Chapter 1716 Is It Not Okay to Not Work Hard?
"In the morning, we went golfing with Uriah and ran into them. You know Garth has always liked you."
Julia remained noncommittal.
Garth liked her as a person, or her status; she knew better than anyone.
"Mom, don't spread the news about my marriage for now," Julia calmly reminded.
An hour later, Aaron received the news and rushed back. As soon as he saw her, his face fell. "Julia, I heard you're resigning. My God, this can't be true."
"It's true. Come to my office in the next few days, and we'll hand over the current tasks," Julia said indifferently. "Get familiar with my office staff as soon as possible. But don't panic too much; Dad will return, and you two can manage the Jude family together."
Aaron's eyes widened in disbelief. "You must be joking. You worked so hard to get the Jude family, and now you're just letting it go? Julia, what's wrong with you? Did you have a fight with Mom and Dad?"
Julia neither confirmed nor denied, only tugging at her red lips noncommittally. "What's the point of being in this position? I've given everything to the Jude family, working from dawn till dusk, only to be constantly questioned and deprived of freedom. I can't even tell if the suitors around me like me for who I am or for my status. I've figured it out; it's better to step down. I still have shares in the company, and the annual dividends are enough. Besides, I'm really tired, and my health hasn't been good lately. Aaron, take good care of the Jude family."
Aaron was utterly confused by Julia's words and became flustered. "Julia, don't go. I'll talk to Mom and Dad. I can't handle it. The board members are tough, and my abilities are limited."
He knew his capabilities too well. Since childhood, he knew he had Michael and Julia above him, so he never tried too hard.
He enjoyed his easy job, dating, and still getting dividends without much effort. Life was good.
"Aaron, Mom and Dad have always had high hopes for you. Don't let them down. After all, I'm just a woman, and as Grandpa said, women are bound to get married someday."
Julia walked over, patted his shoulder earnestly, and said, "The Jude family will rely on you from now on."
Aaron remained silent.
He didn't want to. Couldn't he just not try?
The news of internal turmoil in the Jude family quickly spread, and by the afternoon, even the media was paying attention.
After all, the Jude Group was one of the strongest companies in Madison, with tens of thousands of employees. Any slight change could cause market turbulence.
The news of the Jude family president's resignation quickly topped the trending charts.
Derek soon contacted Julia. "Are you really resigning, or is this just for show?"
"Nothing gets past you," Julia laughed. "My parents found out about Elliott and me. They're worried Elliott is after the Miller Group, so they asked me to put on this act. If Elliott passes this test, they'll accept him."
"James is overthinking. The Miller family is too proud to have such intentions," Derek said, amused. "But they don't know Elliott well, so their concerns are understandable."
"That's why I respect them, and I have my own plans."
"You must have learned this trick from me," Derek teased. "I resigned for Laura before, and it moved her. Elliott and Laura are siblings, so he'll definitely be moved too. Look, you even gave up the Jude family for him. He'll be devoted to you."
Julia was slightly taken aback. "I hadn't thought of that. First, I'm genuinely exhausted and need a break. Second, I want to train Aaron; he can't go on like this. Third, Garth already knows about my marriage to Elliott. The Tovar Manor father and son might not let it go. I don't mind, but I'm afraid they'll use underhanded tactics."
Derek was surprised. "Garth? I thought you had a good relationship with him?"
"We do, but I always know what they want."
Derek smiled. No wonder he had the best relationship with Julia among the Jude family relatives. Talking to smart people was like this.
In a way, he and Julia were always at the top, while Garth and the others didn't realize it. They thought they hid their intentions well, but everyone just didn't expose it, mutually benefiting each other.
But some people didn't understand.
"Julia, you're so capable, yet James and the others worry you'll be deceived by a man. They should worry about themselves being deceived first," Derek joked.
"Forget it. In the eyes of elders, we'll never be as cautious and mature as they are. It's not worth arguing with them."
"True."
The Miller Group.
Elliott hadn't paid much attention to the news today. Since arriving at the company, he had been focused on finishing his work early so he could go to Julia's place to cook.
What should he cook tonight?
Elliott, who hadn't seriously cooked in years, took out his phone and started downloading a recipe app.
On the way to an afternoon meeting, he opened a recipe video. Suddenly, a voice said, "Today, I'll teach you how to make a pan-seared steak."
Elliott was startled and quickly closed the video.
The secretary driving in front almost lost control of the steering wheel.
Was it an auditory hallucination? Did he really hear Elliott learning a recipe?
He glanced at Elliott secretly, feeling that Elliott was acting strangely today. Elliott had been looking at his phone repeatedly for no reason. Could he be in love?
Thinking of this, he couldn't help but feel curious.
At the coffee shop, Elliott shook hands with a few builders he was meeting.
"Sorry to keep you waiting. There was traffic," Elliott apologized.
"No problem, we were just chatting," said one of the bosses, Jerald McClellan, with a smile.
"What were you talking about?" Elliott asked casually after sitting down.
"Just about Julia from the Jude family suddenly resigning," said Boss Lou, slapping his thigh. "I bought several million dollars' worth of Jude family stock last month. It'll probably plummet when the market opens tomorrow. People don't have much confidence in Aaron taking over. I'm definitely going to lose money."
"A few of my friends bought some too. Facebook is full of complaints now," Jerald sighed. "I heard funds were fleeing this afternoon. A big drop is inevitable. I just don't understand. Wasn't Julia firmly in control of the Jude family? Why is she suddenly resigning, not even just taking a leave?"
"There's talk that James is returning to the Jude family and wants to support Aaron in taking over."
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