Gregory instantly unclipped his seatbelt and rushed into the house once the car came to a stop.
He was gone with the wind. Not a shadow to be seen by the time we reached the living room. Anthony halted in the hallway briefly before glancing at the whole house fiercely.
I saw through his intention and warned, “Anthony, you’re dead if you dare bully Gregory. As a father, aren’t you embarrassed to hold a grudge against your own son?”
Anthony laughed at my warning. “You don’t understand. This is between men,” he said as he took off his coat.
I shrugged. “I truly can’t understand how a man can bully the young.”
“What’s happening here?” Cameron asked with concern. She thought we were arguing.
“It’s nothing. Just something about the kids.” Anthony ended the discussion before it could continue further.
I shook my head resignedly and rolled my eyes at him when I caught his gaze. His authoritarianism and chauvinism are obvious in his actions, yet he continues to deny them. Men!
Having experienced getting his full name called by Anthony, Gregory didn’t come out of his room for dinner. Instead, he locked himself in the study. Even Audrey couldn’t get him out.
After several futile attempts by the maid, Anthony got up from his seat and strode toward the stairs.
I recognized that look. He was about to use force.
“Wait,” I called urgently, following behind him. “I’ll call him down. You stay right behind me.”
When I first met Gregory, I thought Anthony was stressing him out too much. That kind of absolute obedience and expectation to execute every order without fail is too inappropriate for a six-year-old child.
I can understand Anthony’s hope for Gregory to shoulder all his burdens. However, I hope Gregory can understand he has another parent he can relax with.
I soon arrived at the study with Anthony.
Knock! Knock!
“Gregory, can I come in?” I asked after knocking on the door twice.
A child’s opinion should always be respected.
However, there was no response from within.
Shortly after, I heard footsteps approaching the other side of the door. “Mommy, don’t worry about me. You can eat first. I should be punished for disrespecting Daddy earlier.”
He was merely joking and agreeing with my opinion. How did it escalate to this?
Anthony was too cautious and strict on matters related to Gregory.
“Gregory, I want to come in and talk to you. Can you let me in?”
Another silence followed.
I spun around, narrowing my eyes at Anthony as though telling him that I was the one in charge of educating the children.
Just as I was about to give up, the door opened from inside.
Gregory gave me a glance, then noticed Anthony behind me. He looked down immediately and walked out of his room with his head down.
I bent down so that I was at his eye level and grabbed his arms. “Are you not hungry? Your sister is not eating because you’re not there. You don’t want her to starve herself now, do you?” I said with a gentle smile.
Gregory shook his head and muttered, “I don’t want that. But it was my fault, so I need to be punished.”
I pondered briefly, then said in a somber tone, “Yes. You were in the wrong.”
Gregory lowered his head even further.
“And do you know what you did wrong?” I asked.
“I shouldn’t have disrespected Daddy.” Gregory pressed his lips into a thin line. “I can’t say Daddy is wrong.”
“Hmm… Then does that mean you think your daddy was right and Mommy was wrong?”
“No.” Gregory raised his head. “That’s not what I meant. I…”
In the end, the rims of his eyes reddened.
My heart melted at his expression. I quickly pulled him into my arms and comforted him, “Don’t be upset, Gregory. You’re not in trouble here. You should insist on your opinions and express them if you’re confident that you’re right. We, as parents, are not always in the right. We can be wrong at times and make mistakes. Always remember to improve and become a better version of yourself. You made a judgment today and expressed your opinion to support me, so you deserve a compliment. Okay?”
Gregory sniffled, suppressing the tears welling up. He lifted his head from my chest and asked, “Really? Then is Daddy wrong?”
He sneaked a peek at Anthony. Catching Anthony’s serious expression, he skittishly snapped his gaze back down.
“You and your daddy were both wrong.” I shook my head and pursed my lips. “Your daddy was wrong for being too stubborn and unwilling to accept another family member’s opinion, while you were wrong because you disrespected him. You know, your daddy and I have tried long and hard to bring you and Audrey into this world. To protect every one of us, he has suffered a lot. He’s quick-tempered, but he’s a man who shoulders his responsibility. Don’t you think a man like that is worthy of respect?”
Gregory nodded his head seriously. “Yes, he is.”
Seeing that he understood the gist of it, I continued to guide him patiently, “Then is it right for you to compare your daddy to a fascist in the car today?”
“No.” Gregory shook his head, sincerity in his eyes.
I let out a breath, then chuckled. “So what should you do next?”
Gregory pondered for a moment. He looked up at Anthony and pouted. “I’m sorry, Daddy. I shouldn’t have called you a fascist. I was wrong. Can you forgive me?”
He caught on quickly. As expected, it’s easier to communicate with a precocious child.
I stood up, sighing in relief.
With a hard look on his face, Anthony casually grunted an acknowledgment, showing that he accepted Gregory’s apology.
However, he was not going to let him off so easily.
Perhaps Anthony had guessed my intention as he turned to leave.
I reached for his arm with a playful smile. “Mr. Featherstone, shouldn’t you be an example for your child?”
I was winking at him madly. There was no way he could have missed my hints.
He frowned at me, then locked his gaze with mine briefly and finally gave in.
Schooling his expression, he bowed his head and apologized in a low voice, “I was also in the wrong. Gregory, forgive me, will you?”
I couldn’t suppress my laughter at his embarrassed look.
Gregory’s eyes were wide and sparkling. His entire face had lightened up. “I forgive you, Daddy.”
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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