Chapter 58
The moment those words were spoken, every adult in the room stiffened. Eddy immediately let go of Lara and wrapped his arm protectively around Blanche. “Honey, how could you think I’d treat you like a fool?”
“You must have misunderstood something. Let me explain.”
Seeing the tension in his furrowed brow, Blanche brushed off his hand and pointed to the little girl sitting on the swing. “When I walked in, I saw it clearly-this little girl took the swing from the older boy first. He got upset and accidentally pushed her off. And yet, this child”-she glared at Lara-“saw everything and still took the little girl’s side, scolding the boy. You really expect me to adopt a child who can’t even tell right from wrong?”
Her eyes, hard and cold, met Lara’s-just in time to catch the flash of
malice there.
At Blanche’s accusation, Eddy let out a silent breath of relief. “I didn’t see any of that, honey.”
But Blanche was too angry to let it go. He turned to the director of the orphanage. “Is this how you teach the children?”
The director wiped sweat from his brow. Lara, with her special status, had become the little tyrant of the orphanage. Eddy insisted on seeing Lara’s kindness on display, but what was he supposed to do?
“It’s my fault for not disciplining her better. But Lara isn’t usually like this-maybe she just got confused.”
“Auntie, I must have made a mistake.” Lara tugged at Blanche’s hand, her face contrite and eager to please. Blanche felt a wave of cold disgust.
She yanked her hand away and stepped back.
“Auntie, I’ll apologize to the big brother right now.” But before Blanche
Chapter 58
could react, Lara threw herself against her, clinging tightly. “Auntie, I really am a good girl-please, please, you and Uncle, take me home.”
The agony of losing her own daughter four years ago surged up in Blanche’s heart, raw and violent. She pushed Lara away.
Lara tumbled to the ground and burst into loud, theatrical sobs.
Today was the orphanage’s open house; there were plenty of well-meaning visitors milling about. Seeing Blanche shove a child to the floor, they immediately began whispering, pointing fingers in judgment.
Especially after someone recognized her.
“That’s Mrs. Simmons, wife of the Simmons Group CEO, isn’t it? Didn’t they say she had a heart of gold? How could she push such a small child?”
“People do charity these days just for appearances, not because they actually care.”
“Some ‘society lady’-she’s not even as kind as us ordinary folks.”
Lara’s wailing only grew louder at their words.
“How can the director just stand by and watch Mrs. Simmons bully a child? Do the rich get to do whatever they want? This place is rotten-we should record this and post it online!”
Phones were whipped out, and suddenly cameras were trained on
Blanche and Eddy from every angle.
Blanche’s heart clenched. The orphanage had been her mother’s legacy. If its reputation was ruined, how could her mother ever rest in peace?
The director quickly helped Lara to her feet. Eddy, trying to defuse the situation, pulled a piece of candy from his pocket and handed it to Lara. She immediately stopped crying.
But then Lara turned, her cherubic face all innocence, and offered the
14.00
Chapter 58
candy to Blanche. “Auntie, this is for you.”
With all the cameras on her, Blanche forced herself to accept the candy, squeezing it tightly in her fist.
Seeing this, the staff hurried to disperse the crowd and began to speak in
Blanche’s defense.
“There’s been a misunderstanding.”
“Mrs. Simmons is the orphanage’s biggest supporter-she’d never hurt a child.”
“Let’s continue to the next part of the tour, everyone.”
Gradually, the tension eased, and the crowd dispersed.
Eddy, ever the peacemaker, took Lara’s small hand and placed it gently in Blanche’s palm. “Sweetheart, Lara’s only four. She doesn’t mean harm; any faults are really ours as adults. Once she’s part of our family, we’ll teach her right from wrong. She won’t make these mistakes again.”
