Chapter 353 Don't Hit My Kids
Nathaniel stared at the computer screen, his eyes growing darker.
The screen displayed a Mickey Mouse video alongside his company's promotional clip. Below, a debugger was open with unfinished code still visible.
Nathaniel found it unbelievable!
"Jacoba, tell me, what are you doing?"
Jacoba felt inexplicably nervous and guilty. He couldn't explain why; he wasn't actually afraid of his father.
"Are you off work? I want to go find my mommy!"
Nathaniel fixed his gaze on Jacoba, trying hard to connect hacker J with Jacoba, which was hard to believe.
"Don't change the subject. I'm asking what you're doing right now!"
Jacoba realized he couldn't hide it anymore, but he wasn't that familiar with his dad and wasn't sure if he would get physical. Judging by how angry he seemed, Jacoba thought he might!
Jacoba quickly took a few steps back, abandoning the computer as if ready to flee. As he retreated to the head of the bed, he opened his smartwatch and called Aurelia. With mommy listening, his dad would surely hold back.
Nathaniel's face was very serious now; he was indeed angry, but he also found Jacoba's reaction amusing. Thinking about how many times this kid had pranked him before, he felt he had no authority as a father in front of his child.
Nathaniel felt a mix of emotions.
"Jacoba, why did you do this?"
Jacoba knew he had upset him but didn't want to admit he was wrong. He was avenging his mommy; how could that be wrong?
Jacoba lifted his chin, thinking that even if he was scared, he shouldn't show it. He couldn't lose in terms of momentum.
"Of course, it's to stand up for my mom. You hurt her and made her cry at night when she thought no one was watching. I even saw the old photos of you two on her phone. When I grow up, I don't want to be anything like you."
Nathaniel rubbed his temples, feeling a bit depressed. He hadn't expected this child to hide his thoughts so deeply.
Nathaniel calmed down and asked again, "Is everything you just said true?"
Jacoba, unwilling to lose, replied, "Of course. Mommy said that when a man has a family, he should be there for them, but you weren't. I hadn't even seen you before. When I grow up, I'll make sure to be there for my family, not like you!"
Nathaniel held his forehead, realizing that the child deeply resented his absence over the years. He softened his tone. "I'm asking if what you said earlier is true."
He was referring to Jacoba saying that Aurelia often cried secretly at night and still kept their photos. Jacoba snorted, not wanting to answer him.
Nathaniel put his hands on his hips, feeling helpless with Jacoba.
"Come here."
Jacoba pressed himself further against the wall. "No way. You're definitely going to hit me!"
"Do I look like someone who hits people?"
"Right now, you do! You're so scary! Uncle Caleb would never be like you. He not only doesn't scold kids but also teaches me martial arts."
Nathaniel felt another emotional blow. He knew his own temperament and had tried to restrain himself to be a kind father in front of his children. Yet, Jacoba still thought he was fierce.
The key point was, as a father eager to get closer to his child, he was being compared to someone else and lost, and that someone was his rival, Caleb.
Nathaniel felt like he was experiencing the pain of a broken heart.
The father and son were at a standoff. Jacoba's call to Aurelia had gone unanswered, but now she was calling back. Seeing mommy's call, Jacoba felt even more supported and wasn't afraid of his dad anymore.
"Jacob, did you and Dorothy have fun today?"
Aurelia's gentle voice came from Jacoba's smartwatch. Before Jacoba could answer, Dorothy stood up and hugged Jacoba's arm, her small voice announcing, "Mommy, Daddy and Jacob are fighting."
"What?"
Aurelia was very puzzled.
Following his sister's lead, Jacoba added with a quiver in his voice, "Mommy, I'm so scared."
His tone was filled with distress. He hadn't even cried when he was bullied by classmates in kindergarten, but now he sounded so pitiful.
These two children had been spoiled by Aurelia since they were little. She was strict in their upbringing but always kept her temper in check, never resorting to hitting them or losing her cool. Her approach focused more on guidance.
Hearing the children's complaints, her first reaction was that Nathaniel had hit them.
The phone was silent for a few seconds, like the calm before a storm. The next second, Aurelia roared through the phone, "Nathaniel!"
Both kids were accusing him, and he felt at a loss for words.
"Aurelia, please, let me explain!"
Aurelia was anxious now. Hearing Jacob's aggrieved voice, her anger flared up. She shouldn't have let him take care of the kids; with his patience, how could he handle them?
"Right now, bring the kids to me immediately."
She added, "And don't hit my kids."
Nathaniel felt wronged; they were his kids too. How could he bear to hit them?
"Aurelia, I didn't hit them!"
Aurelia wouldn't believe him until she saw the kids. "Bring Jacob and Dorothy to me first, then we'll talk."
The call ended, and Jacoba made a face at him.
Nathaniel was now concerned about what lay ahead. With such a troublesome child, he wondered if he could still hope for a peaceful and fulfilling future.
Nathaniel held back.
"Come down now, put on your shoes. We're going to pick up Mommy from work."
The two kids, hearing they were going to see Mommy, quickly put on their shoes and packed their bags, putting in their favorite toys and water bottles.
At that moment, Aurelia had just finished a meeting. She had sneaked out of the conference room to make that call. Now she went back to pack her things.
In the conference room, the employees who had just attended the meeting had dispersed, leaving only Patrick reviewing the proposals submitted by his subordinates.
Norman's assets had mostly been auctioned off, and some funds had returned to the company's account. After Patrick's recent reorganization, all departments were operating smoothly, and everything was moving in a positive direction.
"Aurelia, want to grab a meal together later?"
Aurelia, holding her computer, thought about Patrick's deliberate actions when Nathaniel came in yesterday. She felt she should avoid any misunderstandings. Besides work, she should avoid being alone with him.
Moreover, she really didn't have time to have dinner with him today.
She was still worried that Jacoba had been hit and was already thinking about how to seek justice for her child.
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
