Chapter 112: Won't Cling to You
After discovering the truth, the two youngsters bid farewell to Harper and returned home feeling disheartened. Harper had not anticipated revealing the truth so readily.
Observing the children's despondency, she promptly excused herself to offer them company. Landon and Winston were crestfallen. In recent days, they had harbored hopes that their father might not hold such animosity towards them.
However, the reality of being expelled from kindergarten by their father shattered those illusions.
It appeared their father's disdain for them remained unchanged.
Winston's eyes welled up with emotion, and he gripped the sofa cover tightly with his small hands, his mouth set in a straight line as he struggled with his feelings. Landon, though equally saddened, remained composed in comparison to his younger brother.
Observing Winston on the brink of tears, Landon comforted him with a determined expression. "Don't let him upset you. If he doesn't appreciate us, we don't need to appreciate him either. And Mommy seems to want to keep this from us, so let's act like we don't know in case she worries.”
Winston sniffled and quietly nodded.
At that moment, Riley had finished the paperwork for the two children and was exiting the kindergarten when she crossed paths with Donovan, who was dropping off Finley.
Finley looked unhappy, pouting as Donovan led him over.
Meeting Riley's gaze, Finley's eyes brightened as if expecting something.
Riley's heart softened, but seeing Donovan nearby, it immediately sank again.
The two quickly walked up to Riley.
Finley pitifully clutched Riley's skirt, looking up at her with hopeful eyes as if waiting for her to say something.
As Finley locked eyes with Riley, her expression filled with excitement. Riley's heart warmed, but when she spotted Donovan in the vicinity, her spirits plummeted once again.
After speaking, she saw the light in Finley's eyes slowly fade. Riley couldn't bear to look any longer and averted her gaze, forcing herself to remain calm. "I have to work, so I have to go."
As soon as Riley finished speaking, she started to walk past them.
Just as she reached Donovan, a large hand grabbed her wrist.
Riley stopped abruptly and turned to meet Donovan's gaze with a blank expression. "Mr. Wilder, do you need anything?"
Donovan frowned deeply. "I wasn't the one who came up with the idea to expel those two kids. You've misunderstood."
Hearing this, Riley retorted sarcastically, " So, Mr. Wilder, are you still going to argue at this point? I'm open to hearing any other excuses you might have. Who are you planning to shift the blame to now, Mr. Wilder?"
Donovan didn't mind her tone and replied in a deep voice, " I had Paxton look into this situation. It was Hollis's choice. Due to my prior directives, the principal mistakenly believed I had given my consent, so..."
At this point, Donovan felt a bit guilty.
Upon learning about this last night, Donovan regretted his previous thoughts even more. If it weren't for his earlier words, the principal wouldn't have misunderstood.
Donovan wanted to make amends, so he came over this morning to check on the situation.
He expected to avoid running into Riley here.
Hearing Donovan's explanation, Riley's expression became even more sarcastic. " Hollis's decision? Isn't that synonymous with your decision? Everyone is aware of the engagement between the Sutton and Wilder families. Are you now attempting to separate yourself from Miss Sutton? Are you not concerned about the devastation she may feel upon learning the truth?"
After speaking, Riley yanked her hand back and said coldly, "Mr. Wilder, please know that I am not one to hold on to grudges. You don't need to justify yourself to me."
With that, Riley left without looking back.
Seeing her leave, Donovan's face darkened.
Finley stood frozen for a moment, tears streaming down her face uncontrollably. She quickly shook off her daddy's hand and sprinted after Riley's departing car.
A sense of foreboding overwhelmed her, and she feared she might never see Riley again after this encounter. The thought unsettled her greatly, and panic filled her eyes.
In her rush, she accidentally stepped on a stone, lost her footing, and tumbled to the ground.
