Page 50 of Say You'll Stay
“Hey!” Beefy shouts, but I’m already gone, smashing the ‘close door’ button with vindictive glee.
As the elevator descends, I lean against the wall, my heart jackhammering against my ribs. Fuck, that was close. Too close. Mother’s little ambush only confirms my worst suspicions - she’s up to something, something big and bad and designed to royally screw me over.
Well, not today, Satan. Not fucking today.
I need to regroup, to figure out my next move. And I need to find Cara, to explain everything and beg for her forgiveness, even if I have to camp outside her window with a goddamn boombox like some cliché rom-com hero.
But first, I need to go home and change. Can’t grovel in style without my lucky ‘I’m a fuckup, please forgive me’ tie, can I?
I peel out of the parking garage like a bat out of hell, weaving through midday traffic with reckless abandon. Every second counts, every moment drawing me closer to the inevitable confrontation with the dual forces of my mother’s tyranny and Cara’s justified wrath.
My tires screech to a halt outside my building, tossing the keys to the valet and storming inside. The elevator ride to the penthouse feels interminable, my skin itching with impatience and dread.
I’m shouldering through my front door, ready to grab my shit and go…the universe must fucking despise me ‘cause I get cock-blocked hard at my own front door, my blood running cold at the sight that greets me.
And then, I hear it - a lilting voice that sends ripples of dread down my spine. “Oh Juniper, darling, you’re finally home!”
Mother. Here. Now. Fuck me gently with a chainsaw.
I storm towards the ungodly sight that greets me, biting back a stream of curses…
A full-fledged OBGYN setup invades my living room, complete with stirrups and ultrasound machine. Amethyst and Doc Volkner flank it, expressions carved from infuriatingly smug granite.
“What in the ever-loving fuck is this?” I growl, glaring daggers at my mother.
She titters, a Stepford Chucky doll nightmare come to life. “Why, it’s the next step in your legacy, sweetheart. Amethyst here has so generously offered her womb to propagate our line. Even after you insulted her; Isn’t it marvelous? And to ensure optimal results, the good doctor shall oversee the fertilization process from start to finish.”
Bile scorches my throat, stomach heaving at the batshit insanity unfolding. “Absofuckinglutely NOT. Cease and desist this madness right fucking now. I will never, and I mean NEVER, be party to this…this clusterfuck!”
Mother’s eyes flash, polite facade cleaved away to reveal the soulless harpy lurking underneath. Her talons emerge as she points one deadly-sharp finger at me, voice dropping into the sub-zero range.
“You WILL do this, Juniper. You WILL perform your duty as a Deveaux heir. After all, it’s not like you have a choice, now, is it?”
At her nod, six hulking meatheads in black suits emerge from the shadows to flank the exit, a impenetrable wall of flesh and muscle blocking my escape.
The message is painfully clear - comply or else. And in that moment, staring down the barrel of my mother’s twisted machinations, I wonder if I’ve finally met the one foe I cannot outmaneuver.
Judith’s warning echoes in my skull: without an heir, the entire Deveaux empire would crumble to ashes. Do I let it all burn for love, or do I sacrifice my very soul on the pyre of familial obligation?
Mother’s voice drips with false sweetness, a saccharine venom that sets my teeth on edge. “It’s time you retired chasing after that little tart, and come to your senses Juniper Deveaux.”
Red. All I see is fucking red. How dare she…
“You watch your forked tongue,” I snarl, stalking forward until we’re practically nose to nose. “You don’t get to talk about Cara, not now, not ever.”
Mother’s lips curve into a smile, sharp and ruthless. “Touched a nerve, did I? How terribly inconsiderate of me. But really, darling, it’s time to put aside this foolish infatuation and focus on what truly matters - your duty to this family.”
She gestures grandly to the unholy medical nightmare that has taken over my home. “Amethyst has generously agreed to bear the next Deveaux heir. Dr. Volkner here will oversee the conception and ensure everything goes smoothly. Isn’t it marvelous?”
Marvelous? Try fucking unhinged. I shake my head, a humorless chuckle escaping my throat. “You’ve really outdone yourself this time, Mother. Breaking into my home, violating my privacy, trying to force me into…into…this twisted breeding program? That’s low, even for you.”
Her eyes flash, all pretense of maternal warmth vanishing in an instant. “Mind your tongue, boy. You forget who you’re speaking to.”
“Oh, I know exactly who I’m speaking to,” I shoot back, my voice cold and cutting. “A manipulative, controlling bitch who can’t handle the fact that I won’t dance to her sick little tune anymore.”
Amethyst flinches at my language, but I ignore her. She’s just another pawn in this fucked up game. My mother, though…she looks ready to breathe fire.
“How dare you,” she hisses, her composure cracking like brittle ice. “I have given you everything - wealth, power, status. And this is how you repay me? By throwing it all away for some gold-digging slut?”