Chapter 7

Winona grew more irritable when Jonathan remained unmoved. As the president of the Campbell Group, she was usually very busy, and now she had to come here specifically for his petty issues—it was enough to drive anyone mad. "Jonathan, think about it. If you leave the family, you'll lose all financial support. You won't be able to survive for long," she said, her eyes flashing with anger. "A marriage with the Cooper family won't harm you." Her words immediately reminded Gregory of something. He spoke in a harsh tone. "It's hard to go from luxury to poverty. For three years, you've been living in luxury with us. I don't believe you can adjust to a simple, poor life. "You were the one who brought up severing ties. We never forced you to leave the family. You're the one who's in the wrong. We have never wronged you. We Campbells have never wronged you. "You don't even have it in you to be grateful. If we hadn't taken you in, you'd be an orphan with no one to care for you!" Gregory never saw any fault in himself. "I think you must have learned these bad habits at the orphanage!" Jonathan remained expressionless, listening to them echoing each other. It was laughable. "Mr. Campbell, I don't accept the labels you've placed on me." His voice was cold and biting. "Is it my fault I grew up in an orphanage? Is it my fault I never experienced warmth or familial love? If you really cared about me, would I have needed to sever ties with you?" Eleanor's eyes filled with tears as she reached for his hand, but he coldly pushed her away. He couldn't be bothered to spare her a glance. "Madam Eleanor, wipe away your crocodile tears," Jonathan said. When she heard this, her face turned pale and stiff. She awkwardly retracted her hand and cried, "Jon, it's my fault. I'm sorry you've suffered so much. "Come home with us. You're still the Campbells' eldest son. We're a family—wouldn't it be better if we're all together and in harmony?" She coaxed him gently. "Fine. Kick Frederick out, and I'll agree to come back." Jonathan had never considered returning to the Campbell family; he only wanted to see their reaction. "After occupying my identity in the Campbell family for 18 years, it's time to return what belongs to me." When Jonathan first arrived at the Campbell family, he knew they pampered Frederick. He never considered targeting Frederick but instead tried to live peacefully with him. However, after a series of slanderous events, he became the rebellious troublemaker in the eyes of the Campbells. At the same time, Frederick naturally played the role of the kind and gracious youngest son. Jonathan's eyes grew colder. Frederick's intentions were clear—he wanted to drive Jonathan out of the family and fully assume his place as the heir. "Jonathan, you're dreaming!" Winona was furious, hurling accusations at Jonathan. "Frederick is my brother! You want him to leave the Campbell family? His real parents are already dead, and he has no family of his own. How can he live alone without any support?" Isabella's expression changed. "Jonathan, you're too cruel!" She had to admit that when she heard Jonathan had grown up in an orphanage, she felt a pang of guilt. However, if she had to choose between him and Frederick, she wouldn't hesitate to choose Frederick. After all, Frederick was the brother she had lived with for 18 years. Over the past three years, she had not been close to Jonathan. Stephanie was agitated. "What other conditions do you have? We might agree to your request as long as you stay away from all other women except the eldest young lady of the Cooper family." She loved Frederick dearly, and it wasn't pretend. Their feelings for each other were deep, and the idea of Frederick leaving the Campbell family was simply unrealistic! Although they had no blood relation, their bond felt stronger than that of blood relatives. Besides, he had once risked his life to save her from a fire. If he hadn't appeared and saved her, she would've burned to death in that fire! What had Jonathan done for her? Stephanie couldn't help but scoff for a moment. Not only did he bully Frederick, but he had even stolen her jewelry and sold it! Sure enough, children raised in orphanages had sticky fingers! Eleanor's heart broke. She couldn't understand why Jonathan wouldn't accept living under the same roof as Frederick. Why couldn't they live in harmony? Jonathan was her flesh and blood, her son whom she had carried for nine months. She was always fair and never played favorites. What more did he want? Did he want to gain their attention and love through extreme behavior? Thinking of this, she calmed down and said earnestly, "Jon, I know you still care about us, but your actions are a bit extreme. Don't worry. We won't blame you. We've forgiven the mistakes you've made in the past." The more Jonathan listened, the more ridiculous he found the Campbell family to be. They weren't clueless due to their prominent status in elite circles, but they weren't that smart, as they had all fallen for Frederick's web of lies. The only reasonable explanation was that they were blindly partial. That "partiality" was enough to make them lose their basic intelligence. "Mr. Gregory, you said I was living in luxury for three years. It seems you don't care about me at all." Jonathan's tone was mocking. "You know nothing about how I've been living." Gregory's pupils contracted, and his expression turned livid. Everyone else froze in place. What was Jonathan trying to say? "You never bought me any clothes. You never let me sit at the table. I either ate at school or alone outside. "I lived in a small storage room at the Campbell residence. The housekeepers and maids had bigger, more spacious, and better-lit rooms than mine. I walked to and from school while Frederick had a private driver." Gregory and the others exchanged shocked glances, their eyes filled with disbelief. "Let's talk about money." Jonathan's voice grew deeper. "Frederick has a special card for pocket money. I don't have one. "As for the tuition fee, you never paid for it. I relied on the scholarship I earned with my excellent grades in junior high school." Jonathan was at the top of his elementary and junior high school classes, receiving special treatment from leaders and teachers and winning numerous scholarships. Gregory and Eleanor were stunned, and his three sisters were in disbelief. What? Junior high school scholarships? Jonathan did well in junior high school? So why did his grades drop so drastically in high school? Gregory's face turned ugly. He never imagined that Jonathan had lived such a poor life for the past three years. The Campbell family had provided no real material or emotional support for him. Eleanor's heart ached, and she sobbed uncontrollably. Three years had passed, and the Campbells hadn't kept their promises or helped Jonathan recover from the hardships of his first 15 years. In fact, it seemed like they owed him even more… Meanwhile, Frederick had more than 100 thousand in pocket money every week. Gregory's gaze was full of scrutiny. "You couldn't keep up with your studies in high school and couldn't win any more scholarships. It's impossible that you could cover your tuition and living expenses alone!" Suddenly, he recalled that Jonathan had often acted sneakily while living in the Campbell residence.