Chapter 56
Sensing the assistant’s glance, Jessica lifted her eyes. The assistant immediately lowered her head and turned to leave. She thought, ‘Oh my. Ms. Grant’s gaze is overwhelming.
Jessica gave a quiet chuckle and shook her head. From the moment she entered the building this morning, she could clearly feel that the atmosphere in the entire company was different.
Most people were probably afraid that the new CEO would make an example out of someone.
Jessica thought, ‘Even if I wanted to do something, I would only choose those who truly deserve it.’
At 5 PM, at Hartdale International Bilingual School.
“Hey, Jessica, what have you been so busy with lately? Haven’t seen you picking up Jacob,” a woman called out with a warm smile.
Hearing the name, Madeline turned around. The smile on the woman’s face stiffened when she saw Madeline’s face. She offered an awkward apology. “Sorry, I thought you were someone else.”
As she spoke, she stepped aside in embarrassment but couldn’t resist glancing back at Madeline a few more times.
Madeline’s outfit and hairstyle looked very much like Jessica’s at a glance from behind.
A flicker of jealousy flashed in her eyes, accompanied by a trace of pride. She thought, ‘Someone even confuses me with Jessica? That just means I am becoming more and more like her. I’m just no less than she is.‘
Soon, school ended, and the teachers began escorting each lower–grade student to their parents.
Jacob’s eyes lit up the moment he spotted Madeline from afar.
Then, as he got a better look at her face, disappointment filled his chest. He greeted Madeline in a low voice, “Hi, Maddie.”
He had truly believed his mother came to pick him up just now.
“Jake, how about we go to the amusement park? There are new games again,” Madeline said warmly. She had specifically asked Brian for an early shift so she could take Jacob out to play.
When Jacob heard they were going to the amusement park, he visibly brightened.
Madeline extended her hand, and Jacob grasped it without hesitation.
A nearby child asked Jacob who the woman was, and Jacob responded proudly, “She’s my dad’s assistant. She’s really good to me. She takes me to the amusement park and plays lots of fun games with me.”
Under other children’s jealous eyes, Jacob immediately cheered up. He bounced happily alongside Madeline and climbed into the car.
A woman whispered to another, “Who is that woman?”
The second woman replied, “Jessica hasn’t come to pick up Jake for several days. That woman definitely seems like someone important.”
The first woman said, “You’re right. From behind, I thought it was really Jessica.”
The parents of Jacob’s classmates did not miss the opportunity to gossip as Madeline led Jacob into the car.
Anyone with eyes could sense something unusual, and many of them secretly felt sorry for Jacob.
Inside the amusement park, Jacob’s excitement barely had time to take off. He sat on the carousel but quickly lost interest.
“Maddie, this isn’t fun. I want to get off,” he said before the carousel stopped. In the past, he would laugh and shout with joy at a time like this, but now, he just sat there with a frown.
Madeline assumed he was simply tired of it. She had the staff stop the ride and brought Jacob to try other attractions.
At first, she didn’t think too much of it. But when Jacob showed no enthusiasm even for his favorite shooting game, she began to realize something was off.
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Chapter 36
Jacob complained. “This still isn’t fun. Maddie, can we go home? I don’t want to play anymore.”
He dropped the toy gun from his hands. In just thirty minutes, they had tried more than ten games, and he gave up on each one after only a few
minutes.
Madeline’s smile faltered for a moment. She thought bitterly. Tve humbled myself and smiled so hard to coax him into playing, and he still isn’t enjoying it?
But no matter what she tried, Jacob remained uninterested. There was an emptiness inside him that he could not explain.
Lacking energy and visibly downcast, Jacob insisted that Madeline take him home.
Madeline watched him turn his head to stare out the car window, his expression heavy with thought.
As she realized even his favorite amusement park couldn’t cheer him up, Madeline felt a strong wave of unease rising in her chest.
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