He Gave Me Hearing, Then Taught Me What Silence Really Means novel Chapter 2

Lydia was dressed impeccably and smiled as she greeted her. "Oh, it's you, Juniper. Long time no see."

Juniper's gaze fixed on the child, her hands balling into tight fists.

The little girl reached up, tugging at Nelson's suit jacket. "Daddy."

Nelson bent down and scooped her up into his arms, his expression instantly softening. "What is it?"

The little girl's eyes sparkled with joy as she planted a kiss on his cheek.

Lydia feigned annoyance. "Sweetie, you just ate a mango cupcake. Don't you know your dad is allergic to mangoes?"

She pulled out a tissue to wipe Nelson's cheek, but he habitually dodged her touch. "It's fine."

Lydia playfully glared at him. "You always spoil her."

She seemed to just remember there was an outsider present and turned back to look at Juniper. But Juniper reacted as if the scene had physically burned her; she abruptly spun around and pushed open the door she hadn't dared to touch moments before.

The lively chatter inside came to a dead halt the second they saw Juniper.

But when they spotted the three people standing right behind her, a look of twisted amusement rippled across everyone's faces.

In her panic, Juniper scrambled to the most obscure corner seat she could find and sat down.

She kept her fists clenched tightly in her lap, needing the tension to keep herself grounded. She couldn't afford... to be stupid again.

Everyone in the room immediately rushed to greet Nelson.

Just like in the old days, he was always the most dazzling presence in any crowd.

Only now, there were even more people desperate to suck up to him.

Juniper couldn't register what anyone around her was saying until someone asked if that was his daughter.

The atmosphere around her was buzzing, but none of it reached her. Amidst the warmth of the room, she felt her blood run ice-cold.

She lowered her head, desperately wishing she could just disappear, when a woman's voice cut through the noise.

"Juniper, didn't you search the whole world for Nelson back then? Well, he's right here now."

Every pair of eyes in the room locked onto her, dripping with malice.

Back then, when Juniper couldn't find Nelson, she had frantically posted on the university forum, only to get doxxed.

Rumors spread like wildfire, fueled by the official relationship announcement Nelson posted on his social media, seemingly in a rush to distance himself from her.

Even their counselor had called her into the office for a gentle chat. Every word was delivered with a soft smile, yet every sentence accused her of being a pathological liar.

"You've been funded by a generous benefactor since middle school, right? Do you even know who sponsored you? It was the Thorne Family. Lydia is the heiress to the Thorne estate. And now you're spreading rumors that you slept with her boyfriend? Is this how you repay your benefactors?"