Chapter 777 Immature? I’ll Still Spoil Her!
The birthday of Benjamin Joslin, Anastasia’s maternal grandfather, arrived in the blink of an eye, and the Whites showed up all dolled up. However, the Joslins didn’t welcome them especially but simply treated them like regular guests.
Benjamin, in a three-piece suit, was sitting on a temporarily set platform, waiting for guests to come up and wish him a happy birthday.
By right, Onyx should’ve greeted Benjamin as soon as he arrived since he was an in-law. But instead, he took his wife and daughters to chat with other guests, having no sign of wanting to give the elder his gift. It looked like he was deliberately dissociating himself from the Joslins.
He even stopped Elise when she wanted to greet her ‘grandfather’.
“What’s the rush? Do you think your grandfather needs your adulation when he has plenty of grandkids of his own? Your mom’s dead; we’re just outsiders now. We’ve only come out of courtesy. Don’t be so eager to suck up to them. Makes it look like we want to latch onto them badly.”
“Sure, I just don’t want to look rude. How come you couldn’t move anymore after seeing a journalist just now?” Elise retorted sarcastically.
“What are you bullsh*tting about? Do you really think I care about showing up as Benjamin’s son-in-law? I’m merely making the journalist’s job easier, doing it for appearance’s sake.” Onyx felt somewhat discomfited when Elise called his bluff.
“Sure, just like when you’re hell-bent on marrying my mother even though you think the Joslin Family is beneath you. You have clearly bagged a massive bargain, yet you act like you’ve suffered the world’s greatest grievance.”
Elise scoffed at Onyx’s self-righteousness, for all he had managed to achieve today came from him begging resources out of the Joslins. But as soon as he gained success, he acted like he was forced to accept the resources the Joslins shoved at him. He really was a typical example of leading the life of a wh*re and expecting a monument to one’s chastity.
Onyx turned beyond grim after hearing Elise’s words. “Fine, go all you want. I won’t bother myself with you anymore. Don’t forget that your grandfather said he never wanted to see you ever again. You want to give yourself trouble? Be my guest, but don’t expect me to save you if you’re given a hard time.”
“Nothing would please me more.”
Benjamin never favored Onyx. So Elise might actually have a better chance of reconciling with the elder if Onyx wasn’t around.
She had learned a few things about Benjamin from Anastasia’s diary.
This literary legend adored Anastasia but had very strong opinions of Onyx, and the two despised each other. Because of Onyx and other certain reasons, Anastasia and Benjamin fell estranged after a fight. Though Anastasia felt guilty, she didn’t dare to ask her maternal grandfather for forgiveness either. So their relationship was left estranged like that, and she never got to say her sorry in the end.
Thus, Elise had come to fulfill Anastasia’s wish.
With that, she walked straight to Benjamin.
On the platform, the elder watched with longing eyes as ‘Anastasia’ approached his direction, and he clutched his walking stick in nervousness as she got closer.
“Grandpa,” cooed Elise when she reached the bottom of the platform. But the noisy environment caused the earnest greeting to drift away with the wind.
At the same time, a contrastingly sharp ‘Grandpa’ came from behind Elise, and a figure flitted past her the next second, stepping onto the platform a step quicker than her.
By the time Elise reacted, Adelpha had already stood next to Benjamin.
“Happy birthday, Grandpa! It’s been a long time since we last met. You’re looking as healthy as ever!” Adelpha deliberately spoke coyly as she wrapped her arms around Benjamin’s.
However, the elder only responded to Adelpha with an aloof hum while latching his gaze at Elise.
Just how long more is this girl going to continue being at odds with me? It’s already been two years; is she still not willing to reconcile?!
Meanwhile, Elise walked up to the platform leisurely and greeted Benjamin again. “Grandpa.”
Benjamin became excited at once, beyond elated. Ha, I knew it! My precious Anastasia’s ‘Grandpa’ still sounds the sweetest! However, the elder remained aloof on the surface. “You’ve come.”
Elise nodded in response, furrowing her brows slightly to show submission, causing Benjamin’s heart to shatter to bits. How can you be frowning at such a young age, Precious?! Is it because the Whites have bullied you? Onyx White, you son of a b*stard! Had I ever been wrong to say you’re a sc*mbag?! How dare you continue to bully my precious Anastasia after angering my daughter to death?! I swear I’ll give you a piece of my mind!
Alas, just as he was about to comfort ‘Anastasia’, Adelpha interjected, “What happened to your manners, Anastasia? Are you not even willing to wish Grandpa a happy birthday?”
Anastasia and Benjamin hadn’t spoken since their fallout two years ago. But Adelpha, on the other hand, had gained favors with the Joslins, and she had long regarded herself as Benjamin’s actual granddaughter.
After making snide remarks, she deliberately leaned close to the elder and snitched in a whisper, “Anastasia’s pregnant, Grandpa! You still don’t know this, do you?”
Benjamin reflexively locked his gray brows into a deep furrow, looking shocked with incredulity.
Bloody nonsense! Who the hell is so bold to bully my precious Anastasia?!
Wait. No. If this is real, then wouldn’t this mean that I’ll be having a great-grandchild?!
Benjamin moped for a moment, happy yet upset by the news.
However, Adelpha thought Benjamin was about to fly into a rage, so she fearlessly continued fanning the flames. “I didn’t expect Anastasia to be this audacious either. To think she simply got pregnant with some random guy. She has utterly disgraced our families!”
“What did you say?!” Benjamin flung her arms away, his voice enveloped in frost. “How dare you speak of her like this?! I’ll still spoil her no matter how immature she gets! Who are you to criticize her?!”
Benjamin’s rebuke took Anastasia for a moment, and her eyes turned red-rimmed in response, taking a long time to finally react. “Grandpa, why are you talking to me like this? Didn’t you tell me to keep an eye on Anastasia? I’m just telling the truth. How can you be so mean?” she whined, choking with sobs.
“I’m asking you to protect and take care of your sister, but look at what you’re doing, telltale and kicking her when she’s down! I’m mean, am I? Consider yourself lucky that I’m only yelling at you! If you’re really my granddaughter, I’ll beat you up until my stick breaks!” Benjamin coddled Anastasia at once.
“I… I… Hmph!” Mad and aggrieved, Adelpha ran away.
Elise found it so amusing that she couldn’t stop herself from snickering.
Benjamin turned to Elise at once and returned to looking deadpan. “Laughing, are we? Come with me!”
“Yes, Grandpa!” Elise stood upright, then trotted up to Benjamin, helping him to the lounge.
The elder eventually couldn’t keep his lips stiffened any longer and smiled brightly, deliberately teasing his precious granddaughter. “I thought you said you never wanted to see me again. Why have you come back?”
“I’m sorry, Grandpa,” ‘Anastasia’ apologized submissively.
Meanwhile, the two had arrived at the lounge.
Benjamin stopped in his tracks, turning around to face her, sighing, “Are you going to argue with me ever again?”
“No, never again!” Elise sniffled.
Benjamin shot a childish glare at her, then immediately babied her nervously the next second. “See, could you not have said so sooner? Come, sit, sit. Don’t tire my little great-grandchild…”
Tears pooled in Elise’s eyes as she watched the elder behaving gingerly toward Anastasia. She felt earnestly happy for the young woman, for there was still someone in this world who loved her. Too bad she couldn’t see it anymore.
