Chapter 18: Chapter 18



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Just as Cherry was about to speak, Justin frowned and asked, “What kind of special methods?”

The tutor sighed and replied, “Pete was born autistic. He doesn’t like to talk and doesn’t know how to communicate with others. If this continues, it will impede his development. I think you might consider sending him to medical specialists for treatment or to a school for children with special needs.”

Her eyes sparkled after she spoke.

Once Pete was sent to a special needs school, he would be diagnosed with a mental disability. With that, they could ruin his future!

Cherry was confused.

That teacher was horrible!

She looked at Justin. If Dad agreed, she would stop seeing him as her father and get Mom to save Pete from her clutches.

Hmph.

Justin’s expression instantly darkened. He responded fiercely, “Pete’s fine – he doesn’t need to attend a school for special needs kids! If you can’t teach him, I’ll find someone else! Lawrence!”

“Yes, sir?”

Justin ordered, “Clear his salary immediately. He doesn’t have to come in tomorrow anymore!”

The tutor was surprised by his sudden anger. Justin was usually very polite to them, which made her forget how domineering Justin really was.

She had made a mistake.

She shouldn’t have said something like that. She should have taken it easy.

Seeing that she was out of a job, to complete her mission, the tutor put on a sincere and serious expression and said, “I am America’s best domestic tutor, Mr. Hunt. My advice is certainly in your son’s best interest. Since he refuses to hear the truth, take it as if I have said nothing. I had a lot of fun during my time with Pete. Goodbye.”

Her speech was very much in line with what an exemplary teacher would say.

Justin’s anger faded a bit and he said, “Give him an extra half year’s salary.”

The tutor was ecstatic – half a year’s salary was a lot of money! Along with what that person had given her…..

Cherry, who listened to them attentively, was very pleased.

Dad had not given up on Pete. Indeed, he was protecting him. However, he had been deceived by that tutor!

As she watched the wicked teacher walk merrily toward the door, Cherry’s big, grape-like eyes rolled a little and she asked, “Dad, am I a motherless little bastard?”

Justin was taken aback. He looked down suddenly to see his son looking up at him confidently. His young, childish voice made what he said next sound especially heartbreaking, “Am I really so stupid and dumb? Did Mommy lower the quality of Daddy’s genes?”

Justin was stunned. His son rarely spoke so much.

However, the content was especially shocking to him. He held back his overwhelming fury and asked softly, “Who told you those things, Pete?”

Cherry reached out and pointed her chubby little finger at the door. “It was her!”

At the door, the tutor’s legs went limp the instant she felt Justin’s murderous aura and anger. She said fearfully, “Stop talking nonsense, Pete-.”

Cherry hid behind Justin and hugged his leg. She stuck her tongue out at the tutor and said, “Please don’t hit me again. I’m sorry.”

The tutor was shocked.

Was this really about that little jerk who didn’t talk?

Seeing her son’s frightened expression, Justin didn’t give the tutor a chance to explain further. He ordered, “Get her out, Lawrence!”

“Yes, sir.”

Lawrence restrained the tutor and brought her back.

Justin rubbed Cherry’s head comfortingly and said, “Can you go outside and play by yourself for a while, Pete?”

The scene ahead was too gory and inappropriate for children.

Although Cherry wanted to be with her father, he now had to face the vicious tutor. It was as if Mom also blindfolded him and told him to count sheep every time he fought with others when they were abroad.

She nodded. “Okay, Dad!”

Justin only left the room after watching Cherry pick up a toy without significant fluctuations in his emotions.

Lawrence was a very efficient man. By this time, he had already questioned the tutor. With his head down, he said, “….. It’s your uncle and his family who bribed them. They wanted to turn Pete into a stubborn and troublesome child so that their own children could take over the corporation. The two tutors were sent by the old lady, so they were negligent and overlooked it.”

The old lady was the one who adored Pete the most. Who would have guessed that the tutors she sent harbored evil intentions?

Justin clenched his fists and asked, “What did they do to Pete?”

At the mention of it, Lawrence lowered his head even further. He replied, “They punished him by making him stand on his feet, slapping his palms and berating him. Also, they didn’t really teach him. They didn’t dare do any physical abuse worse than that; because they were also afraid that someone would find out what was going on.”

Justin looked down at the trembling woman kneeling on the floor and kicked her in the chest. The blow immediately made her cough up blood.

Her dark, clouded countenance made her look like a demon. He ordered, “Throw her out.”

Lawrence’s heart trembled as he felt Justin’s fury.

Yet even he himself was furious, not to mention Justin, who had always loved and adored Pete. Only his way of expressing it wasn’t quite right.

Justin went back into the room. When he saw Cherry’s tiny form sitting on the couch and playing with the toy car, his heart ached with guilt.

Pete had been with him since he was a baby. He had personally nursed him and changed his diapers, but until he was a year and a half old, he didn’t talk at all. When they went to the doctor, she was told that Pete had mild congenital autism.

The grandmother said it was because the child had no mother and therefore no sense of security. They were not to allow a grown man to continue to care for him, so she had arranged nannies, family doctors and tutors for him.

As Pete slowly grew older and was able to carry on small conversations with people, she became convinced that Grandma was right.

Pete was a stubborn child and was always getting on her nerves. He often made her so angry that she almost felt like giving him a good spanking. Despite this, she still thought it was a phase that all normal children went through.

That was, until last week’s incident….

It was all his fault.

Justin slowly approached. He sat down next to Cherry, softened his voice and said, “Daddy’s sorry, Pete.”

Cherry reached out her little arms and hugged her handsome father. “It’ll be okay as long as you own up to your mistakes and move on, Dad!”.

Justin sighed. Then he said earnestly, “We won’t hire any more tutors. I’ll teach you personally in the future.”

Happy Cherry was instantly petrified. What?

What she hated most was having to do homework! Help, Pete!

Downstairs.

When Nora returned to the room, she found her daughter sitting on the couch and obediently watching her instead of playing like she usually did.

She walked over and kissed Pete on the forehead. “You’ve been very good today, sweetheart.”

Soft lips pressed against his forehead, making Pete freeze. But, at the same time, a sense of anticipation rose in him.

Mommy is so kind and gentle.

He looked at Mommy longingly and unconsciously got up and followed her. As he did so, he suddenly found his mother stopping and looking at him with a half-amused smile. “Do you intend to bathe next to mom, Cherry?”.

Only then did Pete realize with a start that he had followed her into the master bedroom bathroom!

He was about to retreat, but Nora reached down and picked him up. She said, “Forget it, let’s bathe you first.”

Alarm bells went off in Pete’s head.

Wouldn’t his identity as a male be revealed if she bathed him?

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