Chapter 265: Tears
Daisy boasted to Nicholas, "Josie's doing really well in kindergarten, her teachers praise her every day."
Nicholas responded flatly, "I didn't ask you."
Daisy fell silent, then gave Josie a gentle tug.
Josie answered timidly, "Very well, very well."
And it was indeed very good. Every day, she got to learn violin with Ms. Roberts, and it was a joy.
She had fallen in love with kindergarten.
Nicholas didn't ask any further. He ate a couple of slices of toast and drank a bowl of porridge. He left the peeled egg and the warm milk untouched.
After Marlow Kurtz arrived, Nicholas left for work.
Daisy stood at the door like any wife, watching his car drive away before returning to the dining room.
"Josie, your dad's leg is injured," she informed her daughter.
Josie felt a pang of anxiety.
"Do you know how your dad hurt his leg?"
Josie shook her head.
"Ms. Roberts from your kindergarten kicked him. Your dad's leg was already injured and he couldn't walk, and she kicked him. It was really too much."
Josie couldn't believe why Ms. Roberts would kick her dad.
"If only you were a boy; then your dad would really like you, and mom could easily get the marriage certificate with your father, and things wouldn't be so unclear."
"Josie, you need to avenge your dad, you know? If you do, your dad will be happy, and he'll be nicer to mom, and then mom will be happy."
Josie wanted to make her mother happy because when her mother wasn't pleased, she would scold her.
She didn't want to be scolded.
When her mother was happy, she would hug her.
But... that person was Ms. Roberts.
Upon arriving at kindergarten, Daisy handed Josie a small packet.
"Remember, pour this into Ms. Roberts' water bottle, and you'll have avenged your dad."
Josie was reluctant to take it. She felt sorry for her dad, but Ms. Roberts was someone she liked.
"You don't want to?" Daisy's face darkened suddenly, scaring Josie.
"Don't you want your mom and dad to get along?"
"No, it's not that," Josie said, her eyes welling up with tears. She shook her head quickly.
"I gave birth to you to settle scores, and apart from making me angry, you've never done a single thing to please me. Your dad gets hurt and you don’t even seem to care..."
Daisy was tremendously disappointed.
Josie was even more panicked and fearful.
"I'll do it," she uttered hastily.
Seeing her take the packet, Daisy's expression softened into a gentle smile.
"That’s a good girl. When you get home from school, I'll have the nanny make you something tasty to eat."
Josie wanted to cry but didn't dare, her hand gripping a package as she stepped off the bus.
The small girl carried a large backpack, her heart heavy within her.
Emma noticed Josie was out of sorts all morning.
"What's wrong?" Emma asked with concern.
Josie shook her head; her mother had told her not to share it with anyone.
After teaching a class, Caroline called Josie into her office.
Every day, she gave Josie an hour's lesson on the violin, then left her to practice alone for another hour.
When the lesson ended, Caroline went to the restroom, and the other teachers were outside watching the kids play.
Josie's hands trembled as she pulled out the package.
She hesitated.
She really didn't want to hurt Roberts. Roberts had always been kind and gentle to her, not to mention he taught her the violin.
But she couldn't ignore her mother's words.
If she didn't do it, her mother would scold her, saying her father didn't love her or her mother because she wasn't a boy.
She also longed for her parents' love and wished they would both come to her school events.
Josie unwrapped the little paper packet, preparing to pour its contents into Caroline's cup.
"Josie, what are you doing?!"
A stern shout startled Josie, causing her hands to jerk and the powder to spill all over the desk.
Josie quickly hung her head in shame and fear.
Emma, furious, burst in and pushed Josie slightly.
"What were you putting in my godmother’s cup? Why would you want to hurt her?"
She was so disappointed — how could her best friend do such a thing?
Her godmother had been nothing but good to her, and this felt like the ultimate betrayal.
Emma was beyond angry.
Josie broke into tears.
Stunned, Emma thought, "She's crying after doing something wrong? Hmph, I'd got Josie all wrong!"
Josie wasn't a coward at all!
Josie feared Emma's disappointment more than anything, afraid that Emma would never want to play with her again.
