C13 Father I Am Your Daughter

The tone in which she spoke instantly cooled Juno's already uneasy mood, quenching the faint glimmer of hope within her. "I'm at school."

"No matter where you are, come back immediately," Benjamin demanded, his voice thick with anger. "How do you manage to create such a mess just by accompanying a guest? Do you have any idea why the Fowler family has supported you all these years? It's preposterous!"

Juno remained silent for a long while before her voice, shaky with emotion, broke through, "Dad, I'm your daughter, not some kind of hostess."

"Exactly because you're my daughter, you should be there to support your brother! He's just taken over the family business and is getting started. What good are you if you don't help him at a time like this?" Benjamin's tone was laced with impatience. "Don't forget, your purpose was to pave the way for your brother! Be sensible and stop causing your Auntie Gao and me any more trouble. The Fowler family has already been more than generous with you!"

'More than generous?'

The phrase rang with biting irony in Juno's ears, almost laughable.

"Come home for dinner the day after tomorrow, and don't say I haven't looked after you. The Fowler family has provided for your living expenses and tuition. Without us, you'd be out in the cold. Now, it's your brother who's working to support you!"

Benjamin emphasized the words "support you" with a biting intensity, as Juno silently extended her phone out over the edge of the sixth floor.

With a sharp "crack," the phone shattered on the ground below. As she turned, she came face-to-face with a countenance etched with scholarly airs.

"Fowler, throwing objects from a height is illegal," Thayer said, his smile not reaching his eyes.

For some reason, his smile reminded Juno of Zorin.

Suppressing the revulsion welling up inside her, she responded with an icy tone, "Senior Brother Slater, the area below this educational building is deserted. I've made sure it won't hit anyone. Thank you for your concern."

With that, Juno turned, ready to walk away without a second thought.

She harbored a deep-seated fear of those who appeared gentle on the surface; the more amiable they seemed, the more chilling and daunting she found them.

Yet Thayer blocked her path. "Fowler, you seem to really dislike me. Have I done something to offend you?"

"How could you possibly offend me, Senior Brother Slater? I'm just not feeling well and would like to go rest," Juno replied. "If you would excuse me."

She had no desire to get entangled with a golden boy like him. Even if he was the dream of countless girls, she knew he would never be part of her world.

Thayer clearly took a keen interest in her. He gave the folder in his hand a little shake and remarked, "It seems Juno has no trouble standing her ground with others, so she's probably not feeling under the weather. These are the lecture materials distributed by the school, and there's also a two-person speech that we need to draft by today."

Juno had intended to keep declining, but Thayer, as if reading her mind, interjected, "Juno might not be aware, but until the school officially awards the scholarship, the slots are still adjustable."

His words hit her where it hurt, leaving her speechless on the spot.

She had strived for so long to earn the opportunity to study abroad, to escape the Fowler family—the place that haunted her like a nightmare. Even if it was only for five years, it would give her ample time to chart out her future.

"Senior Brother Slater, we might need to pick up the pace; it's already 4:27 PM. I'm not feeling well in the stomach and can't afford to miss dinner."

Despite maintaining her icy demeanor, Juno's attitude only seemed to amuse Thayer, who smiled slightly, "Don't worry, Juno, dinner is on me."

Yet, the kinder and more cultured the senior appeared, the more Juno was reminded of a wolf in sheep's clothing.

She fought back the unease in her heart, silently reminding herself that it was just a speech.