Who is this “she” that made Alex Brown lose his cool?
Ivy Smith instantly understood and cooperated, leaned into his arms and walked to the car parked at the roadside.
Just as she got back into the car, a thunderstorm suddenly exploded in the sky. Ivy Smith was shocked and complained, rubbing her chest, “What the hell kind of weather is this, it was clear just now, why is it thundering?”
The driver started the car, saw that she did not get a response, fearing that she was embarrassed, so he explained, “It’s normal. But you and Mr. Brown don’t have to worry, I have an umbrella in the car.”
Ivy Smith nodded and saw Alex Brown looking intently out the window, his lips opening and closing, but he didn’t say anything after all.
As the rain fell from the sky, the car turned the corner ahead and drove in the opposite direction. Approaching the location where Emma Rosy was hiding, Alex Brown’ body tensed up significantly.
Finally, after passing a few meters, he ordered in a loud voice: “Stop!”
Ivy Smith spoke up first: “If you go to her now, all your efforts will be wasted, are you willing to do that?”
Under the misty rain, Emma Rosy huddled in the corner, finally no one will notice her tears, because she is now in a mess, more than tears.
Alex Brown closed his eyes, as if trying to carve the tiny figure into his heart, and after a moment, sighed, “Eric Chan is still at the Wright Group doing paperwork, right?”
Three minutes later.
In the distant lowlands, the rain rustled down and splashed water, but she was suddenly protected from the heavy raindrops.
She looked slowly upward, and a hand was holding an umbrella for her.
“Thank you.” Emma Rosy stood up, squatting for too long, legs numb, almost fell, when the opposite person steadily hold.
“Miss Richard, it’s raining, why don’t you go into the company… I’ve come to communicate about the cooperation, and I’m leaving now.”
Emma Rosy didn’t take his words and gave a self-deprecating smile, “You’re the only one who found me, thank you.”
Eric Chan, who had just spoken to Alex Brown on the phone, knew exactly why she was saying this, and after a long silence, handed over the umbrella.
“You take the umbrella, I’ll call a car to take you home.”
Emma Rosy took the umbrella and walked away without saying a word.
The sun was hanging in the sky, but the rain was getting heavier and heavier, dripping on the ground as if it were falling into her heart.
Eric Chan watched her back, sighed, shook his head and left.
It rained all night yesterday, but today the sky is clear and Emma Rosy has a cold.
She slept on her desk in a daze all morning until she was gently awakened by her secretary, who told her that she had a meeting in three hours.
“Check the materials you need for the meeting again, and make sure you don’t make any mistakes, while I go home and change my clothes.”
Trying to keep her eyes open, Emma Rosy grabbed her bag and left the house at a faltering pace.
Just as she returned to the old house, she saw Hope sitting in the living room reading her extracurricular book. Emma Rosy, who had already reached the stairs, retreated back and, in case her memory was off, turned on her phone to confirm the date.
Wednesday, 11:30 a. m. Hope should be in class at this time, why did she appear at home?
“Is school temporarily closed?” Emma Rosy walked into the living room and inquired curiously.
Hope’s body visibly stiffened, lips pursed, for a long time before answering in a low voice: “No. I didn’t go to class today…?”
At that, Emma Rosy worriedly came to Hope’s side, her eyes circled her face a few times, and she did not look well, so she hurriedly asked, “Are you sick, or are you not feeling well? Have you been to the family doctor?”
“… no,” Hope hands on the book, fingertips unconsciously squeeze paper, seems very difficult to spit out a few words: “do not want to go to school.”
Hope studies very hard, and she has a mild personality, never heard of conflicts with teachers, or unhappy with classmates.
Now Hope suddenly said she didn’t want to go to school, which really shocked her.
“It’s okay that you don’t want to go to school for a while, but mom needs to know why. Do you feel that studying is too hard, school life is boring, or you don’t like any teacher or classmate… No matter what the reason is, you say it and mommy will work it out with you, okay?”
Perhaps it was Emma Rosy’s gentle attitude that conveyed a sense of security to Hope. The little girl put her book on the coffee table and considered what kind of excuse to make.
As she leaned over, Emma Rosy suddenly frowned and grabbed her arm.
Emma Rosy lifted her short-sleeved school uniform to reveal a bruise on her upper arm.
Emma Rosy’s expression turned serious, and Hope took the opportunity to pull her hand back and cover up by pulling down the cuff.
“I accidentally…”
“Don’t make excuses!” Emma Rosy’s tone is a bit impulsive, realizing that this may scare her daughter, before taking a deep breath to adjust her emotions and ask as gently as possible: “This shape of injury, you can’t have done it yourself, tell mommy honestly, did you get into a fight with your classmates?”
Hope turned her face away, still refusing to cooperate, and insisted, “No.”
Emma Rosy moved closer and put her hand on her shoulder: “Good girl, fighting is not a serious matter. So don’t be afraid…”
“No! I said no!”
