Juliette never expected that she would have to wear black clothing as a symbol of mourning twice within such a short time. Her entire body trembled, and her eyes felt hot. Juliette was beginning to grow tired of her own life. Her presence had hurt those around her, and she felt powerless to change that.
She took a deep breath and ensured her appearance was not too conspicuous. She was about to go with Leo to the funeral home where Henry’s body lay in repose. Henry’s family, who lived in London, had been notified and had arrived in New York the night before. Juliette glanced at the phone lying on her vanity, and for the first time, she was about to leave that cursed device behind.
Juliette grabbed her black bag from the bed and left her room. Fortunately, the De Lavigne residence was relatively quiet today. Some family members had begun to return to their routines, while others were at the hospital tending to Daisy-including her mother. Robbin himself, she heard, was out of town on business. After the executive and shareholder meeting, Robbin had become busy with his new responsibilities. Coupled with the ongoing investigation into Daisy’s attack, he must have felt a heavy burden on his shoulders.
Of course, Juliette believed Robbin could handle all of this. He was destined to be a leader and had been trained for such situations. Juliette took another deep breath and slowly walked down the stairs. In the foyer of the mansion, she encountered Aldrich. The man was carrying a briefcase and some documents. Juliette ignored him, feeling relieved when she spotted Leo’s car parked in the driveway, visible from the window.
“Miss Juliette.” Just as she was about to open the door, her name was suddenly called.
Startled, Juliette turned around and saw Aldrich standing on the third step of the mansion stairs. His expression was flat, and no emotion was detected on his face. “Yes, Mr. Aldrich?”
“You should not forget to take your phone with you, just in case something happens.” After saying that, Aldrich continued his ascent up the stairs, leaving Juliette standing frozen in place with a pale expression.
.
.
“Juliette.” Juliette turned at the sound of her name and found one of her friends, Tamara, calling her. The woman was wearing a black blouse and jeans. Her straight blonde hair flowed beautifully around her shoulders. Among the three, many men sought Tamara the most. Even when they were still in school, Tamara received numerous date invitations, and several seniors asked her to be their date for prom.
Juliette didn’t think about how Tamara could be present at Henry’s funeral, especially since he was essentially a stranger, but Juliette was more puzzled by the worried expression filling Tamara’s face, her blue eyes looking at Juliette with deep concern. “Tamara? How did you know I was here?”
Tamara glanced briefly at Leo. “Your boyfriend told me. I tried calling you, but you didn’t answer at all, so I contacted Leo.”
“Oh, I’m sorry. I left my phone back at the De Lavigne mansion. What’s going on?”
“Why was your phone left behind, huh? Do you know it’s an important communication tool? What if something happens, huh?” Tamara took a deep breath to calm her emotions, reaching for Juliette’s hand and pulling her away from a group of people mourning Henry’s family. Leo was standing near the family while all of Henry’s friends, who were also Leo’s friends, gathered on the other side of the room. Juliette noticed Dion among them.
Of course, Juliette ignored the intense gaze Dion shot her way. Today, she didn’t want to think about Master D and all his cruelties. Juliette was here because her boyfriend needed her support. Nothing else mattered. Today, Juliette wanted to lock away the memories of that psychopathic man.
But hope remained just hope.
Juliette and Tamara stood in a more secluded and private area. Juliette felt worried about Tamara’s strange behavior, especially given her expression. “Shouldn’t you be getting ready to go home with Hannah? Why are you here? You don’t want to miss your flight, do you?”
Tamara pursed her lips, then shook her head briefly. “No. I decided not to go back. There’s something more important I need to take care of here, so I asked Hannah to go home without me.”
“Tamara…”
Tamara stepped closer. Her hands reached out to grip Juliette’s shoulders tightly. The look in Tamara’s eyes indicated that the conversation they were about to have was significant but possibly troubling. “Is there something you’re hiding from us?” she asked cautiously.
With great difficulty, Juliette swallowed hard, moistening her throat, which felt as dry as a desert. Her whole body trembled, and the image of Master D’s masked face suddenly flashed. Juliette longed to speak but had to swallow the bitter words at the tip of her tongue. Forcing herself, she shook her head and managed a wide smile.
“Juliette-”
“No. I’m not hiding anything.”
One of Tamara’s hands slipped away, gentlyte’s hair. She gently brushed and tucked a stray lock behind Juliette’s ear. “I know you’re lying. I know you too well.”
“Tamara…”
“I didn’t say anything to Hannah because I didn’t want to worry her. Hannah is early in her pregnancy, and we don’t want to stress her out.”
“Tamara, I really-”
“I heard it,” Tamara murmured, cutting off Juliette’s protest. She looked around to ensure that no one was listening to their conversation. “The night a few weeks ago, when you said you weren’t feeling well.”
“Tamara…”
“I heard you, Juliette. I heard you scream. When that masked man whipped you.”
“You… how did you know that…”
Tamara closed her eyes. “I recognize that voice, Juliette. You know my background. What I did to earn money to pay off my drunken father’s debts. I know that voice.” Tamara leaned closer, whispering, “I clearly heard what that man said to you. What did he threaten you with?”
Juliette shook her head and sealed her lips tightly.
“Juliette! Tell me! Let me help you. Please… did you experience sexual violence? Were you threatened?” Juliette stared at Tamara with tear-filled eyes. “Am I right? Was my guess correct? How long has it been?”
“I don’t understand what you mean, Tamara. Nothing happened.” Juliette pushed Tamara’s hand away and turned her back to her friend.
“Juliette?”
With a stifled sob, Juliette tried to assure Tamara that she was okay. She walked back toward Leo, who was embracing Henry’s mother.
…