Free Web NovelChapter 604: Is He Testing Her?
Michael and ’Wendy’ returned home together. Seeing that Michael had been working, ’Wendy’ carefully cut some fruits for him. "Have some fruits," ’Wendy’ told him.
Michael hummed softly and thanked his wife. He picked up a piece of fruit and put it in his mouth, then continued to work.
Seeing him like this, ’Wendy’ didn’t have much to say, and quietly left the study. She wanted to talk to Michael more, but she knew that she could not be so forward.
Otherwise, Michael would soon discover that something was wrong. Wendy was not a very clingy woman after all.
She wondered, in her heart, how she could encourage the bond between the two of them.
"Wendy, shall we pick up Leah and Jack together?" Zess asked her with a smile as she watched ’Wendy’ walking out of the study.
Instinctively, ’Wendy’ started to reply, "No, I..."
She wanted to say that she didn’t want to go. She didn’t want to pick up Wendy’s two children. Instead, she swallowed the rest of her words.
Wendy usually picked up her two children from school when she was free. A few days ago, because Michael had been hospitalized, she was often in the hospital and had no time to pick them up. Now that she was back, it might raise some eyebrows if she didn’t personally fetch her kids from school.
’Wendy’ had to tread carefully. So she smiled and said, "Okay, let’s pick them up together."
Zess frowned slightly when she heard ’Wendy’ initially say no, but then change her mind to say that she was going. However, she didn’t dwell on it, she just smiled and said, "Let’s go then."
The two ladies changed their shoes and went out together.
On the way, ’Wendy’ didn’t know what to say to Zess, so she didn’t say much.
Zess took the lead and said, "You’ve been taking care of Mr. Lucas in the hospital these few days. You’ve worked hard."
"It’s not hard work, as long as he’s okay," ’Wendy’ said. "I only want my family to be safe."
"Yes, peace and safety are better than anything." Zess sighed. "What happened the other day was really scary. Fortunately, none of you had a major incident. By the way, has your neck injury healed yet?"
That said, Zess turned her head to glance at ’Wendy’. The wound on her neck was specially made by Christian with a knife. The wound wasn’t deep, it was almost healed now, with only a faint scar remaining.
Zess saw the scar and said: "It looks good. Don’t be afraid of the scar, it will fade away in a few days."
’Wendy’ hummed, smiling and not knowing what to say.
Zess thought that Wendy was still worried about Christian, and in no mood for small talk, so she didn’t say any more.
Soon, the two of them arrived at the door of the kindergarten.
’Wendy’ saw Leah and Jake coming out, and immediately pretended to be happy to see them, waving at them. "Leah, Jake..."
The children saw that ’Wendy’ was approaching, and ran toward her immediately.
Leah threw herself directly into the arms of ’Wendy’.
’Wendy’ disliked it, but she still had to pretend to be happy. She then asked Leah, "How was school today? Were you happy?"
"Unhappy..." Leah immediately answered.
"Why were you unhappy?" ’Wendy’ probed.
...
"It’s all because of Jake!" Leah cried. "He wouldn’t let me go to Mark’s birthday party."
"Mark?" ’Wendy’ was unfamiliar with this name.
"Yes, Mark’s birthday is this weekend. He invited all his classmates to attend his party. Of course, I was invited as well. But Jake didn’t allow me to go," Leah said unhappily. "I hate my brother so much! Why can’t he just leave me alone!"
"You can go to any of your other classmates’ birthday parties, and I have no problems with that. But you cannot go to Mark’s," Jake said calmly, in a tone that said that this could not be discussed at all. ƒree𝑤ebnσvel.com
"I hate you, I hate you, I hate you so much..." Leah turned her head and shouted at Jake loudly, sounding as if she was about to cry.
’Wendy’ hadn’t expected to deal with this when meeting them for the first time and picking them up from school. She thought about what Wendy would do... She would probably ask Jake why Leah couldn’t go.
So she bent down, and with Wendy’s gentle expression on her face, she asked patiently and carefully, "Why is that, Jake? How come she can go to other classmates’ birthday parties, but not Mark’s?"
"Mommy, I thought you knew," Jake said. "I don’t like Leah being too close to him. I thought I told you that before."
Jake’s words made ’Wendy’ a little embarrassed. How could she know? But, she thought, they were just children after all. It should not be too hard to deal with them.
So ’Wendy’ said, "Mommy has had a lot of things on her plate recently, so I don’t remember it clearly. Could you tell me again?"
When Jake heard her say that, his small brows couldn’t help but twitch.
There was a small pause before Jake said, "Mark is planning something bad."
"Something bad?" ’Wendy’ smiled. "What do you mean?"
"Jake keeps saying that I will be tricked by a man in the future. Jake also said Mark will trick me with lollipops, and that Jake wants to protect me. I don’t want him to protect me, Mommy. Mark treats me very well." Leah said unhappily.
