Chapter 285 They Will Be Cruel To You

“You should probably leave, Mr. and Madam White." Charles glanced at her before turning to look at Jenny and James. "Sophia could never bring herself to hit her own parents no matter how much she resents both of you." Sophia handed her glass to Charles then laid down. "I'm a little tired. You should probably leave now." When he heard that she was about to drive them out again, James' countenance changed. He was about to speak when Charles interrupted him. "Since Mr. and Madam White care about Sophia so much and want to obtain her forgiveness, then I’m sure you will also put her health first, right?" The words hanging on the tip of James’ tongue were swallowed, looking as though he was constipated. "...If that’s the case, we’ll go back first and come back in the afternoon." Jenny glanced at Sophia and said in a crestfallen tone, "Soph, your dad and I brought you some food supplements. You should eat more because they’re good for your health." With her back to her, Sophia did not utter a single word. Jenny forced herself to look away, then told her to rest and take care of herself before walking out with crimson eyes. James wanted to stay and persuade Sophia awhile more but was dragged away by her as well. The ward door was closed, shutting off the argument between the couple. In the ward, their arguments could still be heard to a slight extent, but no one could hear what exactly they were arguing about. Sophia could almost guess it, though. They were no doubt arguing about her. She took a deep breath, her throat felt a little itchy. "Am I... too cruel?" "If you aren’t cruel to them, then they will be cruel to you." Charles watched her curl up into a ball and his gaze softened. "Your dad has ulterior motives for asking you to go home; your mom simply wants you home, but she’s just too gullible.” "You’re an unbending person and refused to give in or tactfully change your ways when you face any problems. If you fall out with your dad next time, your mom will no doubt stand on your dad's side." Sophia clenched the quilt tightly, then loosened it, sat up, and looked at the bed with a blank expression. Charles lowered his eyes to look at her, an exceedingly faint trace of heartache flashed in his eyes. "Would you like to eat something?" * Meanwhile, in another ward. Leah had already ‘woken up’ and was sitting on the bed looking out the window. She was hugging her knees; her face was pale; her eyes were still red and swollen, making a pitiful sight for anyone to look at. "You’re such an outstanding person so why must you put all your eggs in one basket?" Mr. Jones asked, "Apart from Charles, Justin, the eldest Mr. Johnson, and a few juniors of the Cox family who are now training in the military are all outstanding men." Leah bit her lip and said softly, "Justin may be outstanding, but he is not as good as Charles. Otherwise, Grandpa Harris would not have made Charles the president of Harris Corporation even though he favors Justin." Mr. Jones did not say anything and assented tacitly. "Zachary may be capable, but he isn’t popular enough at home. Right now, Shawn, the illegitimate son of the Johnson family, is flaunting his prowess in the Johnson family’s business and that’s hard proof of my statement. "As for the juniors of the Cox family who are still training in the military, their family background may look exceptional, but their background in the military is basically of little to no help to the Jones Group in the next thirty years. They’re not as suitable as the Harris family. "What’s more, do you think the Cox family will let me marry into their family with the thing that’s going on between my mom and Mr. Harris?" Leah asked. A trace of dullness flashed across Mr. Jones’ eyes when he heard her last sentence, though he quickly recovered. "Justin isn’t any worse than Charles. Besides, Master Harris will be there to pave the way for him. His future achievements may even match up to Charles’." The corners of Leah's lips curled to a very slight extent. "But Dad, if I want to get married, then I will only marry the best one." "You…" As soon as Mr. Jones spoke, he was interrupted by Leah's gentle and soft voice. "White Industries isn’t as good as Jones Group, nor will they catch up to us in the next few years." There was a touch of disgust on her face. "Sophia only knows how to dance and nothing else. A bimbo like her isn’t worthy of Charles at all. Charles is the most outstanding man there is amongst the younger generation, and so am I. We’re the best match there is in every aspect!" Mr. Jones sighed. After hesitating over and over again, he said, "A person can never make enough money. I want Jones Group to thrive and prosper, but I don’t necessarily need your marriage to attain it." "Don’t feel burdened, Dad." Leah smiled. "I like Charles, that’s why I want to marry him. Helping the Jones Group is merely incidental. I’m doing it out of my own free will." Silence. After a long while, Mr. Jones said gloomily, "But Charles doesn't like you, even... to the extent where you can even consider it hatred. Why bother hanging on then?" Leah's smile froze on her face. She then lowered her gaze. "I don't like to give up without accomplishing anything.” Was she just playing ducks and drakes after all the things that she had done? She could not get past this hurdle in her heart. Besides, she was not a person who enjoyed giving up halfway. The heavens would never treat hard workers unfairly. She knew that Charles would soon realize how good she was. As for Sophia… if a man could not get what he wants, then that would only whet his appetite more. Charles simply could not accept the fact that his loyal suitor had given up on him and that was the only reason why he chose to be with Sophia. Mr. Jones frowned, still hesitating. At the sight of this, Leah said, “With Jones Group entering the electrical appliances market now, we’ve thrown in a tremendous amount of cumulative investment cost over the past two years." "If Charles marries Sophia at this point in time, then White Industries will definitely join hands with Harris Corporation. When the time comes, Jones Group will be forced to withdraw from the market and all the money we’ve invested will all be wasted." Leah had hit the nail on the head when she said these words to Mr. Jones. When Leah noticed that he had softened up, she said with a smile, "Don't worry, Dad. I won’t fail when I’ve set my heart on doing something.” "I trust in your abilities." Mr. Jones hesitated before continuing, "But you are a woman after all. You should just marry someone, have children, and live the life that you want. You don’t have to make life so hard for yourself." Leah frowned vaguely after hearing his words and sighed. "Dad, you can’t possibly be one of those people who value men over women, can you?" "If I have that kind of mindset, would I still have made you the chief financial director of Jones Group?" Mr. Jones asked. "If that’s the case, you shouldn’t worry too much, Dad," Leah said softly, "William is two years older than me and his ability stands out among his peers. The only thing about him is that he is too upright and attaches too much importance to love and affection. You can’t leave Jones Group in his hands." Every word she said had hit the nail on the head and dispelled the last bit of worries that Mr. Jones had. Even so, he still exhorted, "If you can't continue anymore, then don't force yourself. Jones Group will survive without you." Leah nodded and said in a pampered manner, "I know that you love me the most, Dad. As for William..." "He’s just an insensible kid who’s occupied with love all day. Just ignore him!" Mr. Jones looked slightly sullen at the mention of William’s name. Leah nodded and sighed. "William said that he wanted to break off the marriage contract with the Sommer family. I think you should start thinking of ways to minimize our losses in this regard, Dad." As soon as her voice fell, Madam Jones hurried over, hence the two of them let the matter rest as well.