Through sobs, Josie explained, "Roberts kicked my dad's leg, and my mom wants me to get back at him for it. I didn't mean to do this; if I don't, my mother will yell at me."
"What?" Emma's eyes widened.
Caroline returned and saw Emma seemingly bullying Josie, so she swiftly separated the two girls.
"Emma, why have you made Josie cry? Aren't you two friends?"
Emma puffed up like a blowfish in anger.
"Godmother, I didn't bully her. She was about to pour this stuff into your cup, and I caught her."
The small heap of white powder on the desk was conspicuous.
Caroline looked deeply at Josie, her gaze filled with concern and a silent question.
Josie was too terrified to even cry, her tiny body trembling violently as she kept backing up until she hit the corner of the room. She seemed to be trying to shrink into the wall itself.
Caroline's heart softened at the sight, feeling a deep pain and tightness in her chest from seeing Josie in such distress. She could almost physically feel Josie's pain.
Taking slow steps forward, Caroline approached the frightened girl who continued to retreat.
"Josie, don’t be afraid," Caroline said as she crouched down to embrace her, her large, gentle hands cradling the back of Josie's head, her voice incredibly soothing.
"Don’t worry, your teacher isn't mad at you, and you haven't really hurt me."
Josie's emotions collapsed, and she clung to Caroline's neck, weeping.
"Sob, Roberts, sob... I made a mistake, sob... Please don't leave me, Roberts."
A sharp pang shot through Caroline's heart as she held Josie close.
"Roberts isn’t going anywhere. I still have to teach you the violin," she assured Josie.
Standing to the side with watery eyes, Emma felt the urge to cry as well.
Josie looked so pitiful.
With patience and tenderness, Caroline comforted Josie until her sobs subsided, and then she gently probed for the reason behind Josie's actions.
With a shaky voice, Josie said, "Um, my mom told me to take revenge for my dad..."
"Why did you kick my dad's leg?" she asked.
It clicked for Caroline – Daisy had lost her mind. If Daisy wanted revenge, she should come herself; Caroline was ready for her. Manipulating her own daughter into doing bad deeds – was Daisy even fit to be a mother? Didn't she fear the harm it could do to Josie?
Initially, Caroline had felt reluctant to form a bond with Josie due to her being Daisy and Nicholas's daughter. But as she gradually accepted Josie, she discovered that the girl was smart, kind, and only slightly timid. Josie was nothing like Daisy.
However, if Daisy continued down this path, she would eventually lead Josie astray.
Furious not only at Daisy's despicable methods of harming her but also at Nicholas for not stopping Daisy's misguided parenting, Caroline couldn't help but think that they were unworthy of being Josie's parents. Not even a tiger would harm its own cub, and yet Nicholas and Daisy failed gravely in their roles.
"Your dad insulted Roberts, and I just couldn't let that pass, so I kicked him. Next time your mom asks you to do something like this, if you don’t want to do it, you just don’t do it, okay?"
Josie obediently nodded in Caroline's arms.
As Josie mulled over the potential consequences of her actions, she resigned herself to the possibility of scolding from her mother. "Let her yell if she wants to," Josie thought.
Emma, who had been eavesdropping, was shocked.
Josie's mother was actually encouraging Josie to do bad things!
Emma's own mom would never suggest such behavior. Usually, it was her and her brother getting into mischief on their own. Like the time back in the US when someone picked on her; she and her brother Ethan would take revenge by stirring up a wasp's nest or stuffing insects into the bullies' beds during nap time, making them wake up screaming.
"Josie, I misunderstood you before, and I'm sorry," Emma said, quick to apologize once she grasped the situation.
Josie shook her head, "You didn't do anything wrong. It's me who should say sorry to Roberts. I'm sorry, Roberts."
"That's my good girl," Caroline said, planting a gentle kiss on Josie's forehead.
The affection healed Josie's spirits. She giggled goofily, finding solace in Roberts' embrace.
Emma blinked, wondering why Josie seemed to resemble her godmother a bit. She worried if Josie didn't succeed, would she face her mother's wrath?
An idea struck Emma. "Josie, how about Ethan and I come over to your place this weekend?"
Josie, ever so naive, was tempted by the idea.
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