Chapter 132
The reactions from Leo and his wife hinted to Anastasia that something was off about Pattieâs injuries
Penny stayed silent while Leo explained with a chuckle. âSheâs a clumsy one, always getting into scrapes with the other kids in the neighborhood. Sheâs always covered in injuriesâ
Anastasia expressed her concern, 1 think Pattieâs a bit quiet, seems like sheâs not getting enough to eat
âSheâs my own child, why would I neglect her Penny snapped back What business is it of yours, anyway?â With that, she slammed the door shut
Anastasia stood outside, hearing Leo scolding Penny through the door Why are you so fired up? Youâre making a spectacle of yourself
Tm not mad. Iâm the only one taking care of this house, and Iâm worn out Penny retorted.
Anastasia lingered for a bit, but ultimately it wasnt her place to intervene As she took the elevator down, she noticed the mess in Leoâs apartment, with baby stuff all over the place. But not a single pair of girlâs shoes in sight.
Anastasia couldnât help but think about Pattieâs ill fitting shoes and her multiple injuries. She could only imagine the harsh life Pattie was living Although she couldnât intervene, the community could help. So, Anastasia made a call to the community center, detailing the situation and hoping that they could
mediate
After Anastasia left, Pattie woke up to see Penny, her eyes filled with fear Penny scolded. âWhy are you still here, go do the laundry And mop the floor, we donât tolerate slackers here if you donât finish your chores, you can forget about lunchâ
Pattie frightened headed for the laundry While other kids her age were spoiled by their parents, Pattie didnât have that luxury She was constantly busy with endless chores, hardly ever attended kindergarten, and her meals were irregular All the injuries on her body were inflicted by Penny
Penny was always aggressive, and Leo could only stand by and say. You shouldnt be so harsh on her Sheâs just a kid.â
Penny glared at Leo âAnd youâre only saying this now? I told you to get rid of her, why didnât you? Weâre not even her real parents. Why should we be responsible for her? Every time I see her, I get angryâ
âAbandoning her is too cruel.â Leo, being softer, said, Til try to earn more money. You just take care of the house. And donât be so hard on her, itâs not good if the neighbors see. All those injuries break my heart.â
âYouâre heartbroken? You donât even care about your own son, but youâre heartbroken for a stranger Penny wouldnât let it go âTell me the truth, is she your illegitimate daughter that you tricked me into adopting?â
âWhat are you talking about?â Leo was flustered, pulling out some money from his pocket. âHere, buy Pattie some shoes and clothes. I have to go to work this afternoon Even though sheâs adopted, I wonât treat her unfairly. We donât have a daughter, isnât it nice to have one now?â
Being open-minded. Leo didnât care whether Pattie was his biological child. He believed that feelings would naturally develop over time. However, with his long working hours and little time at home, he couldnât always protect Pattie Balancing between his wife and son and his adopted daughter, Leo knew he couldnt upset his wife, so he played the mediator
Penny counted the money with a sudden change of mood. You go do your thing, as long as you bring home the bacon, I can handle the house.â
As Les left, he peeked at Pattie in the restroom. âPattie, listen to Mom while Iâm gone, okay? Daddy has to go earn moneyâ
Partie squatting on the floor with an unwashed piece of clothing, watched Leo leave silently her eyes filled with reluctance. Only when Leo was around did her life seem a bit better
Leo sighed at sight of Pattie. She used to be so lively, but ever since his wife gave birth to their son, they hadnât been so close to Pattie. She had
become quiet and reserved
After Leo left for work, Penny with the money in hand, left Pattie with chores and went shopping with their son.
Ever since Aastat
the medution, only to lea
Pattie, she couldnât stop thinking about her even seeing her in her dreams. She called the community center to inquire about n that Penny had driven the workers away, so she couldnât find out about Pattieâs living conditions.
Anastasia had her own problems to deal with Her downstairs neighbor had been bothering her about a leaking issue, so she had to contact a repair company Just like that, her weekend was over
Ever since their last phone Herman had texted her, but her replies had been dismissive. She was still mad, going to work on time every day, without asking when Herman would be back from his trip
One evening. Anastasia come home from work and was just about to turn on the lights when she was engulfed by a familiar scent and found herself cornered against the wall
Did you miss me?â A deep, magnetic voice sent her heart racing âAre you still mad at me?â