Chapter 838 Fighting a War of Attrition
"I..." Juniper felt utterly humiliated by his words. She had rarely been scolded by elders like this since she was a child, feeling like a child who had done something wrong and didn't know how to explain herself.
"He's a very good friend of mine, and it was his birthday that day, so..."
Ruben found it even more amusing. "So what you're saying is, any friend you're close to, you hug them on their birthday and even engage in more intimate behavior?"
"No, Mr. Eilish, I..."
"A hug is just what I saw. What about the more intimate behaviors I didn't see..."
"Mr. Eilish..." Juniper was on the verge of tears.
"My son and wife have always praised you in front of me, saying how wonderful you are. That's why I reluctantly agreed to meet you. But clearly, I saw a side of you they didn't see, which might be your true self. Ms. Cooper, forgive me and the Eilish family for being conservative; we can't accept a girl as open as you!" Ruben said and walked away briskly.
Brenda hurried to catch up.
"Honey, I think there's more to this..."
"Everything I saw and heard was with my own eyes and ears. There's no misunderstanding. What you and Anthony saw was what she deliberately showed you. What I saw was her true self. Which do you think is more credible?"
Brenda's mouth moved slightly, but she had no words to respond.
Juniper explained the whole situation to Anthony. "I just wanted to make that person back off. You know I don't really want money."
"Then what about you and Ronnie? You promised to keep your distance from him, but you went to his birthday party and even hugged him."
"That hug was just..."
"Just a friendly hug, right?" Anthony's eyes had a hint of coldness.
"Even you don't believe me?"
"It's not that I don't believe you, but do you think I can just brush it off when I hear about it from my father?"
"I'm sorry."
Anthony closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
"We worked so hard to get this meeting, and you and your mom must have put in a lot of effort, but I messed it up. And in a way that I can't even argue against."
Juniper felt like she had suddenly ruined a good hand of cards, and she couldn't blame anyone but herself.
"I'm sorry..." she could only repeat softly.
"It's not your fault; it was unintentional."
"No, it's all my fault. I clearly had a chance, and I messed it up. You must be very angry, right?"
He's not a saint; he has a temper too. Juniper felt deeply guilty.
"Anthony, I'm really sorry."
"There's no point in saying this now. We can only wait until my dad calms down and then explain to him. It's not suitable to say anything now; otherwise, it will only escalate the conflict. If I side with you, his impression of you will only get worse. Parents ultimately can't go against their children for long; they'll naturally compromise over time. We just hope to shorten that time."
"I don't know how long it will take." Juniper sighed. "Your dad's attitude just now was very firm, like he wouldn't accept me at all."
Juniper bit her lip, feeling helpless.
"He must have a very bad impression of me now, probably wishing we would break up immediately."
"That's just his opinion. As long as we stick together, he can't break us apart. Don't be too discouraged, okay?" Anthony touched her face. "Cheer up."
Juniper pouted. "Given the situation, how can I be happy?"
"Aren't you always the most optimistic? Don't be so down; it makes me feel bad."
Juniper sighed. "Even if I'm optimistic, I can't be blindly optimistic. That would be foolish."
"Don't think of the problem as too serious. It just means the time will be longer than expected, but it's not a big deal."
"But my vacation is almost over." Juniper was troubled. "Jack called me yesterday, urging me to go back. The project there is already tight, and I'm always taking leave, seriously delaying progress. It's really unreasonable."
"Have you thought about developing your career back home?" Anthony quickly added, "It's just a suggestion, not something you have to do. You can refuse."
"What you said is something I've considered. My dad is getting old, and the Cooper Group will eventually be handed over to me. I can't let my mom's hard work be ruined by that mother and daughter. The sooner I join the Cooper Group, the sooner I can gain control."
"And the Eilish Group has always been managed by you; your focus can't be on Libertonia for long. Weighing the pros and cons, settling down back home is a good suggestion. And if I don't settle down now, I will have to eventually."
Anthony nodded. "I think so too, but I see you like Harmony City a lot, and I don't want to pressure you."
"How can an adult have no pressure at all? These are things we have to face sooner or later."
"But for me, the company isn't the most important thing; your happiness is. You don't have to rush to decide. Think it over carefully."
Juniper nodded.
They arrived at The Cooper Villa.
"You should go back and calm your dad down. He's definitely very angry right now."
"Okay, you get some rest and don't think about anything. My parents are my responsibility; I'll handle it. Since you can't do anything about it, don't think about it. Just trust me."
"Okay."
Juniper returned home.
Thinking that Elara indirectly caused her to leave a bad impression on Ruben, she couldn't help but grit her teeth, wanting to teach this bad woman a lesson.
But before she could speak, Elara provocatively said, "Out playing all day and night, what do you take this place for? A hotel?"
"Other girls are all well-behaved, staying at home. But you, out all night every day."
"Even with someone watching you in the country, you're like this. Imagine how wild you are abroad."
"Tell me, where do you look like a proper girl? If something happens, will you take responsibility?"
"Not knowing how to behave, if you get pregnant before marriage, don't blame it on the Cooper family."
Juniper retorted, "Isn't it your daughter who got pregnant before marriage? With such a sharp tongue, you didn't teach her well at all."
"You—weren't you the one who brought that trash Douglas into the house?"
"Yes, but unfortunately, someone still took the trash as a treasure."
"Honey, look at her. She has no respect for me as her stepmother. Sharp-tongued, what does she look like? If there were outsiders, wouldn't they laugh at her lack of upbringing? Her mom died early, and you didn't teach her well either."
"Shut up, you're not worthy of mentioning my mom!" Juniper's eyes turned fierce, and she slapped Elara.
Elara immediately cowered in fear, hiding behind Aaron. "She even dares to hit me! She's out of control!"
"Juniper, speak properly, don't use your hands. After all, she's your elder."
"What kind of elder is she? Hasn't she caused me enough trouble?" Juniper was furious.
"Let's not talk about this. Come upstairs; I have something to discuss with you."
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