Hope pushed her hand away and stood up with red eyes, shouting angrily, “I just accidentally bruised myself, I just don’t want to go to school, can you not force me?”
As children grow up, they will always have all sorts of things on their mind, and at the same time they want to get away from their parents and deal with them through their own abilities. Although occasionally emotional, this is not a sign of ignorance, but a sign of maturity.
Emma Rosy’s eyes were full of concern, but she could only smile reassuringly and handed her the book on the coffee table: “Okay, mommy won’t bother you, you continue reading, and whenever you want to talk to someone, mommy will come with you anytime.”
After saying that, Emma Rosy got up to leave, and was about to walk out of the living room when a guilty apology came from behind her.
“I’m sorry… mom, I shouldn’t have lost my temper.”
“Mom doesn’t blame you, I just want you to be happy.” Emma Rosy sincerely expressed her heart, and then turned around and went upstairs.
Although her daughter’s emotions are sensitive and cannot be pressed, Emma Rosy will not ignore this apparently unusual situation, so she went to the study and asked Master Wright about it.
Master Wright has been recuperating at home lately and rarely goes out, so he actually spends more time with his two children than Emma Rosy does.
“In the last half month, Hope always looks like she has something on her mind. When I asked her a few times during casual conversations, she either avoided or simply changed the subject.”
Master Wright took off his presbyopic glasses, and his face gradually became serious: “I thought it was normal for girls to have some hidden thoughts as they grow up, but according to you, the reason for her mood swings is definitely not as simple as puberty.”
Emma Rosy looked out the window and sighed heavily: “Yes, the injury to her arm is not serious, but if someone really bullied her, the situation would be too bad.”
Master Wright nodded and suspected that Hope was being bullied on campus and decided to keep Hope at home for a few days so that he could keep an eye on her.
Emma Rosy agreed and went straight to the school after the afternoon meeting to find out what was going on.
The school had just finished classes, and there were many children running and playing in the playground and corridors, full of youthful energy. Looking around the school, and not finding Hope’s class teacher, Emma Rosy stopped a teacher who was passing by: “Hello, is Ms. Zhao of the first class in?”
“The last seat in the office.” The young teacher pointed in that direction.
Emma Rosy turned her head, her eyes met with Ms. Zhao in mid-air, and frowned darkly.
She had been busy with work for the past two years and had only attended Hope’s parent-teacher conference once at the beginning of the new semester, so she had only met her once and wasn’t impressed.
She approached and politely asked, “Hello, is this Ms. Zhao?”
To her surprise, Ms. Zhao, who had previously been so insensitive, suddenly changed her smile and warmly got up to shake her hand: “Yes, I’m Hope’s class teacher, are you her mother?”
After exchanging pleasantries with Ms. Zhao for a few moments, the conversation was brought to the point: “Hope is not feeling well and may need to take a few days off, so I came to ask for your leave. At the same time, there are some circumstances that I need to understand from you.”
“It’s okay to take a leave of absence, I will make up for her at that time. Anything else, just ask.” Ms. Zhao smiled and was very communicative.
Emma Rosy told her directly about the bruises on Hope’s arms and her unusual mood. “Have Hope been bullied by her classmates, are you clear about that?”
“Ah, I don’t think there is such a thing, right?” The teacher’s expression was slightly stiff, and her attitude became apparently perfunctory: “Students are still young, and it’s normal for them to play around, I don’t think adults need to care too much.”
“The problem is that Hope’s emotions have been affected, and even developed an aversion to school, is this not worthy of attention?” Emma Rosy’s face was thoroughly sullen, and she seriously questioned.
Ms. Zhao flattened her mouth, a little impatient: “But Hope didn’t tell me either, there are so many students in the class, I can’t possibly do everything.”
After that, she looked down at her phone, “I have to go to class, sorry, I haven’t finished preparing for class, let’s find another time to talk.”
After more than forty minutes without any valuable information, Emma Rosy did not want to waste any more time with the class teacher, so she left.
When she left the office, the class bell rang, and the quiet building immediately came to life.
Emma Rosy thought about it and walked to Hope’s classroom, seeing a few students standing in front of the door chatting.
After asking four or five students in a row, when they heard that she was Hope’s parent, they all quickly waved their hands and fled, as if they knew something but were deliberately hiding it. Until a young girl, of her own accord, pulled her to the corner of the stairs.
“Daniel Lewis…”
The girl looked around, as if she was afraid of being overheard, and told her in a low voice: “A boy named Daniel Lewis in the class, usually likes to follow Hope Smith, and even pushed her chair over, and deliberately drew on her homework book, causing her to be scolded by the teacher.”
Emma Rosy leaned down and asked patiently, “What does ‘following’ mean? Where does he follow Hope?”
“In the playground, or in the hallway, anyway, Hope is afraid of him, but can’t shake him off.”
Adolescent boys who have a crush on any girl are prone to childish actions. But stalking, it is too much.
Emma Rosy thanked the girl and gave her the chocolates in her bag as a gift, ready to talk to the boy herself.
