Chapter 84 Surrendering to Fate
In the executive office of Building 1, Joseph rushed in after finishing the call with the sales manager. "Magnus, Juniper has quit."
Magnus, engrossed in his work, glanced up with a tremor in his eyes.
Quickly, he regained his composure.
Looking unswervingly at the computer screen, he tossed out coolly, "She always comes and goes as she pleases. It's nothing unusual."
"What about Juniper's resignation?"
"Don't worry about it. Let her go."
Half a month ago, she had already started looking for a new job right under his nose.
If a person's heart is adrift, keeping their body is nothing but futile effort.
Joseph couldn't figure out what was on Magnus's mind.
Ever since the previous sales manager had issues, Magnus personally selected a new manager to take over.
Officially, it was to stabilize the sales department.
But Joseph always felt that for a sales manager who wasn't a top executive, did Magnus really need to handpick them himself?
What exactly was Magnus concealing with his act of compassion?
Since the new sales manager had taken over, Juniper's days had been fairly easy.
But now, with Juniper resigning, Magnus seemed... indifferent?
Joseph didn't dare say much more. After all, these were the boss's personal feelings.
Once Joseph left the office,
Magnus's concentration on the computer screen started to drift,
And finally, he lost his focus.
He closed his laptop and opened the drawer to grab a pack of cigarettes.
The little sketchbook that had been torn up and then pieced back together was once again in his line of sight.
Unconsciously, he and Juniper had accumulated so many memories.
He first met Juniper at the Beaumonts' estate when she was just twelve years old.
But in truth, they had only dated for a year.
Afterward, fate played its cruel hand, and they separated for an entire six years.
Yet during those six years, he felt as if Juniper had never truly left him.
It was probably because of the deep-seated hatred.
She hated so much, yet she held on to the memories even tighter, talking about them for longer than any romance she'd ever had.
The moment Juniper resigned and stepped out of the SY Corporation building, she felt a wave of relief, as if a great weight had been lifted. She didn't head home but found a cozy diner to indulge in a hearty meal. Once she'd gone inside, she doubted she'd taste such delightful food again.
Her major in college was broadcasting and journalism, and because her friend Magnus studied law, she had picked up a bit of legal knowledge. Forging evidence typically led to around three years in prison under most circumstances.
She figured she had less than half a year left to enjoy her life. At most, she'd face half a year behind bars, but by then, she would have paid off her debt to Magnus in full.
Sitting by the diner window, she lingered after her meal, watching the world outside. The local mall was nearby, and she saw many happy families of three pass by. Fathers and mothers with their children, a picture of harmony and warmth. She'd fantasized about such scenes with Magnus and their daughter Jennifer, strolling and enjoying a day out. But that was just a dream.
Rising from her seat, she paid for her meal and boarded a bus heading back to X City. Although a municipal city under the jurisdiction of the Imperial Capital, the bus ride would take at least two hours.
She wasn't sure what would happen once she reported Alexander in X City's courthouse, but how bad could the consequences be? At worst, it might mean death. Yet now, with nothing left to fear, she felt free and unburdened.
Flicking through an old cell phone, she found many memories from her time dating Magnus preserved within. In their chats, Magnus initially only sent her texts. His style was formal and straight to the point, devoid of emotive words, which made him seem cold.
At her insistence, he began replying with voice messages. Later, they broke up, and Juniper saved those voice notes, cherishing them ever since. In her headphones, Magnus's gentle and patient voice resonated softly—
"I'm not done here yet. I'll come to pick you up later."
"Why does your stomach hurt? I'm on my way."
"Corn Muffins, shall I bring some home tonight?"
"I bought the coffee you wanted. Come down and grab it."
These snippets of everyday life left Juniper's eyes brimming with tears.
After listening to many recordings, she played the last one.
"Baby, do you love me?"
"Mhm, I love you so very much."
"Juniper, don't leave me. You're all I have."
"Baby, tell me what you want. I'll give you everything. Just give me a bit more time. I'll give you the best of everything."
There was a time when Magnus got drunk and, while hugging her, whispered repeatedly in her ear his feelings for her.
Magnus was a reserved and cool individual who rarely admitted openly that he loved someone. If he felt love to the fullest degree, he would typically only express half of it.
Only when he was slightly out of control from drinking would he press his forehead against hers and tell her over and over again that he loved her.
But all that was in the past.
She had been listening to her music for who knows how long when the city bus reached its stop.
She took off her headphones, stuffed her phone into her purse, and disembarked.
---
At the courthouse of X City.
"What? You want to recant your testimony?" The judge stared at Juniper, dumbfounded.
Juniper seemed calm as she answered, "Six years ago, at this courthouse in X City, there was a hit-and-run case. I was a witness, and under the pressure of Alexander Beaumont's influence, I gave false testimony. The victim of that case was named James, and the man who was wrongfully imprisoned was Magnus. But in fact, the real perpetrator wasn't Magnus, but Alexander's son, Dashiell Beaumont."
The judge, who had been about to take a sip of tea, nearly choked, "Are you saying Alexander had someone take the fall for his son?"
"Yes, that year, Magnus went to jail in place of Dashiell Beaumont. Magnus is innocent. he didn't hit anyone with a car."
The judge looked at her for a moment, frowning, "Alright, I'm aware of the situation now. You can go back."
Juniper had anticipated that X City might ignore the issue due to Alexander's influence.
"I won't go," she insisted. "I provided false testimony, and I'm here to confess my wrongdoing."
The judge looked at Juniper as if she were a bizarre creature.
Who would be crazy enough to want to go to jail?
"Whether you gave false testimony is still up for debate. We can't just inform the authorities to come and arrest someone immediately. Why don't you go home, and I'll notify you when we have a resolution?"
Juniper sat down firmly in the chair, refusing to leave. "Judge, if you don't take action, I can still make a call and appeal."
The judge, left with few options yet still smiling, said, "Well then, you can sit here. I have other matters to attend to, so I won't be able to entertain you."
After leaving the office, the judge immediately called Alexander.
"Hello, Alexander, we have a problem. Someone has come forward to report that you used your authority to coerce her into giving false testimony years ago."
"What?"
"A young woman, looks to be in her early twenties, she's sitting in my office right now and won't leave. Governor, what should we do?"
"I'll come over right away."
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