Chapter 72

Chapter 72

Leaving the preschool, Emily hung her head and held Charles's hand, still feeling down.

"Daddy, Mommy, I'm sorry," Emily mumbled, staring at the ground.

She was worried Charles and Patricia would be disappointed in her.

Charles squatted down and gently patted her head. "Hey, it's okay, Emily. You did great. It's on me for not telling you about the test beforehand."

Patricia looked at Charles, surprised.

In her previous life, Charles had been very strict with Emily. If she made even a small mistake, he would criticize her harshly. 

Emily was always cautious around him, which eventually made her personality more reserved.

Their differing parenting styles often led to arguments.

"Daddy, you're not mad at me?" Emily asked, looking up at Charles with a hint of hope.

"Of course not," Charles smiled and picked her up. "You did well. How about we go to the amusement park as a reward?"

Emily's eyes lit up instantly. "Really?"

"Absolutely," Charles said, standing up and looking at Patricia. "What do you think?"

Patricia hesitated. "Don't you need to go back to the office?"

Charles didn't answer her question. He simply took Emily's hand and headed toward the parking lot. "Let's go to the amusement park."

Patricia watched his back, feeling a growing sense of unfamiliarity. But it wasn't an unpleasant feeling.

At the amusement park, Emily still couldn't believe it. She hadn't managed to play with the other kids at preschool, yet here she was at the amusement park.

She looked up at Charles again for confirmation. "Daddy, I didn't do well at preschool. Can I really play?"

Charles nodded, and Emily's face broke into a wide smile. She pointed to the carousel nearby and asked shyly, "Can I play on that?"

"Of course."

Emily and Charles held hands and ran over, Emily skipping with excitement.

Watching Emily's joyful figure, Patricia leaned against the railing and turned to Charles. 

"I remember you used to disagree with this kind of parenting. You said mistakes should be punished."

He had been strict, not allowing Emily to make any mistakes and rejecting the idea of joyful education.

Charles was silent for a moment, watching Emily's bright smile on the carousel. "Maybe you were right."

"When I was a kid, if I didn't do well on a test, my grandfather would be very strict with me," he said with a self-deprecating smile. "I thought that's how education should be."

Patricia's heart ached. She had never realized that Charles's tough personality was shaped this way.

But then she remembered, as the heir to the Anderson family, he was bound to be treated strictly.

"I used to think that since Emily is my daughter, she should be aware of her responsibilities as an heir, just like I was," Charles said, looking at Patricia with a hint of guilt. 

"It wasn't until I saw how you taught Emily that I realized how inadequate I was. You listen to her patiently and encourage her to try, while I only imposed rules on her."

Patricia looked down, her eyes stinging. 

She had always thought Charles was cold to Emily because he didn't like her being an illegitimate child. 

She also believed Charles was incapable of love, sticking to rigid rules because he didn't like her background.

It turned out he just didn't know how to love.

If she had known earlier, maybe they wouldn't have ended up divorced in their past life.

Patricia's eyes were misty, her heart heavy.

She paused, her voice choked, "I misunderstood you before."

Charles held her hand, the warmth of his palm seeping through her skin. "I didn't do well before."

With the carousel music playing, they stood in silence, the barriers in their hearts quietly shifting.

Emily got off the carousel and pulled Patricia and Charles to play other rides.

Just then, Charles's phone rang. It was a work call from Paul.

He answered the call and glanced at Patricia. "There's an urgent matter at the office. I'll take this call."

"Go ahead, we'll be fine," Patricia smiled, pointing to the go-kart area, indicating he could find them there later.

Charles smiled helplessly. "I'll be quick."

He found a spot to quickly go over the work arrangements with Paul. 

After hanging up, he remembered Paul's recent suggestion had been helpful. He sent Paul a text message and headed back to Patricia and Emily.

[Your salary will be doubled this month.]

Seeing Charles's text, Paul immediately replied with a "Thank you, boss" emoji, rolling around on his bed in joy. 

He couldn't contain his excitement and updated his social media: [I will always follow Mr. Anderson! Through fire and water, no matter what!]

He couldn't help but comment: [Mr. Anderson is the best boss ever! I swear to follow him forever!]

Paul's colleagues in the secretarial department saw the post and their group chat buzzed with discussion.

Nina: [What happened to Paul today? Suddenly praising the boss like crazy?]

Theo: [Did Mr. Anderson promise him something?]

Ryder: [@Paul Did Mr. Anderson give you a bonus? Why didn't you tell us the good news first!]

Nina: [Middle finger emoji]

Theo: [Disdain +1]

Theo: [@Paul Traitor, getting a raise without us!]

Paul, in high spirits, didn't care about their teasing. He cheerfully replied in the group chat: [Mr. Anderson's mood has improved recently, you know what that means.]

The chat room became even more lively.

Tim, who had been silent, couldn't help but join in.

Tim: [Seriously? Mr. Anderson's mood improved?]

Theo: [Mr. Anderson and Mrs. Anderson?]

Nina: [I want a raise too! Tell us your method, I need to learn step by step! @Paul]

Paul looked at the messages in the group, smiling smugly. He replied: [Figure it out yourselves.]

Meanwhile, the atmosphere in the Rosewood Estate garden was tense.

Lillian held the revised schedule, her face dark as she stood before Yara.

Yara, the head of the education team and known for her strictness, scrutinized Lillian.

"Ms. Brown, who gave you permission to adjust Miss Emily's schedule?" She snatched the schedule, her tone severe. "I wasn't aware you had the authority to make changes!"

Lillian bit her lip, defiant. "Mrs. Anderson said Miss Emily's schedule was too packed and wanted her to have a lighter load. I followed her instructions. What's wrong with that?"

"Who's in charge here, you or me?" Yara scolded loudly. "Mrs. Anderson clearly stated Miss Emily should have enough outdoor activity time. Why did you change it to foreign language classes?"

"I warn you, if you do this again, pack your things and leave!"

Lillian's fists clenched tightly, her nails digging into her palms.

She responded quietly, "I understand," but inwardly, she cursed Yara a thousand times.

She turned and left.

Back in her room, Lillian threw the schedule on the floor, her eyes filled with venom.

"Yara, who do you think you are? Just a rich person's dog!" she hissed through gritted teeth. "You'll pay for what you said today!"

Sunlight streamed through the blinds, casting shadows on her face.

She knew she had to act quickly, or she might lose her chance to get close to Charles and even her job.

She took out the packet of medicine Sarah had given her, her gaze becoming more determined.