EPISODE 12
The moment Deanne’s words left her mouth, Caleb’s eyes burned with fury.
Without hesitation, he shoved her back. Deanne, caught off guard, stumbled and lost her balance, falling to the ground. Gasps rippled through the gathered crowd as heads turned to witness the commotion.
Deanne’s child saw his mother pushed and immediately retaliated. He lunged at Caleb, throwing a punch that landed squarely on his face. Caleb barely flinched before swinging back, his small fist colliding with the boy’s jaw
The two boys broke into a full–blown scuffle, rolling and exchanging blows as the spectators watched with some in shock, others in amusement.
Caleb, though young, wasn’t reckless in his fight. He landed a few solid punches before finally letting go of the other child. Of course, he had a sense of proptiety and did not truly hurt Deanne’s child to make him immobile. Panting, he straightened and turned to Deanne, his eyes filled with defiance.
“Watch your mouth,” Caleb spat, his childish voice sharp. “Or next time, I won’t just push you.”
Just as his words settled in the air, a pack exchange coordinator arrived at the scene, his expression stern as he took in the sight of the disheveled children and the stunned adults surrounding them
“What’s going on here?” he demanded X
I was about to explain when Deanne, ever the opportunist, cut in first X
“That wild brat hurt my son!” she exclaimed, pointing an accusatory finger at Caleb. “He attacked us out of nowhere!“”
Caleb lifted his chin, unashamed.
“I didn’t attack anyone first,” he declared. “It was her son who misbehaved. I simply taught him a lesson. And that woman was saying cruel things about my mother!”
The coordinator frowned, glancing at a nearby onlooker. “Is that true?”
The store owner stepped forward, narrating the entire event without bias. The coordinator shook his head and massaged his temples as he looked at the bloodied head of the child and Caleb, who still stood tall, unremorseful
The coordinator’s gaze turned to me. “Is this your child?
I stepped forward, meeting his stare. “Yes.”
He exhaled heavily. “I’m sure you know your child is at fault in this fight. Although the other side is not entirely blameless, your child still played a part. You’ll need to compensate for the other child’s injuries, and he must apologize.”
“I understand, I will pay” I agreed, my tone cool, but I expect an apology from her son as well”
Deanne scoffed. “Apologize? My son was the one who was hurt! That brute of a child pushed me and attacked him. Why should we apologize when we did nothing wrong?
Caleb interrupted, his voice unwavering. “I didn’t attack him first. He threw a ball without any consideration that he would hit someone, I just handed it back to him. Who would have known he was so weak that he’d get knocked down so easily?”
“Do you think everyone is as brutish as you?” Deanne snapped in anger.
Caleb didn’t mind her words and continued, “And I pushed you because you were being a nasty old hag.”
The crowd hummed with suppressed laughter, some impressed by Caleb’s sharp tongue despite his young age. A few. even whispered about how bold and articulate he was, finding his defiance amusing.
Deanne’s face darkened. She had been surprised to see me. Although she wasn’t entirely sure if I was Marian, she
I assumed I might be. And so, she derisively prodded at a sore spot that would hurt me the most.
“This is exactly the problem,” she sneered. “A child with such behavior… He must not have been raised properly.” She folded her arms, tilting her head mockingly. “Perhaps it’s because he doesn’t have a father?
A sharp pang shot through my chest. My fingers curled into fists at my sides as I forced my expression to remain neutral. Caleb had, indeed, grown up without a father. But that didn’t mean he was a bad child.
Heat simmered beneath my skin, but I inhaled deeply, swallowing my anger. I refused to let Deanne’s words get to me. I wouldn’t let her see that she had struck a nerve. Also, I didn’t want her to realize that I had come back to life. I had to pretend to be someone who merely resembled “Marian.”
Before I could speak, another voice cut through the tension.
“That’s enough.”
The authority in the voice made Deanne brighten, as if she had just found her savior. “Seram!” she called, relief and triumph evident in her tone.”
I stiffened.”
Seram approached, his cold gaze burning into me as though he was trying to sear my image into his mind. Then, his eyes swept over the situation before settling on Deanne X
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but
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Istiffened
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1:44 AM
