Chapter 49
It made water splash, wetting Ruben’s clothes and hair.
But Ruben didn’t care about it. He only stared anxiously at the center of the pool.
Noticing Gideon jump into the pool to save Jeanne, Joyce suddenly panicked.
She thought, ‘Dad said that he wouldn’t come over tonight. Why is he here? If he sees me here, I will get into trouble!”
Seeing things getting out of control and fearing being scolded by Gideon, Joyce decided to leave this place as soon as possible.
However, Ruben quickly grabbed Joyce’s wrist and stopped her.
He thought, ‘She mustn’t run away!”
Joyce was anxious and shouted angrily, “Let me go! Let me go now!”
No matter how hard she struggled, she couldn’t get free because she had smaller strength than Ruben, and her wrist ached.
Hearing the onlookers talking about her, Joyce felt even more afraid and panicked.
She defended herself. “I didn’t mean it. I just wanted to say hello to her. However, she fell into the pool. It must have been because she didn’t stand still when she got up. So, it has nothing to do with me!”
Ruben ignored her words and kept staring at her fiercely.
He thought, ‘I will spare nobody who bullies Jeanne! Since she dared push Jeanne into the pool, she must pay for the price!
Soon, Jeanne was saved from the water.
Because of choking on the water and being frightened so much, she lay in Gideon’s arms, dying, with a pale face at the moment.
Water drops were falling down the top of her head, making her look pitiful.
Gideon didn’t care about his own image. He placed Jeanne on the flat floor, shook her gently, and said softly, “Jeanne, can you hear me?”
Gideon repeated the same words many times, and just when he was about to call the ambulance, Jeanne finally responded.
“Ahem…”
Chapter 49
Jeanne coughed up the water in her lungs and slowly opened her eyes.
She had a blurred vision and fuzzy sense. Looking at Gideon, she subconsciously called him “Daddy“.
Gideon was stunned, thinking that Jeanne had also called him that way in kindergarten the last time.
He wondered, ‘Does she mistake me for her father again?”
Gideon wrapped his clean suit jacket around Jeanne and carried her into his arms, thinking, “It’s too cold for her to lie on the floor.
Gideon asked, “How are you feeling now?”
To answer his question, Jeanne cried loudly and sadly.
Jeanne came back to her senses and realized what she had just experienced. Fear and panic were intertwined, and she cried more and more loudly.
Gideon had never seen a child who cried like Jeanne.
Carrying Jeanne in his arms, he felt helpless and wasn’t sure if he should comfort her.
He wondered, ‘Can anybody help me and tell me what to do now?”
Thinking of what she had encountered tonight, Jeanne couldn’t stop crying and felt she was the most miserable person in the world.
She punched Gideon in the chest with her fists and said pitifully, “You are a bad guy. All of you are bad guys!”
Gideon didn’t know what to say and felt awkward.
He thought, I just got her out of the water. How come I become a bad guy?‘
At this moment, Edith heard the noise and rushed over.
She grabbed Jeanne from Gideon’s arms.
Edith kept stroking Jeanne, feeling bad for Jeanne, and said tremblingly, “Baby, what happened to you? Please be okay!”
She regretted, “I should have stayed with Ruben and Jeanne just now instead of having coffee by myself.”
“Mom…” Jeanne put her arms around Edith’s shoulders and hugged Edith tightly.
Danika didn’t expect to see Gideon there.
Chapter 49
Seeing Gideon soaked, she quickly took off her shawl and said, “It’s cold at night. Put it on, or you may catch a cold.”
Gideon didn’t want it and raised his hand to block Danika’s movement.
Danika’s hand hung in mid–air. She felt embarrassed and withdrew her hand quickly.
Seeing Ruben holding Joyce’s wrist and standing beside them quietly, she asked, “Ruben, are you protecting Joyce?”
Danika didn’t know what happened and thought Ruben worried about Joyce’s safety and grabbed Joyce after seeing Jeanne falling into the water.
Hearing Danika’s words, Ruben let go of Joyce in disgust.
He thought, ‘I don’t want to protect Joyce at all..I will only protect my family.”
Joyce got free and immediately rushed to Danika; eager to leave.
She thought, ‘I can’t let the adults, especially my father, know what I did. Otherwise, he will never come to see my mother and me later!”
Joyce urged in a low voice, “Mom, it’s cold. Take me home quickly!”
“You can’t go!” Ruben shouted again.
He had a solemn face.
It was the first time Edith had heard Ruben speak so loudly, but she wasn’t happy. thinking what was going on.
It was too chaotic.
Joyce hid behind Danika again, urging even more anxiously, “Mom! Let’s go!”
Danika didn’t guess what Joyce meant. She comforted Joyce softly. “Are you scared after seeing Jeanne falling into the water? It’s okay. Your daddy and I are here.”
“I want to go home!” Joyce stamped her feet anxiously and said in an even more impatient tone.
Sensing the three kids acting weird, Edith frowned and said, “Ruben, what happened? Why did Jeanne fall into the swimming pool?”
Ruben stretched out his hand to point at Joyce, who was hiding behind Danika.
“She pushed Jeanne!”
Ruben said every word heavily, feeling angry.
Chapter 49
He wished he could push Joyce into the pool because he believed that only by
experiencing what Jeanne had suffered could Joyce know what kind of pain Jeanne had experienced.
“No! I didn’t do it,” Joyce retorted, feeling nervous. “I just said hello, but she didn’t stand still and fell into the water. I know you hate me, but you can’t frame me!”
Ruben clenched his fists and said firmly, “I am sure you did it!”
He was furious.
It was the first time Edith had seen Ruben so angry.
She believed that Ruben and Jeanne would not lie.
Last time in kindergarten, Joyce bullied Jeanne, but she transferred to another school in a hurry, so Edith let Joyce go.
Edith could stand small fights between children. But Joyce’s behavior of pushing Jeanne into the water was intolerable!
To put it seriously, what Joyce had done was malicious murder!
Edith’s eyes fell on Danika and Gideon, and she said coldly, “You must explain today’s
matter.”
She thought, ‘No one can harm Ruben and Jeanne. They are my everything.
Gideon stared at Joyce with a cold face and asked, “Did you do it?”
“No… I didn’t do it…” Joyce didn’t dare to look at him and closed her subconsciously.
cycs
Her panicked action exposed her.
Gideon showed a disappointed expression.
He didn’t expect Joyce to be educated like this.
Gideon pulled Joyce to stand before him, forced her to open her eyes, and repeated the question, “Did you do it?”
He directly scared Joyce to cry.
Joyce said, “Boohoo! Mom!”
She desperately wanted, to seek help.
Danika had no choice but to say, “Giddy, there may be some misunderstandings. Joyce
17:27 Thu, 22 Feb G GG ·
Chapter 49
is still young. I don’t think she would have done such a thing…”
Gideon’s already cold face looked terrifying now.
72%
With a sullen face, he asked, “You mean those two children lied and deliberately framed. Joyce?”
“No… I didn’t mean that…” Danika shook her head repeatedly, not knowing how to explain it.
Compared with protecting Joyce, Danika chose not to make Gideon angry.
Danika no longer defended Joyce and showed a stern expression. “I’ve always taught you to behave yourself. How could you lie?”
Joyce didn’t expect that Gideon and Danika wouldn’t take her side.
No matter how loudly she cried, Gideon and Danika both ignored it.
Ruben added, “I saw what Joyce did, and there is a surveillance camera here.”
He pointed to the corner of the pool.
Joyce looked upset. Seeing that she couldn’t argue, she could only admit it.
She whispered, “I didn’t mean it…”
