Chapter 30



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Hearing Joseph’s questions, the expression of the administrator’s pretty assistant, Rita, changed slightly.

“The swings are not high and the floor at the bottom is padded. Our school has never had an accident related to the swings.”

Joseph pointed to the swings in disgust. “Never doesn’t mean there is no risk. If a child lets go of your hand while swinging, do you think a toddler’s ability to keep his balance can keep him from falling?”

Finished speaking, Joseph turned his head back and looked with a serious gesture at the rainbow plastic track not far away.

“And the plastic track I had already taken a look at a moment ago. The corner is not completely paved with plastic. Your school doesn’t pay enough attention to the cleanliness of the grass. The children are naughty. If they hide inside the grass, you won’t be able to notice, what if there are poisonous snakes?”. Rita’s face turned white. She didn’t know what to answer.

What child would let go of her hand for no reason while playing on the swing? The grass in the field was maybe just because the gardeners had slacked off lately, the grass wasn’t even ankle high. Castillo Azul Bilingual Kindergarten had never encountered a more demanding parent than Joseph.

“I guess it’s not that bad.” A clear woman’s voice broke the ice. Hayden came down the hallway and approached them.

“Mr. Beckham, you really worry too much about Noah. In the past, Stella once fell off the swing and broke her arm, while her face was a bit injured. However, I don’t think it’s such a bad thing.”

He looked at Joseph. His eyes were soft as if he was thinking of something extremely warm.

“Because after that incident, whenever he swings, he holds on tightly to the rope so he never falls. Even when I’m sitting on the swing, she says something like ‘Mommy, hold the rope tightly.'”

Hearing this, Joseph’s tense face relaxed greatly. He stared at Hayden with a complicated expression for quite a while.

Seeing this, Rita spoke cautiously aside. “Mr. Beckham, I believe what Miss Downey says is quite true. But if you are still dissatisfied, we will remove the swing while, for the plastic runway, we will pave it over completely as soon as possible without leaving any grass.”

Joseph pondered a moment and said in a deep voice.

“Never mind, leave it like that. If Noah has any problems in the future, remember to contact me immediately.”

Rita let out a sigh of relief and looked at Hayden gratefully. “Very well, since there is no problem, I’ll be back to inform the director.”

It was still early. Hayden took a deep breath and sat back on the swing, smiling, “Mr. Beckham, I can’t believe you’re willing to listen to other people’s opinions as well.”

Joseph lifted his eyes and looked at her. The morning light was streaming across her face and her eyes were squinting slightly because of the light. She was smiling a pleasant smile with a small sense of mockery towards him.

Surprisingly, he was not displeased and merely asked, “In your opinion, am I a dictator who doesn’t listen to other opinions?”

Hayden played on the swing and flatteringly denied, “How is that possible, everyone knows Mr. Beckham is young and capable, how can you be an arbitrary tyrant?”

“Tyrant?” Joseph’s eyes narrowed.

“Ahem.” Hayden realized he had said the wrong thing, so he quickly changed the subject, “I simply think Mr. Beckham’s concern for Noah is excessive. Things will develop in the opposite direction when they become extreme. In reality, children need their own space, too.”

“Is that so?” Joseph’s expression looked a little complicated.

Hayden thought he disagreed with his opinion, so he explained. “In fact, it doesn’t matter if a child is slightly hurt. It’s not right for them to refuse to go out just because they are afraid of the outside world. You shouldn’t keep Noah under the greenhouse with his protection. If he can’t see sunlight outside, he will never know what kind of life he wants. We’re all supposed to be born for a unique life, aren’t we?”.

These words apparently stimulated something in Joseph’s mind. The words ‘we are all supposed to be born for our unique life’ repeatedly hovered in his mind.

Seeing his abnormal expression, Hayden asked carefully. “Maybe, is the fact that Noah isn’t able to talk the reason you’re so nervous about his affair?”.

Joseph regained his presence of mind. He looked at her with something shining in his eyes.

“I’m sorry.” Hayden quickly pursed his lips, “I forgot you told me not to ask that, sorry, pretend I didn’t say anything.”

He looked at his wrist. He got up from the swing and hurried to change the subject, “It’s late, I have to go to work. I’ll leave now.”

“If it weren’t for my negligence, Noah would have no qualms about talking.”

A low voice came from behind her with a hint of self-condemnation. It caused Hayden to stop her pacing. Slightly stunned, she turned around.

Somehow she doubted if her ears had misheard. After all, Joseph was not one to casually talk to others about his private family matter. When she asked why Noah couldn’t talk last time, he even reprimanded her.

“You mean Noah’s reluctant to talk?” She asked shyly.

Joseph nodded slightly with a rather complicated expression.

“When Noah was two years old, he could already do many things, but after a high fever, he became reluctant to speak. The doctor had checked that his vocal cords and nerves were not damaged, he just refused to speak and the doctor said it was a psychological problem.”

“Psychological problem?” Hayden’s heart ached slightly for him, “What did he come across at that point?”

When she said this, Joseph felt even more compunction. Surprisingly he sighed. “I don’t know.”

Not knowing made him blame himself even more. The fever appeared for no reason and the matter Noah encountered that night could not be clearly investigated. The maids who cared for Noah in the old mansion didn’t know anything either. That was why he was unwilling to leave Noah with grandfather after that affair.

Besides, when he saw Noah almost die from a serious illness three years ago, he realized that being a father was not as simple as seeing his son during free time and hearing him call him daddy. It was a responsibility.

Joseph’s brows furrowed and he seemed to have an agonizing sense of guilt, something Hayden hadn’t expected at all.

“No wonder he’s so nervous about Noah now. But the matter is over, don’t think about it anymore.”

This kind of consolation was really useless. Joseph’s face looked inconsolable and shadowed. Hayden instantly regretted having struck a chord with him. He felt a twinge of panic.

It couldn’t be that he was going to cry from the sadness of being cut off short!

He noticed the swing he had just gotten up from and an idea flashed through his mind. “Mr. Beckham, have you ever played on a swing?”.

This nonsensical sentence made Joseph look at her puzzled. Before he could react, Hayden pulled him up and forced him to sit on the swing.

“When you play on a swing, you will forget all your worries and sorrows. Mr. Beckham, sit there, I’ll push you.”

“I don’t need you to push me.”

“It’s just a small gesture, Mr. Beckham. I know I’ve touched your sensitive nerve, sit properly.”

“Hayden.” Joseph’s mouth twitched and he gritted his teeth, saying, “Enough is enough.”

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