Chapter 759
Wooing My Ex-Wife
The more Jasmine thought about it, the more she felt bad for Whitney. She patted the back of Whitneyâs hand. âIf you arenât brave enough to go against my brother for bullying you, let me know. Iâll do it for you, Whitney.â
Whitney chuckled and held Jasmineâs hand. Iâm happy to have a cute sister-in-law like Jasmine. âEven if I tell you, do you have the courage to help me punish him? Heâs the head of the Newton family. He has the final say on everything that happens in the family.â
Jasmineâs anger was deflated. Charles isnât as fearsome as Craig, and he never punished me.
However, if I push him too hard, he wonât forgive me that easily. That much Iâm certain of.
âIâm sorry. I donât.â
Whitney smiled and touched Jasmineâs face. âItâs all right. I was just saying. Charles didnât bully me, reallyâ¦â
Jasmine remained unconvinced. âDonât keep it all in, Whitney. It breaks my heart to see you suffer.
Youâre a part of the family, too. You shouldnât be mistreated.â
Whitney was touched. Iâm glad Jasmine treats me like family and genuinely cares for me. What Charles did to me suddenly doesnât matter as much anymore.
Holding back her tears, Whitney changed the topic. âIâm hungry. Bring the oatmeal, Jasmine. I want to eat something.â
âSure.â Jasmine quickly did as Whitney asked. âBe careful. Itâs hot.â
Jasmine didnât stop talking while Whitney was eating. âI think Charles has gone to work already, Whitney. If you did p*ss him off, I donât think he has calmed down yet. He was still wearing a scowl when he left.â
Whitney pursed her lips. âThen Iâll⦠find an opportunity to apologize to him.â
âYou donât have to be so nice to him. Donât apologize to him. Just let him stay angry. I want to see how long he can give his newly-wedded wife the cold shoulder,â Jasmine said huffily. Then, she helped cover Whitney with a blanket. âIâll ask the driver to drive you to work and pick you up during off hours for the time being.â
âItâs all right. I donât think Iâll repeat such an amateurish mistake like I did lastâcrap!â
Suddenly, Whitney remembered that she still needed to go to work.
She looked at her watch. There are only fifteen minutes left! Iâm going to be late!
She placed the unfinished bowl of oatmeal on the bedside table and made to get out of bed.
Jasmine quickly stopped her. âWhatâs the matter, Whitney?â
âIâm going to be late for work,â replied Whitney anxiously. My superior praised me for my performance and learning progress just yesterday. It wonât be nice if Iâm late today.
âNah, before Charles left, he said you should take a good rest today. He has asked Isaac to help you apply for a leave.â
âMy superior agreed to that?â
Jasmine giggled impishly. âWhy, of course.â She shoved the bowl of oatmeal back into Whitneyâs hands. âEat and then rest for a day. Itâs normal for people to get sick. No one will berate you for that.â
Hearing that, Whitney continued to eat her oatmeal obediently.
Meanwhile, Benedictâs renovation plan for the oceanarium was complete.
Charles, who was cleaning the laboratory restroom, was summoned by Benedict for the first time.
âHere, take a look and tell me if you have any objections,â said the boy as he handed the A4 paper to Charles.
Benedict had asked the professor in the laboratory to type and print out what he had written on a piece of paper so it would be easier for Charles to read it.
âYou want to build a giant fish tank column in the lobby of the oceanarium to house immortal jellyfish?â
âYep.â Benedict lifted his chin arrogantly.
Charles flashed a faint smile. âNo problem. Immortal jellyfish are quite pleasant to the eye. Youâre quite creative, Benny.â
Despite being praised, Benedict scoffed, âDonât celebrate too early. Iâm not a saint.â
Charles was aware of how ruthless the boy was. He sure has mastered his fatherâs skills. Iâll have to treat his plan more seriously.
âYou want to convert the left half of the oceanarium to a small man-made glacier and glacial lake to house penguins, crocodiles, and polar bears?â The edges of his lips twitched as he stared at Benedict.
The boy nodded with certainty.
With no other choice, Charles explained gently, âPolar bears arenât sea creatures, Benny. Itâs not a good idea to have one in the oceanarium. Also, crocodiles can only survive in temperatures around twenty degrees Celsius. A glacier will be too cold for them to survive. And penguins are the most defenseless of the three. Theyâll be eaten in days if they share a space with the polar bears.â
Benedict knitted his eyebrows. âItâs your responsibility to fulfill my request and ensure they survive. You said the oceanarium is mine and that youâll pay for whatever I want to do with it. Are you trying to go back on your word?â
Unable to refute the boy, Charles nodded. âVery well. Iâll do my best to remodel the oceanarium.â
Benedict was satisfied to hear that. âThatâs more like it. Keep reading.â
Charles inhaled deeply and continued reading the content of the paper.
âYou want to change the shark tank in the oceanarium to a blue whale tank?â That line almost gave him a heart attack. âThe shark tank may be huge, but thereâs no way to expand it for a blue whale. Setting aside the fact that the blue whale is massive, no aquarium in the world has ever managed to house one. Even if I could buy one at a high price, itâd be difficult to transport it from the sea to Salinsburgh and downright impossible to put it in an oceanarium.â He then softened his tone and asked, âHow about another whale species instead? There are many types, and theyâre all quite interesting.â
Benedict shook his head. âThe blue whale is the only one I want. You have my plan. Itâs up to you how to execute it.â He rolled his eyes and snorted. âI still remember you told me youâd pluck the stars out of the sky if I asked for them two days ago. Now, youâre telling me you canât even put a blue whale in the oceanarium. What a big talker.â
Charles sighed, feeling deflated. âFine. Iâll do my best to complete your plan.â
âI donât want you to do your best. I want you to make it happen.â Benedict raised his head, staring at the IV bottle beside his bed. âI should be studying in the kindergarten with Zendaya and my peers right now, Charles. However, because of the awful thing you did in the past, Iâm stuck in this laboratory.â
Lowering his head, he stared at the needle jabbed in the back of his hand. âIâve lost track of the needle holes I received on my bruised hands over the years. If my hands canât be stabbed with any more needles, theyâll have to go to my arms and elbows instead. Iâve already gotten used to the drip. And because I carry a little bit of the virus inside my body, I canât run around outside like Zendaya all day. Iâll be out of breath after only playing for half a day. This is all your fault.â
Despite the boyâs nonchalant tone, every word he uttered punctured a hole in Charlesâ heart.
Charles felt his heart ached terribly as guilt overwhelmed him.
He paled, his eyes reddened, and he dared not breathe.