Chapter 88

As a mom, Mary was really worried about her daughter Lisa's social life. She hoped Lisa could be more outgoing and lively.

For the company dinner that evening, Mary had already planned to encourage Lisa to play with the other kids.

Mary was determined to help Lisa open up.

She wanted her daughter to be more confident and happy.

Alvin nodded at Mary but didn't say anything.

Mary's thoughts kept bouncing between her daughter Lisa and Alvin.

Standing at the school gate, her eyes occasionally drifted towards Alvin and Sam, while her heart was in turmoil.

She knew she had to stay calm and not let her emotions blur the lines between her and Alvin.

Mary was a rational woman who knew what should and shouldn't be done.

But whenever she saw Alvin, Lisa would instinctively pay attention to his every move.

These feelings were just too hard to control!

Mary found herself in a vicious cycle, with two opposing voices battling in her mind.

On one hand, she had a deep affection for Alvin, and on the other, she was loyal to her friendship and family.

Mary's heart was filled with conflict and struggle.

The school bell rang, and the children's laughter broke her reverie.

Mary took a deep breath, adjusted her emotions, and looked around for her daughter Lisa.

She knew her life had to go on, and she had a responsibility to provide a stable and happy environment for her daughter.

Alvin, of course, noticed Mary's unusual behavior, while Sam, standing nearby, was completely oblivious to the strange dynamics between them.

Alvin understood Mary's situation and respected her choices.

He knew that some feelings had to be kept hidden, and some boundaries had to be maintained.

Sam was thrilled to hear the school bell.

Standing at the school gate with a smug smile, he was already plotting how to "deal with" Isabelle.

That little rascal had drawn on his face while he was asleep, calling it a cute kitty! It didn't look like a kitty at all!

The more Sam thought about it, the angrier he got, stomping his feet in frustration.

Seeing Sam's furious state, Alvin quietly took a couple of steps away from him.

In his mind, Alvin was thinking, "Isabelle, Daddy can't save you today! You've really messed up this time!"

Alvin looked helpless, clearly not planning to intervene in Sam's revenge.

After all, Isabelle had really angered Sam this time!

Thinking about Sam's morning appearance, Alvin couldn't help but chuckle.

He silently prayed for his daughter Isabelle, while also teasing Sam in his mind.

"Making him look foolish in front of the ladies today, Isabelle, you went too far!"

Alvin blinked, already imagining Isabelle begging for mercy.

He could even picture her pitiful eyes.

Alvin shook his head, deciding not to get involved in this matter.

He knew this was a "private matter" between Sam and Isabelle.

No matter how adorable Isabelle was, it wouldn't change Alvin's resolve.

As the children started to leave the school, the atmosphere at the gate became lively.

Alvin and Sam began looking for Isabelle.

Meanwhile, Mary was searching for Lisa in the crowd.

Despite her inner struggles, she maintained a calm exterior.

Mary knew that as long as she persevered, time would heal everything.

She would work harder and live more earnestly.

For herself and for her daughter Lisa!

At that moment, Lisa and Isabelle were happily lining up, politely saying goodbye to their teacher.

Isabelle was bouncing along, not realizing that her uncle Sam was there to pick her up.

If she had known, she would have been hiding behind Lisa, trembling with fear.

The two girls walked side by side, carefree and laughing.

Mary spotted them immediately and called out enthusiastically to her daughter.

"Lisa, Mommy's here, come on over!"

Lisa was surprised to see her mom there so early and ran towards her with excitement.

"Mommy!"

Hugging Mary's leg, she looked up curiously.

"Mommy, why are you here so early today?"

"I was just telling Isabelle that we would wait for you at the store!"

Mary picked up her daughter Lisa, smiling as she patted her head.

"Lisa, guess what? Mommy's company is having a dinner tonight!"

"When we get home, I'll dress you up in a pretty dress and take you to dinner, okay?"

Lisa's face lit up with joy. "Yes, yes! Mommy, I'm so happy!"

Mary gently pressed her forehead against Lisa's, her face full of tenderness. "Lisa, Mommy will take you out to play more often from now on!"

Lisa snuggled into Mary's shoulder. "Mommy, I love you so much!"

Mary smiled and softly replied, "Lisa, Mommy loves you too!"

Nearby, Isabelle was moved to tears by this scene. There was a reason why Isabelle and Lisa had become such good friends. She always felt that Lisa now was like how she used to be—sensitive and introverted. So when Lisa said she wanted Alvin to be her dad, Isabelle agreed without hesitation. In her little mind, she believed that if Lisa had a good dad, she would be as happy as she was. Isabelle didn't mind sharing her amazing dad with Lisa. In fact, she was secretly happy about it, feeling very pleased. She thought that she and Lisa would be the closest of friends from now on!

So when she saw the usually gloomy Lisa happily running into her mom Mary's arms, she was genuinely happy for her and even forgot to look for her own dad Alvin. But before she could feel sad for long, she heard the voice she feared most from a distance.

"Isabelle, look who's here to pick you up!"

She stiffly turned her head towards the voice. What she saw almost scared the life out of her.

"Uncle!"

Isabelle's eyes widened in shock. She clearly hadn't expected Sam to come pick her up from school. And there was Sam, not far away, with an evil grin, looking like a debt collector. Isabelle was so scared she started trembling.

"Isabelle, your drawing skills have improved, and you're getting bolder! You even dared to draw a kitty on my face! Isabelle, I think you're in trouble now!"

Seeing Sam's serious and angry expression, Isabelle's heart raced. She knew she was really in trouble this time. Smart Isabelle immediately looked to her dad Alvin for help, hoping he would protect her as usual. But the next moment, Isabelle was stunned. Her dad Alvin glanced at her and then pretended not to see her, completely ignoring her plight. Even her usual tactic of acting cute didn't work! Isabelle realized she was truly doomed today!

She had only drawn a kitty on Sam's face as a playful prank. Isabelle had just wanted to make Sam laugh, but she hadn't expected him to be so angry that he came to pick her up from school. He couldn't even wait for her to get home. This showed how serious the situation was.

Seeing Sam's stern face, Isabelle suddenly felt that her prank had gone too far. Isabelle looked desperate, clutching her backpack straps tightly, her head down, and walked slowly towards Sam. As soon as she reached Sam, she looked up with her sad little face. Her small face was covered in tear stains, her big eyes and nose red. She looked so pitiful!

Isabelle cried and said, "Uncle! Isabelle was wrong! I just saw you sleeping so soundly and wanted to play a little joke on you! I practiced drawing that kitty for a long time! The teacher even said my kitty was cute. Uncle, I just wanted to play a game with you! I'm sorry, I won't do it again!"

With that, Isabelle started crying loudly. Seeing her like this, even the coldest person would feel pity. Let alone Sam! Sam had to admit, seeing this scene deeply affected him. He had only wanted to scare this little troublemaker, not realizing she would be so frightened. He wondered if he had gone too far. After all, Isabelle was just a child, and her prank was just childish mischief.

Little did he know, this was all part of Isabelle's plan. Isabelle had realized that relying on Alvin to save her was impossible. So, she had to rely on herself! Little Isabelle's acting skills were top-notch, clearly inherited from Alvin's excellent genes. Playing the pitiful and wronged child, Isabelle performed flawlessly.