Kurtis didn't give Juliet another chance to speak and hung up right away.
"Juju, what's wrong with you?" JJ noticed that Juliet's expression had changed.
Juliet adjusted her mood as soon as possible and smiled at him. "It's fine, but I should probably go somewhere first. Will you wait for me for a bit when we get there?"
Juliet invites JJ to discuss. If JJ insists he doesn't want to, she won't return to her father's house.
However, JJ, who really liked Juliet, immediately nodded. "Okay! I'll listen to Juju."
JJ's sensitivity touched Juliet. Except for being too attached to her, JJ is a careful and considerate kid, and she can't hate him.
Later, Juliet told the driver her father's address, and she decided to head back before going to the mall.
Juliet's adoptive parents' house is located in an old villa area on the second ring road of City J.
When Estelle's first adopted her, the Estelle family's business ran smoothly. Then, they entered the charitable group and reached the pinnacle of glory.
Then, after the charitable embezzlement incident came to light, the company's status plummeted, and the situation worsened in recent years. Now, there is only one company left. The most valuable thing is the property in which they live. This property supports their pride even though they have fallen into poverty.
Juliet asked the driver to park on the side of the road more than 200 meters from Estelle's family villa. She kissed JJ's forehead and got out of the car. She walked towards the villa quickly, intending to finish her business quickly.
When Juliet entered the front yard of the villa, past scenes like movie clips replayed in her mind.
Too many fight scenes between her and Jasmine. Jasmine always got the protection of her parents, so in the end, Juliet felt isolated and just wanted to get out of there.
After returning from Canada, Juliet moved to live alone. But, even as Jasmine brought her career down, Juliet never begged for mercy and continued to persevere.
Arriving in the living room, Juliet saw Jasmine sitting on the sofa, peeling oranges, and their family portrait hanging on the wall behind her. It was the only photo of Juliet with them.
The two looked at each other, and Juliet shouted into the kitchen, "Daddy, Mommy, your eldest daughter is back!" While exclaiming, Jasmine glanced at Juliet with disdain.
Although the villa decoration is quite luxurious, it looks old-fashioned. This is because it was a remnant from the period when they were at their peak, and they hadn't renovated anything in this room in a long time. Only one maid was left in residence, and her adoptive mother—Kate, had to give up her pride as the Old Lady and do some housework to save money.
"Juliet is back?!" Kate walked out of the kitchen and wiped her hands.
"Mom…." Juliet called out to her.
"Come on, sit down and eat some fruit." Kate greeted Juliet in a friendly manner with a wink at Jasmine. Signaling her not to talk too much.
Jasmine shrugged and looked displeased.
Kate's politeness made Juliet feel uneasy. After she sat down, she opened her lips and asked, "What made you guys ask me to come back today? I have something to work on, and I can't stay too long…."
Kate smiled and glanced at Jasmine. She then turned her gaze to Juliet and said, "Oh, I see…. Look at you, you haven't been home in a long time and didn't even have time to have lunch together. What keeps you so busy? Where are you working now?"
"Still the same. Designing some own-brand clothes." Juliet replied calmly, vaguely aware of their intentions.
"Oh…." Kate smiled shyly at not getting a definite answer to her question.
Kate glanced at Jasmine again and spoke to Juliet, "So you see…, you also know that Jasmine has been graduating from acting major for a few months, but she still hasn't found the right role to play. I heard that you and Jacob seem to have a relationship. Could you—"
"I'm not familiar with him. I'm afraid I can't be of much help." Juliet immediately cut off Kate and answered honestly. She finally understood that they had asked her home because they wanted to get a job in the entertainment industry for Jasmine.
"This …." Kate's expression became a little ugly.
Seeing her mother not speaking anymore because of Juliet's answer, Jasmine feels dissatisfied.
Jasmine couldn't resist the initial agreement with her mother and pointed at Juliet angrily.
"Juliet, why are you lying?! Of course, other people don't know, but do you think I don't know either? The suit that Jacob wore yesterday was designed by you, wasn't it?!"
Jasmine revealed it and sneered again. "As I thought, Jacob was willing to attend the small exhibition from 'HERS' because he wanted to take a chance to advertise your product, right? Isn't that SK brand yours? Hmph! I've really underestimated you. Turns out the man behind you isn't the old man. It's Jacob! No wonder you could just leave Edward behind!"
Even though Jasmine's words were full of contempt, Juliet didn't deny anything, just looked at her with a smile and replied, "So why? Do you want to continue to rely on rich men? Before that, you must first look at yourself. Will Jacob see you or not."
"You …!" Jasmine's face was red with anger, "Juliet Estelle, you are too confident! A big star like Jacob must be just having fun with you. In a few days, you will definitely be thrown away!"
The smile on Juliet's face didn't fade, and she asked again, "Did Edward know that you were looking for another rich man behind him?"
"You …!" Jasmine clenched her fists, and her face looked awful.
The dispute between the two made Kate feel embarrassed. She tried to persuade, but Jasmine reluctantly said, "Juliet, don't think I don't know! You got in Jacob's car last night. Aren't you afraid I'll leak your embarrassing secret to the media?!"
Juliet didn't expect Jasmine to know this. "We're both single. What's so embarrassing? Besides, how can you be sure what happened between Jacob and me?" Juliet asked matter-of-factly with a sharp look in her eyes, "It's fine if you want to slander, but that person is the famous Jacob Carlton. You must first be able to compete with the agency. Otherwise, they will definitely sue you for defamation." Juliet calmly reminded and didn't threaten.
Jasmine's whole body was shaking with anger. She gritted her teeth and didn't understand why Juliet was living so well?! Why did Juliet have a relationship with Jacob?! With Jacob's help, her career is sure to flourish!
"Juliet, can you help me?! I am your sister, and my parents have raised you!" Jasmine started using her own tricks.
Every time Juliet heard this from Jasmine's mouth, Juliet felt a little silly.
She was adopted by the Estelle family when she was 10 and left for Canada when she was 15. She only spent about 5 years with the Estelle family, and the memories during that time are not so good.
However, just because her name appeared on the family card, she had to shoulder the responsibility for the rest of her life.
"When you spread rumors that cost me my job and my opportunity to grow, did you ever think of me as your sister? When you destroyed my relationship and took my boyfriend, did you ever think of me as your sister?" Juliet asked back. There was an air of determination in her eyes.
"I…." Jasmine was silent for a moment, then scowled, looking away. "Who knows what you did when you were in Canada…."
Juliet didn't want to talk to them anymore. She got up. "Mom, sorry, I can't help. Jacob Carlton and I didn't know each other well and couldn't help it. My friend is waiting for me, so I won't be staying much longer to eat together."
"Uh, Juliet...." Kate wanted to hold her back, but Juliet didn't give her a chance to finish.
Juliet walks away.
As Juliet walked to the door, she heard footsteps coming down the stairs and Kurtis' deep voice. "Don't forget that before you went to Canada, the agreement you signed with us was permanent."
***