"We met at my bachelorette's party." She wished he would remember now because explaining every detail would be humiliating.
"Oh, right!" He suddenly smiled as if a light bulb just clicked inside his head. "You are Dale's fiancee, right?"
Yes, finally, he remembered that he was his brother's former fiancee.
She guessed he was not making her mission any easier, reminding her again of what she had lost that night.
"Yes, his ex-fiancee." Jules corrected him, hoping that would jog his memory.
"Take a seat." He politely offered, pointing to a chair in front of his desk. "What can I do for you?" He asked in a business-like manner, respectful but aloof.
He still had not shown any indication that he had any clue why she came to visit him unexpectedly. But she had no time to chitchat with him. She was already running out of time.
"I came here to ask for your help." She almost stammered as she said those simple words. But she was not letting her fear stop her now.
"I came here because of your son." She repeated, but this time, she ensured to include her reason. "He needs your help."
She knew she just unexpectedly dropped a bomb in his lap. Now, the next move was his as she watched his face and waited for the explosion.
"A son?" He looked at her disbelievingly as if he could not believe what he just heard. "Have you gone insane?"
At first, she could not determine if shock, confusion, or anger was what she saw on his face, but he quickly masked them with a blank expression.
Abruptly, he suddenly stood from his chair and walked toward the window, running his fingers through his hair as he looked out the window.
"A son..." He finally turned and stared at her with contempt. "You dare to tell me that we have a son." Then, a bellowing laughter echoed in the room. "Now, after all those years. You expect me to believe that."
He did not seem to believe her. But could she blame him when he never had a clue? She hid her condition from him and everyone she knew.
"I am telling the truth, Damon. And Oliver needs your help." She knew naming her son might help convince him.
She had to make him believe her because he was her only option. She could never return to her family after the humiliation she brought to them. She knew they would never forgive her.
She once tried to reach out to her stepsister, but Kaely did not want to talk to her. Even her friend hated her for hurting Dale.
"I don't believe this." Damon immediately turned away, appearing as if he did not even want to look at her face.
"He is very sick." She pleaded with him, thinking that this could not be the end. She had to fight for her son. She had to get the help he needed.
"I am not a doctor. I can't cure him." He said philosophically, obviously mocking her.
"I don't need you to treat him. You don't even have to see him. I only need your money." She blurted due to her frustration and desperation.
The last thing she wanted was to reach out to him and ask for his help, but she had no more choices left.
"Finally..." His eyes stared at her, making her feel like they were drilling into her skull. "... we are finally getting somewhere."
She knew that look. It said that she was just another gold-digging whore. Although nobody dared say it to her face, she heard rumors about it.
Many believed that she was only marrying Dale for his money. She was just another girl who needed money to salvage her father's company from bankruptcy.
But that was far from the truth.
She loved Dale, and he loved her back. It was just unfortunate that her father's company had some troubles in the last couple of years. But it did not mean she would use Dale to finance her father.
"What do I get by giving you money?" He asked after the long silence.
She looked at him dumbfounded. "You get to help your son." She shouted angrily, infuriated with the insinuation of this cold, heartless man.
She still could not understand how she ended up in his room and on his bed. If she had been only sensible that night, she would never have slept with him, not even in her dreams.
"I don't even know if he was my son. For all I know, you could have slept with another guest that night." With that said, her hand swung hard toward his face.
The contact was swift, causing her to wince from the impact, feeling the pain in her palm and fingers. But she could not help but wonder if she hurt him when he hardly moved.
Still, even if she could not remember the rest of that night, she did not doubt that she only slept with him. But how could he not tell that she was a virgin? Maybe because he was drunk, too, answering her question. But why was she even giving him an excuse, suddenly enraged with herself?
"Damn you!" She finally found her voice as she turned to leave.
She did not need him or his money. She just had to find another way. Besides, she was wasting precious time that she did not have.
"Not so fast." Suddenly, he grabbed her arm and yanked her back into his side. "Don't you want to hear my proposal," He added with a vicious smile.
Did she still want to hear what he had to say? But did she have a choice to walk away? Anyway, what else could he say that could hurt her?
She stopped struggling and stood before him, deciding to give him a chance. Besides, this was not for her but for Oliver.
"I will give you the money you need and more if you help me with one thing." The look he gave her made her want to back away.
She did not like it. But again, did she have a choice?
"What?" She finally dared to ask, dreading to hear what he had to offer.
Then, the thought that he would ask her to sleep with him entered her mind. But she quickly dismissed them, believing that was just ridiculous.
She was not the same young girl he had slept with. She believed she must have lost the appeal. And besides, he might be drunk that night as well. It could be the only reason he slept with her.
"Marry me."