Chapter 80
Verónica glanced at the clock. It was already 5:30 pm. She figured that Ashton was probably on his way out by now.
She thought it was perfect, as it meant she no longer needed to deliver the rest of the chicken soup to him.
“How do you know so much? Has your uncle been looking after you these days?” Veronica propped her chin in her hand.
She had not seen Vernon taking his granddaughter out recently. As far as she remembered, the young girl’s parents were living overseas, so she must have been following Ashton around.
The young girl stuffed her cheeks full and mumbled, “He has! He brought me to his company over the past few days and had me clock in. It was so boring!
“But today, I saw a female employee crying and begging Uncle Ashton not to send her to the sales department. He didn’t even look at her and told her to go to a mental hospital if she was sick. I almost died laughing!”
Veronica inwardly grimaced, thinking that Ashton clearly had very firm boundaries. She hadn’t expected him to be even more savage at work.
Fortunately, she had never done anything that crossed the line.
“Oh, right!” After chewing down a massive mouthful of rice, Wanda exclaimed, “My school registration went through! I’m going to be living with Great–Grandpa from now on, so I can see you every day!”
Watching her exaggerated expressions, Veronica saw through it all. She said, “Great! If there’s anything you want to eat, you can come over and we’ll cook it together.”
“You’re the best! Great–Grandpa only knows how to grow flowers. He’s clueless about everything else, especially cooking! He sucks at that!”
Despite her age, Wanda had a way with her little quips. Her exaggerated expressions were hilariously mismatched with her tiny face, but somehow, that only made her more endearing.
“Is that so?” Veronica asked. She was not too familiar with Vernon’s cooking.
Wanda nodded so hard that it looked like her head might fall off. “Totally! Have you ever heard of strawberry ravioli, soda–marinated spinach, and caramelized chili peppers?”
Veronica choked on her own saliva. She thought that it sounded genuinely terrifying.
Meanwhile, over at the Fletcher family’s dining table, a full meal was prepared.
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Strawberry ravioli, soda–marinated spinach, caramelized chili peppers, and pork chops with mango salsa were proudly served on the table.
Ashton fell into silence. This was precisely why he avoided coming home for dinner.
He didn’t even dare to look directly at the dishes. Instead, he reached for the phone he had just
set down.
Vernon tapped his spoon against the rim of his bowl. “It’s dinner time! Put the damn phone away!”
Ashton raised his brow and asked, “Grandpa, as a practitioner of traditional medicine, can you confirm that these dishes are fit for human consumption?”
The old man slammed his bowl down in front of him. “You said it yourself. I am a practitioner of traditional medicine. Would I poison my grandson? This is a fine and nutritionally balanced meal! You rarely come home, so I even made an extra dish. Don’t waste it!”
Ashton reluctantly picked up his fork. He regretted not swallowing his pride to knock on
Veronica’s door.
Wanda had better remember to bring that chicken soup home.
Wanda was helping Veronica pour out the last bits of leftover chicken soup when she suddenly
sneezed.
“What is it? Did you catch a cold?” Veronica walked over and felt her forehead. “Leave it there. I’ll clean up later.”
“I’m fine! My nose just felt itchy for a second.” Wanda scratched her nose and refused to step aside. “No way, Ms. Pretty. You did the cooking, so I have to wash the dishes. The mother shouldn’t be the only one doing all the work in a family. I’m a big kid now!”
Veronica froze when she heard that. She thought back to when she had been raising the twins. Neither child had ever offered to help, not even for a moment.
Even getting them to clean up their toys had required her to lose her temper first. And when they finally did it, they would grumble the entire time, complaining that she had nothing better to do and should clean up for them.
“You’re such a good girl, Wanda.” Veronica gently ruffled the young girl’s hair.
Wanda didn’t flinch away at all. Her cheeks flushed as she beamed, pride evident in her smile. After tidying up, she stayed at Veronica’s apartment a little longer to watch some cartoons. At 7:30 pm, the doorbell rang without warning. Veronica went to answer the door. Ashton was standing outside. His face was pale, and his lips were pressed together into a tight
Chapter 80
line. Their eyes met, and he stared at her for a long moment before asking, “Where’s my chicken soup?”
Chapter $1