At the end of school that afternoon, according to the girl’s description, Emma Rosy was able to track down a boy named Daniel Lewis.
Hope was fourteen years old, and the boy must have been about the same, but he was already almost taller than Emma Rosy, and she had to wonder how fast children grow these days.
The boy wasn’t surprised by Emma Rosy’s arrival, probably having been “tipped off” by a friend, and responded to her warning with a few mumbling words before boarding his bike and walking away.
Emma Rosy’s car is parked in the distance, and she can’t catch up with him at a run, so she just stands there and stares, hoping that her words will work.
Unfortunately, it was not to be.
The next day Hope was much calmer, and not wanting to worry her great-grandfather and mother, she offered to go back to school. As soon as she entered the class, Daniel Lewis in the back seat stared at her impishly, his eyes glowing green like a wolf that has chosen its prey.
She pretended not to care and continued to listen and study carefully, but her tolerance made the “evil-doer” more aggressive. During recess, Daniel Lewis suddenly ran up to the podium and wrote a big line on the blackboard.
–“Is it human nature or moral degradation for a high school student to stay out at night and fool around with her boyfriend?
The class knew he was always bullying Hope, and there was no doubt who the “high school student” on the board referred to, so the classroom burst into laughter, and even more mischievous boys looked at Hope with disgusted eyes.
No matter how old a girl is, what she fears most is the scandal of a relationship between a man and a woman, let alone a teenager, who is ignorant of the opposite sex.
Hope instantly blushed and her eyes quickly moistened, but she didn’t want to cause Emma Rosy any trouble, so she rushed out of the classroom, full of humiliation.
Just before she reached the stairs, her shoulders were grabbed and she subconsciously waved them away, her back pressed against the wall.
When she saw who was coming, she choked up and asked, “What do you want? I’ve already given you a copy of my homework, why do you keep scolding me?”
Daniel Lewis’s hand froze in mid-air, and when he saw Hope really crying, he looked slightly embarrassed, but many students gradually gathered around him to watch the fun, and he felt embarrassed, so he deliberately snorted: “What do you have to cry about, I’m just telling the truth. You’re not with your boyfriend, so show the evidence!”
Seeing the other party’s aggressiveness, Hope could only run away again, not expecting Daniel Lewis to continue to stimulate her.
“At such a young age, you have no one to teach you about your private life.” Daniel Lewis hugged his arms and deliberately proclaimed in a loud voice: “The person who came to school yesterday to look for you was not your own mother, right? I heard that your parents died long ago and then were adopted, right?”
Saying that, he also proudly raised his eyebrows towards Hope, as if he was looking forward to her being enraged.
Herself being scolded, bullied, and even insulted, Hope could endure it all. But she couldn’t understand how people could be so bad as to make fun of her dead parents.
“Daniel Lewis, you’re going too far.”She turned around.
“Ouch, finally angry? I thought you had no temper and were a rabbit that wouldn’t bite!” Daniel Lewis jeered showily at the group of people around him.
Hope gazed at him expressionlessly, “I don’t need you to apologize, but please stop, it’s okay to talk about me, no mention of my parents.”
Seeing her start to get serious, the watching classmates recoiled and laughed, and a few boys who liked to make trouble even gave Daniel Lewis a wink, reminding him to be careful and not to disgrace the men.
Daniel Lewis continued .
“Who are your parents? Why can’t I say anything? They can still come out and beat me up? I’ll…”
The latter half of the sentence did not finish, he abruptly stared, feeling his body planted backwards uncontrollably, tumbling down the stairs to the bottom platform.
The entire hallway was dead silent, and someone shouted “Hope Smith is hitting someone! The panic spread through the building like a plague.
When Emma Rosy arrived at the school, Daniel Lewis had already been taken to the hospital, and Hope was standing in her office with her head down, with Ms. Zhao sitting in front of her.
Upon entering, Emma Rosy placed the laptop she had brought with her on the desk and crouched down in front of Hope, carefully observing her condition: “Are you hurt? Don’t be afraid Hope, leave everything to mommy to solve, you sit here and rest.”
Seeing her press Hope into the chair, Ms. Zhao’s face was not good, and she spoke in a strange voice: “Miss Richard, if you love your daughter so much, you have to understand what happened first, right? The one who was injured was another student, who was pushed down the stairs by Hope Smith, and his life was probably in danger!”
“You’re right.”
Emma Rosy patted Hope’s shoulder and gave her a gentle smile before standing up and looking sharply at Ms. Zhao: “We should indeed find out what happened, and to satisfy your impartiality, I have brought the evidence to watch the truth of the matter with you.”
Moving sharply, she opened her laptop and played the video.
“You’re right.”
Emma Rosy patted Hope’s shoulder and gave her a gentle smile before standing up and looking sharply at Mr. Zhao: “We should indeed find out what happened, and to satisfy your impartiality, I have brought the evidence to watch the truth of the matter with you.”
Moving sharply, he opened his laptop and played the video.