Laura’s POV 111
“Not a child?” He repeated the words in a low murmur.
His cunning eyes narrowed slightly again, and he was silent for a long time, as if he was thinking deeply about something.
Perhaps the phrase was new to him.
After a while he burst out laughing, “Indeed she can’t be thought of as a little child. Miss Laura, do you realize that the things she has done are not at all what a child could do.”
“What do you mean?” I froze.
“She probably hasn’t mentioned to you why she left home, has she? All you know is that I kicked her out, but you didn’t ask why I kicked her out of the house?”
“Why?”
“Fryday because she had a miscarriage.”
I know, Fryday is the name of his new love. A little-known actress who made a hot mess of a costume drama and immediately jumped to the top tier of red stars.
“She didn’t tell you, did she?” Rafael peeked forward, his eyes crystal clear, “She was the one who purposely laid one of the rugs from her room in the hallway, and Fryday stepped on it and slipped on it.”
I’m not at liberty to comment on their family affairs.
But I couldn’t help but feel chilled as I watched him do his best to defend his new love.
“Willow is a hard kid to control.” Rafael sighed, “I divorced her mother when she was less than a year old, and I’ve been bringing her up on my own ever since. I haven’t remarried in all these years because of what? It’s not that I haven’t met the right person, it’s that every time a woman shows up next to me …”
“Willow did whatever she could to get rid of her, didn’t she?” I smiled at him.
He doesn’t say a word.
I continue, “Mr. Rafael, I don’t deny that girls are sensitive-minded and may be rebellious in this way. But have you ever wondered why she ostracizes them? Take this Fryday incident for example, how do you know that the blanket was laid over by Willow? And even if she did, why would she do that? After all, it’s a little life, and I don’t believe a child could be vicious enough to do that.”
“Was Fryday nice to her?” I asked.
“Fryday has always been very kind to her, even though he’s not much older than her!”
“Only in front of you, I’m afraid!” I grinned.
Rafael visibly flinched.
“Mr. Rafael,” I said, “you’ve been around a lot of women, but you don’t know anything about women.”
“This …”
He hung his head, crossed his arms, and his brows drew together.
“It’s best to investigate carefully what things are really like. Don’t wrongly accuse your daughter without reason. She is after all your bloodline, your closest person, don’t let her be sad.”
I sighed softly as I finished speaking and stood up, ready to leave.
Rafael suddenly called out to me from behind.
“Ms. Laura!”
“Is there something else?”
“I did take a bit of offense.” His eyes were sincere, “I meant about going to the principal and telling you off, I hope it won’t be a problem for you.”
“Do you think that’s possible?” I laugh helplessly.
“What can I do to make it up to you?”
“No need.”
I’m a little pissed off, true to form, the businessman’s way of doing things, and with his eyes on the top of his head. He doesn’t even reflect from the depths of his heart when he inflicts harm on someone else; instead, he understands everything with a word of compensation.
“Here’s my number.” Walking to the door, I didn’t expect Rafael to come out after me.
He handed me a piece of paper with this string of numbers written on it.
“Call me if you need me.” He looked at me, “I’ll do whatever I can to help you.”
“Mr. Rafael, I …”
“You can’t refuse this.” He sounded strong, “Sort of I apologize to you for my reckless behavior. Also, I think this child Willow is very much in tune with you, and I’m afraid that in her mind, a hundred words from me are no better than one word from you. So I hope I can keep in communication with you, also for my daughter’s sake.”
I hesitated and took the piece of paper.
“I don’t want to accept your apology, but Willow and I do hit it off quite well.” I laugh softly, “She’s a good kid, and I don’t want her to get hurt. And I’ll do what I can to dissolve the baggage in her mind.”
“Thank you, Ms. Laura.”
Rafael smiles.
He’s not as cold when he smiles, his angular lines are much softer, and there’s a very special sparkle in his eyes.
By the time I returned to my office in the afternoon, the school administration had completed my exit paperwork.
Principal Audie talked to me again, “Have you really decided to leave? To be honest, the quality of your teaching has been very good in the past six months, and the students love to listen to your lessons, plus you were introduced to me by George, if you leave just like that …”
“I’ll talk to President George on his side.” I smiled, “Don’t worry, Principal, I won’t cause trouble for the school.”
