Chapter 5 - The Unveiling of LiesThree days later, Juliet was strong enough to sit up in her hospital bed. The baby—a tiny, perfect little girl they named Maya—was breathing on her own, a testament to sheer medical miracle and stubborn willpower.
Outside Juliet's room, Preston was finally allowed to enter, but under strict, humiliating conditions. Two military guards flanked him, and his hands were empty. He didn't bring flowers; he brought excuses.
"Juliet, baby," Preston whimpered, forcing a tearful, dramatic expression as he rushed to the side of her bed. "Oh, thank God you're okay. I've been beside myself with worry! If I had only known—"
Juliet turned her face away, staring blankly out the window. Her voice, when she spoke, was devoid of all warmth, sounding like crushed glass.
"Save it, Preston."
"Juliet, please! Your father is threatening to ruin my entire life! He had me suspended from the firm, my bank accounts are frozen, and my friends won't even answer my calls!" Preston cried, dropping to his knees by her bed, trying to grab her hand.
Juliet pulled her hand away violently. "My father didn't ruin your life, Preston. You did. When I called you while my body was tearing apart, you told me I was ruining your night."
"I was stressed! My mother's birthday—"
"Stop saying that name!" Juliet shouted, her voice shaking with sudden, fierce rage. "You didn't care about your mother's birthday. You cared about your image. You cared about looking like the successful golden boy while your wife and child bled out on the kitchen floor."
Preston’s face twisted, the mask of remorse slipping away to reveal his true, venomous nature. He stood up abruptly, sneering. "Fine! So I made a mistake! But you're blowing this way out of proportion. You survived, the brat survived, so get over it! Drop the drama, tell your father to call off his dogs, or I swear to God, I'll file for divorce and make sure you never see a dime of my money!"
He thought he had all the leverage. He thought Juliet was still the timid, dependent girl who would fold under pressure.
He was catastrophically wrong.
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The door to the hospital room swung wide open. General Martin Hayes walked in, followed not by soldiers this time, but by a high-powered corporate attorney carrying a thick stack of legal binders.
Martin looked at Preston with a cold, terrifying smirk. "Divorce, Mr. Montgomery? You won't need to file one. Because I already did."