Listening to Leah’s words, ’Wendy’ grew extremely impatient. Did kids have so many things in their heads now? Tricked by a man? They were still in kindergarten, yet they were thinking about grown men and women’s affairs?
However, ’Wendy’ remained smiling on the surface. "You are still very young, and you are thinking too much. You have to form good relationships with your classmates, and Leah should go if she wants to. It’s not a big deal."
"Okay, okay, Mommy agreed!" Leah became immediately happy when she heard this.
She turned her head and made a face at Jake.
As Jake was about to say something else, Mark walked over. He saw ’Wendy’ and greeted her. "Hello, Auntie Wendy."
The name ’Auntie Wendy’ was still a bit unfamiliar to ’Wendy’. She didn’t react immediately, and instead, she pointed her finger at herself to ask, "Me?"
When the little boy smiled and nodded, ’Wendy’ immediately greeted him, "Hello."
Jake stood at the side, his brow furrowing deeper. Why did he feel that his mother was a bit strange today?
"Mark..." A woman in her forties beckoned to Mark.
"Auntie Wendy, I’m going home now. I hope you can all come to my birthday party on the weekend." Mark bowed politely to ’Wendy’, and then waved to his nanny as he walked towards her.
...
After hearing the words ’birthday party’, ’Wendy’ realized that the boy Leah was referring to was her friend, Mark. Taking each child by the hand, ’Wendy’ said gently, "Mark is an adorable boy. Why don’t we let Leah go to his party then?"
"Oh thank you, Mummy!" Leah exclaimed happily.
Jake looked sullen but said nothing. Holding the hand of ’Wendy’, he sensed that something was amiss. He looked at her hand and realized that it was very soft.
Noting that ’Wendy’ was holding him with her right hand, Jake deliberately rubbed his hand against hers. He confirmed that there was nothing on her hand.
Pondering over this, Jake eventually decided to ask her, "Mummy, where’s the callus on your hand?"
"Callus?" ’Wendy’ asked, taken aback. "What callus?"
"Because you’re always drawing and designing with your paintbrush, you had developed calluses on the skin of your thumb and forefinger," Jake explained. He was very familiar with the calluses on his mother’s hand.
"Oh, those," ’Wendy’ forced herself to stay composed. After raking her brain for an appropriate response, she finally said, "Well, after I got pregnant, I stopped designing. Since I was no longer using a paintbrush all the time, the calluses gradually disappeared. Just like our muscles. If we stop exercising them, they will also disappear."
"You’ve got a point there," Jake nodded. "You haven’t been drawing or using your paintbrush these past few months," he added.
Having successfully convinced Jake this time, ’Wendy’ heaved a sigh of relief. She reminded herself to be more careful going forward, otherwise, her identity would be exposed. After all, even with her physical appearance transformed through surgery, her voice disguised, and personality imitated, anyone who lived in close proximity with her would be able to discern that she was not the real Wendy.
"Mummy," Jake blinked and began asking again. "Do you remember Mark’s full name?"
"Mark?" ’Wendy’, who had just managed to dodge being exposed, once again had her guard up. She thought to herself, what was Jake thinking by bringing up Mark again? She wondered if he was trying to test her or was it simply a passing comment? He was just six years old. Surely he could not have seen through her guise?
"Mark’s full name is Mark Jeffreys. Jake, is your memory failing?" Leah chimed in.
"Oh, that’s right. Mark Jeffreys. It slipped my mind for a moment there," ’Wendy’ latched on to Leah’s response with relief.
Sighing helplessly, Jake secretly wished that Leah had not chosen that moment to interrupt their conversation. "Oh Mummy, so do you remember," he continued.
He was about to continue talking when ’Wendy’ interrupted him, "I think it’s true what they say about pregnancy and how it affects the memory of the expecting mother. My memory seems to be bad these days." ’Wendy’ deliberately steered the conversation to play on their emotions. She added, "It was the same when I was expecting you guys."
"Then you should get plenty of rest, Mummy," Jake replied with concern. "You should stay home and let Zess pick us up from school from now on."
Before Jake could continue talking, ’Wendy’ pulled the kids along by the hands urgently, "Let’s get moving. Your Daddy’s waiting for us at home." Fortunately, all was quiet on the way home.
"Daddy!" Leah ran looking for Michael the moment they arrived home. Finding him in the study, she noticed that he had a leg injury. Eyes wide open with concern, she asked, "What’s wrong with your leg, Daddy?"
"Oh, I was careless and took a tumble. I’m fine now, so don’t worry," Michael reached out, intending to pick her up and sit her on his good leg.
Being a sensible and considerate child, Leah declined his offer, "You’re hurt. Don’t try to pick me up."