“With a personality like yours, you’ll be liked everywhere you go, people can’t help but want to help you.”
“Thanks.” I said goodbye to her.
Walking out the front door of the school was a lot easier. I got a call from Gina and wanted to ask her out to relax, but I didn’t realize she had two surgeries right behind her.
I had to call home.
And as soon as I entered, I saw that familiar figure hovering in the living room again.
“Finally quit your job?” Cameron laughed softly, “Do you call that a tired bird returning to the nest?”
“What’s this all about?” I glared, “Don’t use words if you don’t know how to use them, save yourself the embarrassment of saying them!”
“Yes! How can I be as knowledgeable as Ms. Laura?”
He came around to my side and put one hand on my shoulder, his mouth curling into an evil grin. I try to push his hand away, but he’s fixed on me and won’t budge.
“Stop it!” I give him a look.
“I’m not making a scene.” He’s innocent, “Even though I’m your brother, a shoulder hug between siblings isn’t very much, is it?”NôvelDrama.Org: owner of this content.
“Cameron …”
“Besides, this is at home.” His eyes were as dark as ink, “In our home, there are no outsiders, what are you afraid of?”
Saying that he turned sideways, I couldn’t dodge in time, my back slammed against the wall, his long arms pocketed and directly surrounded me inside.
“I’ve known for a long time that George guy is unreliable,” he smiled, “the job he introduced, there’s not much to do! If you really want a job, why don’t you work for me?”
“Come on!”
I reached out to push him, but he was as strong as a bull and didn’t move.
“Otherwise this …” He lowered his head, the tip of his nose almost brushing against my forehead, and his voice was deep, “I see that you quite like giving lectures, so why don’t you just come and be my tutor… …”
Warm breaths drew closer, and I heard his powerful heartbeat.
Two flames burned in his eyes.
Suddenly his hands slipped around my waist and held me tight. I whimpered and struggled a few times, however a piece of paper fell out of my pocket.
Cameron picked it up and flipped it around, his face suddenly changing. “Who gave you this?”
I settled back.
The piece of paper had a string of numbers on it, and I remembered it was the phone number Rafael had given me.
“Rafael gave it to me.” I whispered, “It’s Willow’s dad, you know. Here’s his number.”
“You guys are actually in touch?” Cameron frowns.
“No, just today at lunch, sitting in a cafe for a while …”
“You went to the cafe with him!” He yelled.
I looked at him a little puzzled.
Why are you so out of control? It’s hard not to think I could have something going on with Rafael?
“Laura!” Cameron shook me back and forth by my shoulders, “Didn’t I tell you to stay away from The Denoble Family and not to have any more dealings with them? You didn’t listen, did you? You’re turning a deaf ear to my words!”
“Get off of me!” I was shaken by him, “What are you doing? It was just a phone call he left for me! He was afraid that if Willow ran away from home again or something, she’d come to me so he could contact me!”
“Heh, haven’t you had enough of their family gossip?”
Cameron crosses her arms, panting, and stares at me angrily.
“Before you were that girl’s teacher, I wouldn’t say anything if you wanted to mind her business. But now? You’ve resigned! You don’t have any semblance of responsibility for her!”
“It’s this Rafael! Why hasn’t he left you alone? And leaving you a phone number, what does he want?” Cameron was furious, “I think he’s got it in for you!”
“Are you crazy?” I found him unbelievable, “He wants to marry Fryday! You know Fryday, right? It’s all over the news that they’re getting married and I’ve only met him once, what could he possibly be up to?”
Cameron didn’t say anything, just stood there sneering with a distrustful look on his face.
For a long time, he glares at me like he has knives in his eyes, and then he flips through his phone, and I see that there’s a Rafael in his address book, too.
But the two Rafael’s phone numbers weren’t the same.
I’m stunned.
Cameron looked at me and said, “See why I said that? The phone number that Rafael gave you is his personal one!”
“What did you say?” I was surprised.
Yeah, Cameron and Rafael, they were in the same business world, they must have had dealings. But I didn’t expect the number Rafael left me to be …
No wonder Cameron misunderstood.
