“Claudine, can you sleep with me tonight? Daddy has been staying with Mommy these past few nights, and I’m a lit- tle scared sleeping alone at home.”
Claudine’s hand paused as she looked at Darlene.
“Mommy?”
“Yeah!”
Darla didn’t realize there was anything wrong with what she had said.
She nodded and continued speaking.
“Daddy said Mommy can’t live with me yet, that we have to wait a while. I just don’t know if she can make such deli- cious bunny–shaped sandwiches.
“But even if she can’t, it’s okay. I can ask you to make them for me!
“She just needs to be my mommy.”
Children’s innocent words often strike the deepest. Hearing this and looking at Darla’s little face, Claudine felt as if her heart had been struck hard.
The “Mommy” Darla spoke of must be the woman they had seen at the restaurant last time.
From what Darla said, it seemed Damian was planning to marry that woman as soon as the divorce was finalized.
Truly seamless!
Darla said it didn’t matter if that woman couldn’t make bunny–shaped sandwiches. As long as Darlene liked her, even if she couldn’t do anything, she would still be called Mommy.
As for herself, after five years of caring for her, in Darla’s heart she was probably no different from a servant.
Let alone being called Mommy, she rarely even heard Darla call her “Auntie.”
Darla liked her “new mommy” so much, probably because of Damian.
Damian liked that woman he met through matchmaking, so even before they were married, he had already taught Darla to call her “Mommy.”
So what did these five years of effort mean for her?
“What are you thinking about?”
Darlene waved her little hand in front of Claudine’s face.
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“Are you not listening to me?”
Claudine snapped back to reality.
“Oh, what did you just say?”
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Darlene was a bit unhappy that Claudine had been distracted.
When Claudine used to play with her, she was always attentive and never pretended not to hear when Darlene spoke…
“I was saying, when you sleep with me tonight, can you tell me a story? My mommy bought me lots of new picture books, and I want you to read them to me.”
Hearing Darlene call “Mommy” over and over, Claudine felt a pang in her heart.
But she had long understood that feelings could not be forced.
Whether it was her relationship with Damian as husband and wife, or her bond with Darlene as mother and daughter.
She was simply not the person they had chosen.
In fact, this was for the best. She had worried that after she left, Darla, with her sensitive nature, might not be able to adjust.
But now it seemed that, in Darla’s heart, she was no different from a servant.
She was not irreplaceable.
The light in Claudine’s eyes gradually dimmed.
She looked at Darlene and said, “I won’t be sleeping here tonight. When your father comes back, I’ll talk to him and then leave.”
Hearing this, Darlene became upset.
She had been so well–behaved today, so why wouldn’t Claudine stay and keep her company?
“Why?”
Darlene put down her spoon and glared angrily at Claudine.
Claudine’s expression was calm as she called the servant to clear the table.
“You can ask Angie to read you the picture books, or you can ask your mommy to read them. But I have other things to do.”
“Your other things are just pestering Daddy!”
Darlene suddenly shouted.
“Daddy doesn’t even like you! Daddy only likes Mommy and me, and Daddy won’t come back. He’s with Mommy tonight!
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“Daddy asked you to come back today just so you could keep me company!
“If you don’t stay with me, I’ll tell Daddy and make sure he never talks to you again!”
Darlene thought that as long as she brought up Daddy, Claudine would be scared and would definitely stay with her.
But to her surprise, Claudine didn’t look scared at all; in fact, she seemed angry.
Looking at the child before her, Claudine finally understood that her five family, was nothing more than unconditional appeasement.
years
of care,
in the
eyes of the Barrette
In their hearts, her feelings didn’t matter at all!
Damian could quickly find a suitable match after she asked for a divorce.
Darlene could adapt just fine without her care, and soon call another woman “Mommy.”
Since the child became sensible, she had never once called her “Mommy!”
Claudine stood up from the table. She no longer paid attention to Darlene, but instead spoke to the servant nearby.
“Since Damian isn’t here tonight, I’ll come another day.”
With that, she left Belmont Estates.
Darlene hadn’t expected Claudine to actually leave.
She didn’t believe it, thinking Claudine was just trying to scare her.
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