Nevertheless, I was surprised at what came into my view when I stepped into the particular classroom.
In the old classroom, there were about more than ten children of different ages lining up in two rows. All of them were dressed in the same type of white hospital gown. Apart from feeling anxious due to the arrival of the strangers, they looked clean without any visible wounds. Based on my observation, there were no physical signs which implied that they had gone through a traumatic experience.
Heaving a sigh of relief, I was thankful that none of the children was in a pathetic state as imagined by me earlier.
Anthony stepped onto the stage and glanced at them before he asked Joseph, “Have you done a background check for all of them?”
Joseph replied respectfully, “Yes, most of the children’s information is well kept in the orphanage of M Country, except for these children. Basically, there isn’t any record for them. Thus, they are sent here temporarily.”
Anthony did not really react to his words. Squinting his eyes, his mind drifted into contemplation.
On the instant, the whole classroom was in pin-drop silence. At the moment, only the heavy panting of the children due to their anxiety was still audible.
Audrey was excited as it was her first time seeing many children at the same time. When Anthony was still deep in his thought, she took the chance to squeeze out from my back and walked toward them.
I instinctively stretched out my hand, yet I was not in time to hold her back.
Fortunately, Gregory reacted fast and moved forward instantaneously. Grabbing hold of Audrey’s hand, he accompanied her to inspect all the children one by one.
Those who lined up in the first row were about Drew’s age. Since they were younger, they looked a bit shy and timid. Audrey just roughly browsed through the first row before she held Gregory’s hand and moved on with the second row.
All of a sudden, she came to a halt in front of a boy whose body size appeared to be the smallest. Her big round eyes were glued to him.
After gazing at him for a while, she took out a lollipop from her pocket and handed it to him. “Take this.”
However, the boy was indifferent and did not accept it.
Out of curiosity, I looked intently at the boy. For a split second, I was stunned as he looked familiar to me. However, when I took a closer look at him, the sense of familiarity was gone. My heart flinched at the sight of his sunken cheeks and dry skin due to malnutrition.
The laboratory where the inhuman experiment was carried out was just like a smaller scale of society, and only the fittest could survive. He must be in the so-called lower level of society and ended up as the victim of bully. That was why he appeared to be a lot thinner compared to the rest of them.
As a mother, I was relieved that Audrey was soft-hearted and sympathized with the weaker ones.
Assuming that the boy did not dare to receive the lollipop from Audrey, I encouraged him gently, “Don’t be afraid, just eat.”
As a pitiful boy who was treated as a specimen in the laboratory, I expected him to be lack of confidence and nod shyly at me to express his gratitude. Out of my expectation, he only raised his head and gazed at me. I was impressed by the unusual calmness in his pair of eyes. He was apparently more matured than the other boys of the same age. I presumed that he must have gone through a lot all this while and had a complicated background.
After gazing at me placidly for a few seconds, he shifted his gaze away. The next moment, he raised his hand abruptly and stretched it toward Audrey’s neck.
In an instant, Gregory dragged Audrey one step backward and blocked in front of her. He yelled with a stern look, “What are you doing?”
Audrey almost stumbled and fall. After she managed to balance her body, she was confused with the current situation. Both of the boys were facing each other as if they were opponents on a wrestling stage.
Ashley’s eyes lit up as something crossed her mind. She tugged at her clothes casually and jumped a few times on the spot.
Out of a sudden, something dropped from her shoulder.
Audrey’s face lit up when she picked up the thing. Showing it to Gregory, she said cheerfully, “Greg, see this? He is actually helping to take this away from my shoulder! He doesn’t intend to hurt me!”
There was a piece of small wrapping paper for a candy.
Audrey had a sweet tooth like Gregory. Since we did not allow her to take too much candy, she was smart enough to secretly took the candy and hid it elsewhere so she could savor it without our knowledge.
If I was not mistaken, Audrey must have eaten a candy earlier and hid the piece of wrapping paper under the collar of her blouse so nobody would discover it. Gregory was used to walking behind Audrey in order to cater to her safety. If not, they would be walking abreast. Therefore, it was impossible for him to spot the piece of wrapping paper. On the other hand, the little boy was a little taller than Gregory and he was standing face to face with Audrey a while ago. Hence, he could easily spot the piece of the wrapping paper under her collar and was about to help her take it out. Yet Gregory who was overprotective of his sister had misunderstood him.
Everyone was relieved after the previous tense moment was proven to be a misunderstanding.
After knowing that the boy did not have any bad intentions, Gregory finally stepped aside.
Audrey handed him the lollipop again with a cheerful smile. “Thank you so much! Now you can eat the candy! This is my favorite candy! It’s really yummy!”
This time, the boy did not reject and took it at once.
Audrey’s smile widened as the boy held the lollipop in his hand.
At the same time, Anthony made a decision and announced, “Let all of them stay and give them financial aid under Madam’s name till they grow up.
Joseph replied in acknowledgement, “Noted.”
Anthony turned to look at Gregory and instructed, “Gregory, bring your sister over here.”
Upon hearing his words, Gregory held Audrey’s hand and led her back obediently.
When both of them were in front of Anthony, Gregory said respectfully, “Daddy, I’ve brought Audrey back.”
“Good,” Anthony nodded and turned to look at Audrey. “Next time, never ever approach any strangers without your Mommy and my permission. Can you promise me that?” Anthony asked sternly.
There was only the usual intimidating indifference on his cold, expressionless face.
Audrey could sense the displeasure in Anthony’s tone. Instead of refuting as usual, she nodded obediently and replied softly, “Alright, Daddy.”
“Let’s go home now,” Anthony said again.
Next, he turned to face us and prepared to leave, letting both Gregory and Audrey walk in front of him.
Gregory obeyed Anthony’s instructions as usual and stepped out at once, with Audrey trailing closely behind him.
After walking forward for two steps, Audrey came to a stop abruptly. She turned to look at the little boy and was reluctant to move forward.
Anthony followed her gaze and knew at once about what was playing in her mind. After pondering for a while, he lowered his head and asked her, “You want to bring him home as well?”
Pouting her lips, her forehead creased into a frown as she gazed at the boy with a look of sympathy. She gulped and said softly, “He’s so thin. If he continues to stay here, he will starve. Aunt Emma ever mentioned that the children in the orphanage are the most pitiful. I just feel like helping him…”
I could sense that she was being tactful with her words, especially her last sentence. She was more like mumbling at that time, apparently fear of infuriating Anthony.
John probably had taught her before that she was not supposed to be rude especially when she was on certain occasions. As a result, she did not dare to make a big fuss despite her reluctance to part with the boy.
Anthony was an assertive person who would not easily change his mind. I thought it would not be an exception this round, and Audrey would end up feeling upset. Nonetheless, he was being sympathetic unexpectedly.
Instead of replying to Audrey right away, he moved forward and looked straight at the front. In a low and stern voice, he instructed, “Come over here.”
He was obviously instructing the boy.
The boy moved swiftly from his current spot to the front of all the orphans.
When he stood right in front of us without anyone blocking his way, we were shocked to see his exceptionally thin figure. Even though he was actually wearing the smallest gown, it was far too loose for him. I even doubted whether he would be blown away as well if there was a gust of strong wind.
My heart started to ache as a surge of sympathy welled up from within me. I truly felt for Audrey. I myself could not resist feeling sad for the boy, what’s more Audrey was just a child. She surely had a stronger feeling than me.
Standing right in front of Anthony, the boy looked helpless like a small tree in front of the enormous mountain.
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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