Estella looked at the aggressive looks of the children around her before shifting her gaze to the empty seats of Archie and Benny, feeling aggrieved with reddened eyes.
If they were here, they would definitely speak up for me…
Thinking of the days when she was protected by the brothers and remembering how distant Roxanne was from her and her father during that period, she felt a sense of fear that Archie and Benny might never come back.
At that thought, Estella cried out in anguish.
When they saw her crying, the children were startled and fell silent, looking at each other in bafflement.
They only intended to seek justice for Yoel. Moreover, apologizing after hitting someone was the right thing to do. However, they did not expect Estella to cry as though she had been wronged.
Everyone felt puzzled, but seeing that she was crying so hard, they did not dare to say anything.
The class bell rang, and the children returned to their seats, feeling guilty. Nevertheless, Estella’s tears continued to flow uncontrollably, looking distraught.
Pippa heard Estella’s sobs as soon as she entered the classroom. She quickly looked over, only to see the little girl crying her heart out with a tearful face.
“What’s wrong, Essie?” Pippa hurried to the little girl’s side.
Estella simply continued crying without saying a word.
Beside her, Yoel obediently stood up and explained the situation to Pippa, “Ms. Ward, when class was over, I wanted to invite Estella to play, but I seemed to have scared her.”
Soon, someone could not stand it and spoke up for Yoel. “It was Estella who hit Yoel first, but she ended up crying herself.”
Pippa listened to the children’s words, and understanding dawned upon her.
Having been Estella’s teacher for such a long time, she naturally was aware of the girl’s condition. Moreover, she had also noticed Estella’s gloomy mood for the past two days.
It should be as Yoel said. He scared Essie, so she hit him.
At that thought, Pippa looked at Yoel with concern. “Where did Estella hit you? Are you okay? Let me have a look.”
The boy stretched out his hand obediently. “She just hit the back of my hand. It doesn’t hurt anymore.”
Pippa looked over him, and after confirming that he was fine, she finally felt at ease. “I apologize to you on Essie’s behalf.”
Yoel nodded indifferently before looking at Estella with concern. “But she’s still crying.”
Pippa was equally worried. She lifted Estella, stood up, and said to the other students, “I’ll take Essie out for a while. Another teacher will come to watch you. Be good.”
When the children agreed in unison, Pippa walked out of the classroom with Estella in her arms.
“Essie, I’ll give your daddy a call, okay?”
Estella was not in a good state, and Pippa had no choice but to treat it seriously.
However, as soon as she spoke, she saw Estella shaking her head vigorously.
That left Pippa in a dilemma.
If I were to go against Essie’s wishes at this moment, I’m afraid her situation would worsen. But if I don’t get Mr. Farwell to come over, I also don’t know what to do with her.
“Then tell me why you’re crying, okay?” she said patiently, trying her best to calm the little girl down.
Estella choked out two words, “Archie, Benny…”
Pippa’s heart softened as she instantly understood what the girl meant.
Archie and Benny didn’t come to school for the past two days, and she’s feeling sad.
After knowing the reason Estella was crying, Pippa let out a sigh of relief and explained, “Benny is not feeling well these past two days, so he was excused from school. He will come after he has recovered.”
When she heard that, Estella’s sobs reduced to sniffles, and she looked at her teacher with distrust on her teary face.
Seeing that Estella truly reacted because of this matter, Pippa felt relieved as she soothingly stroked the little girl’s head. “I know that you like Archie and Benny, but the other children in the class are also very nice. Since those two are absent these two days, you can get to know the other children in the class better, Essie!”
Estella’s eyebrows angled upward, forming an inverted vee as she shook her head in refusal.
I don’t want to get to know the other kids. I only want Archie and Benny! Ms. Ward says that Benny is sick…
The little girl did not know if she could believe it, but she could not help worrying. She tried her best to hold back her tears and ran back to the classroom to get a pen and paper.
Seeing this, Pippa stared at her in puzzlement.
Estella held her book and wrote each letter carefully. When she was done, she lifted it to show Pippa.
She wrote: Ms. Ward, I also want to be excused from school.
The little girl looked at Pippa with a serious expression.
Pippa had roughly guessed Estella’s intention, but she still asked, “Are you going to see Archie and Benny?”
Estella nodded vigorously.
Pippa frowned and thought for a while. “I can grant you leave from school, but you have to tell your daddy and let him take you there.”
Estella’s expression fell again when she heard that. She shook her head stubbornly and wrote in the notebook: No Daddy!
Seeing the big exclamation mark at the back, Pippa could not help but feel troubled.
Estella’s situation was special in the first place. During the previous parent-child event, the little girl got lost, which scared Pippa a lot and made her even more concerned about the girl.
Normally, in such situations, Pippa should get Estella’s parents to come over to take her there. She even had to hand over the little girl to her father in person.
However, for some reason, Essie displays such aversion toward her daddy.
When she did not get a reply from Pippa after a long time, Estella pouted again, and her eyes were red.
She wished to visit Archie and Benny, but she knew that if her father went with her, Roxanne and the two boys would not be happy.
Pippa noticed that the little girl was about to cry again. In the spur of a moment, she could only say, “I’ll take you there, okay?”
Estella’s eyes lit up again as she nodded vigorously.
As soon as Pippa finished speaking, she regretted it. If something were to happen along the way, I couldn’t bear such a responsibility. But I’m defenseless against her pitiful expression.
In the end, Pippa still drove the little girl to Roxanne’s house in person.
Roxanne had left her home address during the kindergarten registration. However, as it was Pippa’s first time going there, she almost took a detour on the way. It was Estella who showed her the way.
Pippa was somewhat surprised. She did not expect that the little girl had been to Roxanne’s house so many times that she had even remembered the way.
By the time the two arrived at Roxanne’s house, it was close to noon. Pippa led the little girl to ring the doorbell.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.
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