak. With your busy schedule, you'll probably rely on a nurse, but I'd be better suited to care for Jennifer."
"Juniper, do you really think Jennifer can't live without you?"
"At least for the moment, that's the case."
His presence exuded heavy pressure.
The atmosphere turned tense, a standoff lasting several seconds.
Finally, Magnus relented, "Before Jennifer gets discharged, I want you to make our situation clear to her, to make her understand and accept the reality."
"Agreed. It's a deal," she said firmly.
"Do you have any other demands?" he asked with a cold face, yet still took a step back.
Juniper pondered for a moment before speaking. "Even though Jennifer is very cheerful, a sudden change of environment can make her feel unsettled. I hope Mr. Blackwood can find the time to be with her and tell her bedtime stories. Mr. Blackwood can probably sense that Jennifer really likes you. She's always wanted her dad to be the one to come to the parent-teacher meetings, so from now on, I hope you'll do your best not to miss them." She paused, taking a deep breath, then continued, "And I know you don't want to see me, Mr. Blackwood, but I still want to ask your permission to see Jennifer once a week. We've been all each other had for six years. I can't just cut ties so easily."
"Once a week is too often. It'll make her more dependent on you," he countered.
"How about every other week then?"
"It's a deal."
He agreed fairly readily.
Juniper's eyes reddened, and her tense expression relaxed somewhat when she heard his response. She had about half a year left. During that time, she intended to prepare Jennifer to gradually adapt to life without her mother.
The red light was still on above the operating room. Magnus and Juniper sat on the waiting chairs outside, separated by two empty seats between them. Though they shared a daughter and had once been close, now they were so distant.
"Jennifer loves strawberry ice cream, but her stomach is sensitive, so Mr. Blackwood, please limit how often she eats cold treats. She adores Patrick Star, and she likes to sleep with her Patrick Star plush toy at night. She was born with a patent ductus arteriosus, which isn't a major issue, but even after surgery, she shouldn't engage in too much strenuous activity. She's always wanted to ride the pirate ship at amusement parks. That's why I've never taken her on one. And, um..."
Juniper choked up. She had too many farewells to say to Jennifer, who had been her entire support system for the last six years. Without Jennifer, she might well have given in to her struggles three years ago.
Sniffling, Juniper wiped her tears away forcefully and kept going, "She doesn't like egg yolks, Mr. Blackwood, so please don't force her to eat them. They make her throw up."
Her advice was meticulous, so much so that it caused a sudden pang in Magnus's heart. The man clenched his hand discreetly. Juniper was prodding him to soften.
Back in S City, he had ended all ties with her. Words spoken are like water spilled. They can't be taken back.
Even Joseph, an outsider to the situation, felt a prickling sense of unease after hearing the conversation.
The atmosphere went silent for a while.
Finally, Magnus spoke, "You can organize a list of Jennifer's preferences and habits and send it to Joseph. I will look at it."
Juniper curved her lips into a smile, "Okay."
Magnus was not like her, but he was always true to his word.
He said he would look at it, and she believed he certainly would.
Juniper trusted him on this.
She also trusted that he would take good care of Jennifer. She had no doubt about that.
But still,
"I'm not sure if Mr. Blackwood will ever date or get married again. If Mr. Blackwood remarries and has a second child one day, I hope—"
The man cut her off sharply, "I'm not going to get married, nor will I date again, and there will not be a second child."
"What about Mary—"
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