Chapter 218: The Cooper Family's Past
As Ron had suspected, Deckard Shaw was indeed still alive.
He had survived the collapse in a corner of the warehouse that created a protective triangular space. However, the others weren't so fortunate. Besides Deckard Shaw, only five members of the entire mercenary group survived.
This did not include their leader, whose head had been severed by shrapnel during the sixth bombing. Upon seeing his body, Ron marveled at how cleanly it had been sliced.
As for Shaw, who was still breathing, he was taken to a secure medical facility by Anonymous, where twelve elite agents took shifts guarding him. They planned to transfer him to federal custody after he recovered. Whether to negotiate with the British or recruit him for the Agency wasn't Ron's concern.
Ron's biggest concern now was that Howard would be bringing his reconciled girlfriend, Bernadette, to Sheldon's apartment for dinner tonight to introduce her to his friends.
But Ron felt awkward, since he had already met her in advance and gotten to know her very well, in various ways.
Although they weren't the same person, they shared the same face, which made it difficult for Ron to look Howard in the eye. He felt as if he'd inadvertently wronged him somehow.
Ron would rather still be in the desert, even if it meant another confrontation with Deckard Shaw.
"Leonard, watch this." Penny tossed up a piece of food and caught it in her mouth.
"Leonard, there she goes again." Sheldon's face was filled with disgust.
"I think you playing with the food makes Sheldon uncomfortable."
"It's not her grabbing food from the bowl without regard for even distribution that makes me uncomfortable." Sheldon turned to Rajesh. "See, this is the root cause of famine in developing nations."
"That's why everyone always wanted to stuff you in a locker," Ron said sarcastically.
"Really? How could I not know? I'm an exemplary student beloved by everyone at school. Everyone respects me for my academic excellence. No one would have such thoughts."
Sheldon shook his head in denial, still lost in his own fantasy.
"No, the reason you weren't stuffed in a locker or tied to a flagpole wasn't because you were a good student. In fact, that's what irritated a lot of people."
Ignoring Sheldon's angry glare, Ron, following Penny's lead, took an onion ring from the plate and popped it into his mouth.
"Actually, the reason you weren't stuffed in a locker is because you have two brothers, Sheldon," Ron said, looking directly into his eyes. "It's because of me and George Jr. that many people who wanted to bully you could only dream about it."
"No, it's definitely because I'm a good student that everyone respects me!" Sheldon still refused to accept the truth.
Ron spread his hands helplessly and gestured toward Leonard and Rajesh: "If you don't believe me, ask them. Did they receive special treatment in school because they were smarter?"
Sheldon looked at Leonard, who shook his head: "No, Jimmy would just shove my head in the toilet because I got better grades than him."
Sheldon sat on the sofa in stunned silence. Ron patted his shoulder: "I think you owe George Jr. an apology. You didn't even attend his wedding. Although I know you were studying abroad at the time, that's no excuse for ignoring your family."
"But George Jr. always bullied me!" Sheldon immediately protested, though his tone wasn't as firm as before.
"Of course he bullied you, and so did I. Who told you to be such a pain back then? Even now, you can ask them if they'd be willing to give you a beating if they had the chance."
Before Sheldon could ask, the other three nodded in unison, especially Penny.
If it weren't for Ron's special status and formidable fighting skills, Penny swore she would have tackled Sheldon like a linebacker taking down a quarterback.
"Little George bullied you, but when he was out in the world, he always stood up for you because you were his brother. He even got into fights on the football team because someone badmouthed you. Although his fighting skills were about as effective as a wet noodle, he genuinely protected his family."
"And during the most difficult time for our family, he was the one who gave up his college opportunity and worked multiple jobs, which temporarily eased the financial pressure on our family. Combined with the money from selling a few songs, we finally managed to raise enough for Dad's medical expenses. Otherwise, we might have lost our father."
"Sheldon, what were you doing during that time?"
This time, Ron's eyes weren't reproachful, but Sheldon lowered his head in shame under his gaze.
At the time, he was studying in Germany. He described himself as immersed in the ocean of knowledge, but in reality, he barely paid any attention to family matters then, not even calling home.
He didn't even know about Dad's serious illness until Mom called to chat.
"I..." Sheldon opened his mouth, but no words came out. Penny held Sheldon's hand compassionately and glared at Ron with disapproval.
He's still your little brother! That's probably what her eyes conveyed.
"I'm not telling you this to blame you," Ron's tone softened, and he couldn't help but wonder to himself.
What was wrong with him? They had clearly agreed that Sheldon would never know about these things, and Ron was the one who first proposed keeping it confidential. But today, for some reason, he suddenly felt very emotional.
"Sheldon, I know you've been different from everyone else since childhood, and you've had your struggles, but you have to understand that nobody in this world has it easy. We've all had our struggles, but fortunately we've all made it through."
"George Jr. is working in his favorite automotive industry, and he's opened his own tire shop, with franchises spread throughout Texas."
"Although Missy gave up her studies, she has no regrets. She never really liked school anyway, and she has a man who will always love and protect her."
"Dad took advantage of his recovery time to study advanced coaching techniques, and after he got better, he was able to teach at the university level. As long as Mom and Grandma see that each of us is healthy and happy, they're satisfied."
"But, Sheldon, when are you going to take on your responsibilities like a real man?"
Sheldon's eyes widened, but he couldn't say anything.
Ron sighed, knowing he was being too hasty: "Forget it, you'll figure it out someday."
(End of chapter)
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