“And you’re saying he has no designs on you?” He was exasperated, “I’m afraid that number isn’t even known to that little starlet he’s about to marry!”
My heart was thumping so hard that I didn’t dare to look him in the eye, as if I had really done something wrong.
For a long time I took a deep breath and hardened my heart against him, “He only gave me this number for his daughter’s sake. You can’t say he’s plotting against me based on a phone number alone!”
“Laura!” Cameron relented, “I’m a man, I know all too well what men are thinking!”
“Oh, you know exactly?” I sneered, “But what kind of man are you to me? Who are you to tell me what I do? Even if I date Rafael, that’s my freedom!”
“You …”
“Brother.” I looked at him calmly, “You’re just my brother.”
My heart pumped violently as I said this.
“I hope you don’t bother me with my life again, brother. It’s good to get it out of the way today, what I’m trying to tell you is that the two of us were meant to have separate lives and choices. And if you happen to meet the right person in the future, I’ll give you my blessing!”
I barely curled my mouth, “And, reunite me with my daughter!”
Cameron looked at me, his eyes harboring cold ice. He didn’t say anything for a long time, and before he left, brushing past me, I heard the words that came out of his throat, sinister and unmistakable.
“Laura, don’t you dare!”
It was like something had zapped me in the ear, along with a splitting headache.
The large house was quiet again, only this time a bit dead and still.
After that day Cameron and I went into a cold war.
I didn’t look for a job, I didn’t contact anyone, I didn’t go out, I just stayed at home in peace and quiet for a few days. Yet those days felt like years.
I suddenly realized that without Cameron in the house, the temperature seemed to drop dramatically.
And my life would never be complete without Cameron.
I wanted to get him back, but I couldn’t get past that point in my heart.
What’s even sadder is that I don’t know when I’ll see my baby girl.
Those days frantically online, did not look at anything else, just look at some girls’ clothes, hair accessories, toys, dolls, and then keep buying buy, buy and buy on the red eyes, the heart is like a knife plucked out a piece of so hard.
The fifth day, someone came to knock on my door.
I did not intend to open the door, but the person seemed to know that I was at home, and kept ringing the doorbell. I was annoyed and wondering if it could be a delivery, so I stepped on my slippers and went downstairs to open the door.
I didn’t realize there was Willow standing outside.
“Ms. Laura?” She looked at me with a pair of big cold star eyes in surprise, “How do you …”
My image is indeed not good, these days in the home dressed casually, face also did not wash hair also did not comb, and three meals a day and is randomly dispatched, I’m afraid that the person also lost a circle.
“Handsome uncle did not come to cook for you to eat?” She jumped in, surveyed the house for a while, looking at the mess, couldn’t help but frown.
“How dare he be willing to leave you here alone!”
I forced a smile, “What’s there to leave behind? It’s not like I’m his anything.”
“You gave him a baby!”
“That was an accident.” I lowered my head and my voice sank.
She sat on her ass on the couch and grinned broadly as she picked up a packet of puffed food I’d unwrapped, “He wasn’t planning on starving you to death, was he?”
I laughed, “Spoken like I can’t take care of myself! I’m not beneath him, I’ve been serving him since I was a kid …”
“Since childhood?”
I paused, not saying any more. Suddenly, I felt that the words “from childhood to adulthood” were really heavy.
How many people have accompanied you from childhood to adulthood? Those we have experienced together sweet and sour, can not be shared with outsiders, only in each other’s hearts, so each other, has become the most special people.
“Hey,” I change the topic, “why are you here today? Missed class again?”
Willow smiled shyly.
“You can’t do this!” I scowl, “You’re so young, school is the most important thing for you …”
“What’s the point of going to school any more?” She was full of concern, “George said that I can be cast in the company’s next play.”
“George? “I was shocked.
The name George came out of her mouth as if it was as common as drinking plain water.
Before I could react, she blushed, tugged on my hand and laughed with her tongue out, “Ms. Laura, don’t talk about me! I came to see you today because I want to take you out for a walk! You quickly change your clothes, freshen up, and take you to a good place!”