Chapter 36
Chapter 36
The moment Yvonne finished speaking the room erupted into applause.
The teacher beamed: “Yvonne just joined our class. Let’s all be friends with her, okry
“Okay!” the children chimed in unison.
Yvonne’s small hands clenched into fists. Her bright eyes swept over the sea of unfamiliar faces, excitement flickering in
them
The teacher glanced around the room before pointing to an empty seat. “Yvonne, you can sit over there.”
Nodding. Yvonne clutched the straps of her fluffy panda backpack and walked over. As soon as she settled into her chair, the kids around her leaned in, cunosity lighting up their faces.
“Whoa” Your backpack is adorable” a girl beside her gushed.
“Can I touch it another kid asked eagerly.
I want to touch it too” a boy said happily.
“Me toor another boy echoed
Yvonne’s cheeks flushed. She hadn’t expected so many kids to talk to her at once. Still, she nervously held her bag out
“You can touch it” she said softly. “My brother bought it for me. Everyone can touch it.”
A chorus of giggles and excited murmurs filled the air as small hands reached out, stroking the plush panda fabric
It’s so so one of them exchimed.
“Like a real kitten” another chimed in stroking it gently.
I’m going to ask my mom to buy me one too!” a little boy declared excitedly.
The children chattered excitedly, their voices overlapping as they quickly struck up a conversation with Yvonne
Smiling Yvonne reached into her bag again and carefully pulled out a handful of roses
Lillian had trimmed them and removed all the thorns.
Yvonne handed a rose to the girl sitting next to her, then gave one to each child at the desks in front and behind her.
The rich fragrance of roses quickly filled the classroom.
The children who received a rose gasped in awe.
“They’re so pretty a girl squealed, clasping her hands together
Thank you. Yvonne another said with a bright smile.
“I want one too” a boy added, looking hopeful
The girl beside Yvonne inhaled deeply, then smiled brightly at her. “My mom loves roses. I’m going to give this to her after
school”
Then, with a determined look, she grabbed Yvonne’s soft hand and gave it a firm shake. Thanks for the flower! My name is
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Chapter 36
Anna Lawson From now on. I’ll look out for you at school!”
Yvonne’s heart warmed. “Thank you, Anna,” she said sincerely. “You’re so nice”
As recess approached, more and more kids gathered around Yvonne’s desk.
Their eyes filled with envy as they gazed at the delicate, dewy roses.
“Yvonne, can I have a rose too?” a girl asked hesitantly.
“Do you have any more?” another chimed in, glancing at her hands.
“Please, just one?” a boy pleaded.
They were already calling her name so naturally as if they’d been friends for ages.
Yvonne reached into her panda backpack, but when she felt around, her heart sank.
She peeked inside, then gave them an apologetic look. “I’m sorry,” she said softly. “I don’t have any left.”
She hadn’t expected to make so many friends today, so she hadn’t brought enough flowers.
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Seeing their disappointment, she quickly added, “But I have more at home! I’ll bring some for everyone tomorrow, okay?*
The children’s faces lit up.
“Really? Yay!” the child cheered.
You’re the best, Yvonne!” another grinned, hugging her.
With that promise, the rest of the day became even better. When they played games and learned new words, her classmates eagerly helped her.
Everyone wanted to be her partner.
Bit by bit, her initial shyness faded. Yvonne no longer felt like the new kid–she was part of the group.
On the other side of the school, another new student was having a very different experience.
As the teacher led her into the classroom, Marian felt an immediate headache coming on at the sight of a room full of chattering children.
So annoying. I hate children, she thought.
When the teacher asked her to introduce herself, she simply said, “Marian Yates,” and nothing more.
The teacher, mistaking her silence for shyness, clapped her hands and turned to the class. “Let’s give Marian a big round of applause!”
Marian barely stopped herself from rolling her eyes. So childish, she thought.
It wasn’t just the teacher’s coaxing tone–it was also her classmates‘ simple, childlike questions. To her, it all felt unbearably
childish.
The teacher didn’t push her, simply guiding her to her seat instead
During recess, a group
up of kids still came over, eager to talk to her.
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They had a lot of questions and full of childish excitement. Marian found it all incredibly boring. Still, knowing that these kids all came from wealthy families, she forced herself to give a few short answers.
kids weren’t stupid–they could sense when someone didn’t want to talk to them.
Gradually, their interest faded, and they moved on.
Since their attention was easily scattered, it didn’t take long for them to be drawn to something new.
Once th
they lost interest in Marian, they quickly moved on to play with something else.
Even her deskmate, a sweet little girl who had tried chatting with her several times, eventually stopped after getting too many cold responses.
During group activities, Marian didn’t even try to participate. When the teacher announced a game, she put her head on her desk to sleep.
When it was time to learn new words, she ignored the lesson entirely. At first, the teacher gently reminded her to join in, assuming she was just overwhelmed.
But after a few tries, she gave up, leaving Marian alone.
Besides that, no matter what she did in kindergarten, Marian always seemed out of place among the other children.
While the other children laughed and played, Marian sat in the corner, watching them with quiet detachment.
The teachers often felt something off about her gaze–as if it carried a hint of disdain and contempt. But they dismissed it, thinking they must have been wrong.
By the end of the day, Marian was completely drained. The endless chattering and laughter had worn her patience thin.
She had lived an entire lifetime as an adult before this. Now, being forced to act like a child among real children felt suffocating
It was too much effort to pretend, so she didn’t bother. She chose to be silent.
When school ended, the Yates family’s butler arrived to pick her up.
Although Nina adored her, she wasn’t always available.
He scooped her up into his arms and carried her outside. A familiar voice drifted from behind her.
Turning slightly, she spotted Victor and lan standing just outside another classroom, chatting with a teacher. Between them stood Yvonne.
Victor and lan both wore easy smiles. Their expressions softened whenever they looked at Yvonne. Anyone watching them would assume they were her uncles, doting on her like family.
Marian’s fingers curled into tiny fists. A sharp pang of danger twisted in her stomach.
She thought, So this is blood relations.
“No, I have to get closer to the Holmes family. I have to make sure Yvonne is cut off from Jan.
That will be better for me.”
As Marian was carried away, her determination only grew stronger.
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