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Chapter 224
Chapter 224
In the next second, Hudson’s gloomy eyes suddenly lit up with clarity.
Anna and Yvonne watched in mild disbelief as the boy who had looked so guarded and distant just a moment ago suddenly seemed…. gentler. As if something had jolted him back to life.
His expression didn’t really change, but his mouth kept chewing like a little machine–it was oddly funny to watch.
To Yvonne, he looked exactly like one of the capybaras in the little petting zoo at her kindergarten. Anna informed her that yes, that was indeed called a capybara,
Whatever it was, Yvonne adored it.
She’d even tried to convince Richard to raise a few up on the mountain at home. But Richard had flatly refused, saying the animals were sluggish, defenseless, and looked like they were always one breath away from dying–not his idea of fun pets.
“Are you done eating? Hurry up–we need to talk,” Anna prompted again.
Hudson obediently grabbed his jacket and dragged his chair over to where the two girls were sitting.
All that earlier gloom and talk of curses? Gone in an instant.
Once he was seated, Anna spoke seriously.
“You just ate the stuff we brought, so if you tell the teacher about any of this, you’ll get your parents called in too.”
Yvonne nodded firmly beside her. She wasn’t as good as Anna at explaining things, but she had a strong grasp of key phrases.
“Yeah! They’ll call your parents too.”
Hudson blinked, chewing slowly, his eyes flicking between the two girls.
He clearly didn’t understand.
But the girls didn’t notice. They leaned in close, foreheads almost touching, whispering fiercely to each other before arriving at a new plan.
Yvonne pulled another cherry tomato from her backpack and offered it to him.
The moment he saw it, his eyes lit up. He quickly swallowed what was in his mouth. “In case you want more,” Yvonne said in her tiny voice.
Hudson took the tomato with both hands. He started to bite into it–then paused.
Instead, he wiped it carefully and tucked it into his pocket like a treasure.
Anna gave him a satisfied nod, then raised the stakes. “We’re in this together now. If you tell the teacher anything, we’ll report you too.”
She meant it. Every word.
Hudson didn’t seem to take in a single thing she’d just said. After stashing the tomato like it was gold, he looked at them with wide, solemn eyes.
“Thank you,” he said softly.
That one quiet “thank you” made even Anna feel a little awkward.
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Chapter 224
They were threatening him–and he was grateful.
Yvonne beamed, happy to accept his gratitude on everyone’s behalf.
“Okay, you can go back now. But remember: don’t tell anyone,” she said firmly.
Hudson nodded like a good soldier, pushed his chair back where it had been, and sat straight and still again.
Only now, his expression was noticeably brighter.
Every few minutes, he’d reach into his pocket to feel the tomato, visibly reassured each time.
Anna leaned toward Yvonne and gave her a little hug of reassurance.
“It’s okay now, Yvonne. We scared him good. He’s not telling anyone.”
Yvonne nodded.
It was her first time threatening someone, and she’d been a little nervous about it. But with Anna by her side, that fear melted away.
The girls resumed splitting cherry tomatoes under the table.
What neither of them knew was that, back in the staff room, their teacher was trying not to laugh too loudly.
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After they packed up the last of the tomatoes into Anna’s bag, Yvonne looked up. Her fluffy hair had gotten even messier from all the movement.
“All done!” she chirped happily.
Anna zipped her bag and threw her arms around Yvonne in a
Yvonne’s love was the kind that hugged you until you couldn’t breathe. Another day, another dose of overwhelming
affection.
“You two are hugging again,” came a dry voice from the front row. Rachel had gotten up from her seat. “Anyone need to go to the bathroom?”
Anna immediately took Yvonne’s hand. “We’ll go with you!”
And just like that, the three of them marched off, hand in hand–leaving Hudson speechless.
‘Wait… isn’t it still class time?‘ He looked around, puzzled, scanning the classroom for the teacher.
The young teacher smiled at the trio. “Want me to come with you?”
Anna shook her head and waved cheerfully as they skipped out of the room.
No one stopped them. The teacher wasn’t even mad.
Hudson didn’t get
- it.
At his old school, going to the bathroom during class was not allowed. Even during breaks, if you took too long, the teacher would scold you.
He was slow, so he got yelled at a lot. Eventually, he got too scared to even ask.
Now he lay his head on the desk, watching as the teacher passed out brightly colored books.
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He didn’t know how to describe how he felt. Everything here seemed good. The teacher was nice. His desk mate was nice. And the girl who shared her tomatoes and actually talked to him… was very, very nice,
He decided: when he got home, he’d tell Gabriel, “I really like it here”
By the time school let out, heavy rain was pouring outside.
All the kids stayed in the classroom, waiting for their nannies or drivers to pick them up. No one dared step outside.
Anna’s nanny was the first to arrive. She picked up Anna’s backpack as the girl waved excitedly to Yvonne.
“I’m heading out, Yvonne! See you later! I love you!”
One by one, the children were picked up. But Hudson still sat there, confused.
He didn’t know he was supposed to go home for lunch–his old kindergarten didn’t work like that.
And clearly, neither did Gabriel.
As the classroom emptied, Hudson grew more anxious. The fewer people left, the worse it felt.
Soon, it was just him and the girl from the neighboring seat.
She wasn’t anxious at all. Her legs swung happily under the table, and the teacher smiled every now and then while chatting with her.
Yvonne wasn’t worried. She knew Ian would come for her.
Her mood was light, untouched by the storm outside.
In fact, she was a little excited–she hoped Ian had brought a big umbrella so he wouldn’t get wet.
Then she turned and saw the boy beside her, clearly on edge.
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