A SUBSTITUTE BRIDE

Lucas slid off the couch and headed for the kitchen. He sat on a small stool and lowered a tray of fruit from the counter. Carefully, he carried the tray to Anne.Property of Nô)(velDr(a)ma.Org.

Anne looked at Lucas and was slightly stunned. Lucas had never taken care of her before. He was completely immersed in his own world, as if everything around him had nothing to do with him.

Anne’s eyes rolled to the side.

– Bring homework that your teacher asked you to do.

Lucas put the plate of fruit on the coffee table and walked to the office. He took his exercise book from his small desk and came back to Anne.

Seeing Lucas like that, Anne’s eyes lit up. She said :

– The homework assigned by the teacher starts with questions 1 to 10. If you don’t do it well, you won’t be able to sleep.

He opened his notebook and leaned on the small coffee table with a pencil and wrote seriously.

Seeing Lucas’ actions, Anne couldn’t help but smile. As long as he wrote well, Vincent would certainly think she had taught him well the next time he came. He might even give her more money.

Maybe he would even marry her because she was the best person to take care of Lucas.

Before writing anything, Lucas glanced at the closed door. Holding a pencil, he made a crooked stroke, ruining the book.

Anne, who had eaten fruit, flew into a rage when she saw Lucas’ words. She had thought he had recovered, but he was still so distraught:

– But what are you writing? You did it on purpose ? You even damaged the notebook.

He stood in front of the coffee table and lowered his head in silence.

Anne became even more furious.

– Were you pretending to be obedient just now? I thought you had improved. I didn’t expect a retard to stay retarded. No wonder so many teachers failed to teach you. If I’m not mistaken, your mother must be retarded. Otherwise, how could she have given birth to a retard like you?

The more she talked, the angrier she got. She carelessly tore the notebook to shreds and roared:

– You can’t even write a word now. How do you expect me to report to your father? You idiot! I really don’t know how a retard like your mother can be with your father.

When Lucas heard Anne’s words, his pupils dilated and his eyes turned red.

No !

Mom was not retarded!

Mom must be very smart!

Mom must be the best mom in the world!

Anne sensed a change in Lucas and giggled.

– You little fool, so you understand what I’m saying.

He bit his lip and lowered his head, suppressing his tears.

It was the first time Anne had seen Lucas look so upset. She said deliberately,

– So you’re upset. I thought you were a block of wood that knew nothing. I really do not understand. Your father is so handsome and so smart. How could he give birth to a child who cannot speak or learn? No matter how I think about it, it must be because your mother’s stupid genes were passed on to you. That’s why you’re so stupid.

Lucas’ hand, which held the pencil, was shaking.

– Don’t worry. When I become your mother-in-law and give birth to a smart child, you will be an unwanted burden! Why are you looking at me? I told you to write. Write well. If you don’t, I’ll hit your palms and buttocks with your pencil later.

Lucas looked at Anne unhappily and tossed the pencil aside.

Anne’s face turned green with anger. She immediately stood up, took the pencil and pointed it at Lucas’ face. She roared,

– Hand or ass? Choose by yourself.

Lucas hesitated for a moment. Out of the corner of his eye, he glanced at the closed door and silently extended his hand.

– Silly ! I am so angry.

She lifted the pencil in her hand and was about to smack Lucas’ palm!

Bang!

With a loud bang, the door opened!

Anne turned her head and saw Vincent’s cold face. His eyes seemed to want to swallow it whole.

She was so shocked that the pencil fell on the floor.

Lucas stood there calmly. He wasn’t surprised by Vincent’s appearance, as if he had known for a long time that Vincent hadn’t left.

He quickly approached Lucas and took his cold hand. After examining it carefully, he realized that Lucas’ palm was red. It was only then that he realized that Anne must have hit Lucas before.

A trace of ruthlessness shone in Vincent’s eyes. Suppressing his anger, he bent down and picked up Lucas, handing him to Thomas.

– Take him upstairs now. Take good care of the young master.

Thomas didn’t even need to look at Vincent’s expression. He had long since felt the cold aura emanating from Vincent. He knew that Anne was definitely going to suffer tonight.

Thomas carried Lucas upstairs and carefully placed him on the bed. He took Lucas’s hand and looked at the red mark on it. His eyes couldn’t help but turn red.

Even after Thomas closed the door, he could still hear the tragic screams downstairs. Gradually, there was no more noise, and the surroundings calmed down.

Thomas couldn’t help but frown. When she called, she said that the young master had disappeared, so he and the second young master came running during the night.

After examining the surveillance cameras, Thomas and Vincent discovered that Anne clearly knew that the young master left the house for a certain time each day, but that she had never told them.

However, this time, the young master was out at night. She was probably afraid to take responsibility, so she called.

Logically speaking, when the young master came out, she should have gone out with him.

Why had she stayed at home all this time, leaving the young master to go out alone?

They suspected something was wrong with Anne.

This is why, this time, the Second Young Master asked the driver to leave, creating the illusion that they had already left. Then he secretly ran to the door to listen.

They thought Anne might not be as good to the young master as she seemed. Therefore, when the young master ran out, she ignored him.

But they didn’t expect her to be so stupid as to hit the young master.

This time they heard those vicious voices. There was no way of knowing how many other voices they hadn’t heard.

She had been recommended by the teachers of the secondary school of the second young master. They said she was a good girl who worked hard, but they didn’t expect this good girl to be so vicious.

If the young master understood his words, how sad he would be?

Some children could not be healed from the trauma left behind by their childhood.

Thinking about this, Thomas’ heart ached. He hugged Lucas very tightly.

Usually, the second young master would ask him to make a gesture. This time, the second young master must have been so angry that he made a move himself.

It looked like Anne wouldn’t live until tomorrow.

He looked at Lucas in his arms with a calm expression. There didn’t seem to be a trace of fear on his face.

Thomas only hoped that the young master didn’t understand what Anne was saying. This way, the young master would not be traumatized.

At that moment, Vincent pushed open the door and entered.

He headed straight for Lucas. Seeing how quiet Lucas was, his heart hurt.

Lucas was so obedient. He seemed to be used to it.

He looked up at Vincent. Their eyes met.

Vincent could only hope that Lucas hadn’t understood what Anne was saying. He reached out and pulled Lucas into his arms, saying guiltily,

– I’m sorry. I was negligent. I didn’t take care of you.

Lucas’ eyes, like grapes, moved. He looked up at Vincent. It was the second time his father had taken him in his arms.

His father had first carried him to the couch downstairs.

All this time he had thought that his father didn’t love him. In the past, Grandma used to accompany her. When Grandma said she wanted to come home sometimes, she left him here alone.

He was the only one left here.

He also thought of following Grandma home, but Grandma told him to stay here and listen to Anne.