Chapter 625: "Right, I Don’t Want a Dad Anymore!
Chapter 625: Chapter 625: "Right, I Don’t Want a Dad Anymore!
"Polly, I’m begging you, just help me this once!" James Yelric knelt directly in front of Polly Eames. "Just pretend that man is me."
Polly Eames’s eyes filled with shock and disappointment, but her voice became even more firm. "I’ll say it again. I refuse!"
"No!" James Yelric scrambled to his feet, his tone hard. "You have to go!"
"Impossible!" Polly Eames was usually obedient, but on a matter of principle like this, she had her own boundaries.
James Yelric flew into a rage, grabbing her hair. "Polly Eames, don’t push your luck! You should be laughing that trash like you is worth a hundred thousand!"
Sharp pain shot through her scalp, and Polly Eames grimaced. "James Yelric, you’re being completely unreasonable!"
"Are you going or not?" James Yelric raised his hand and slapped her hard across the face, his expression vicious.
"I’m not going, don’t force..." Polly Eames’s words were cut off as a fist slammed into her stomach. She instantly doubled over, her face draining of color.
"I’ll ask you one more time. Are you going or not?" he snarled.
Polly Eames gasped for breath, her voice weak. "Impossible. If you’re going to back me into a corner like this, then I’d rather die..."
James Yelric was practically insane with rage. "You’d rather die than help me, is that it?"
"Yes," Polly Eames answered, her resolve firm.
James Yelric was utterly infuriated. He snarled through gritted teeth, "Fine! Then go die!"
His eyes were bloodshot. He snatched up a pair of scissors from nearby and viciously plunged them into Polly Eames’s chest, again and again. Bright red blood splattered onto his contorted, savage face.
"I didn’t mean to kill her." James Yelric clutched his head, a panicked look on his face. "She forced me to do it. I even knelt and begged her, but she still wouldn’t agree..."
**
Willow and Glenn were having a wonderful time at Renee Jennings’s house.
The warm and friendly welcome from everyone filled the siblings with a sense of comfort.
Willow looked up at the clock on the wall and realized two hours had already passed.
She quickly looked at Renee Jennings, her tone anxious. "Oh no, Renee, it’s already one o’clock! We have to get the tools back to our brother. He must be getting really anxious!"
Renee Jennings had just read a text from Henry Stark. James Yelric had confessed to murdering Polly Eames.
She looked at the little girl’s delicate, thin face, a storm of complex and painful emotions churning within her.
Renee’s mind was in a turmoil. She didn’t know how to tell Willow that she would never see her mother again...
She pressed her lips together and said softly, "It’s alright, your brother has already gone home. Why don’t you two stay here today, okay?"
Glenn was more than willing to stay, but Willow was worried that if she wasn’t at home making craft flowers, she would be cursed at and beaten by James Yelric.
"Renee, I’m sorry, I have to go home and make the crafts."
Hearing the little girl’s words, Rhea Dempsey’s eyes instantly welled with tears. She turned her head to secretly wipe them away.
Renee felt as if a wad of soaked cotton was stuck in her throat. She was silent for several seconds before she managed to force out the words, "Willow, how about we don’t go home to make crafts today, okay?"
Willow thought it was strange. "But why?"
Renee Jennings pressed her lips together, at a loss for how to answer.
"Actually, today is my birthday," Rhea Dempsey suddenly said. "Willow, Glenn, could you two stay and celebrate my birthday with me?"
Willow’s eyes widened in surprise. "Aunt Rae, it’s your birthday today!"
Rhea Dempsey nodded. "Yes, it’s my birthday."
Michelle Fuller immediately chimed in, "That’s right, it’s Aunt Rae’s birthday today."
Glenn was quick-witted and piped up, "Happy birthday, Aunt Rae! I wish you good health and a long life to a hundred years old!"
"Thank you, Glenn." Rhea Dempsey gave a gentle smile and looked at Willow. "Will you stay and celebrate with me, please?"
Willow opened her mouth but couldn’t bring herself to say no. In the end, she nodded. "Okay."
This didn’t bring Renee Jennings any relief. The reality of the situation remained, and sooner or later, she would have to tell Willow the cruel truth.
Willow stopped worrying about the craft flowers. She had already made up her mind: when James Yelric got angry, she would just let him beat her.
’Aunt Rae is a good person. I want to celebrate her birthday.’
Willow pressed her lips together, looked at Renee Jennings, and asked hesitantly, "Renee, could you take my brother and me out to buy something?"
Renee Jennings nodded. "Of course."
She and Michelle Fuller took the two siblings out.
It wasn’t until they got to the supermarket that they realized Willow wanted to buy a birthday present for Rhea Dempsey.
Renee Jennings and Michelle Fuller fell half a step behind the children. Renee spoke softly, "Willow really is a good kid."
"She is," Michelle Fuller sighed. "Her mother raised her so well. It’s such a shame..."
Willow splurged on a birthday present for Rhea Dempsey: a pearl headband that cost fifty yuan.
When Rhea Dempsey received the gift, her eyes instantly grew moist. The tip of her nose tingled, and her voice choked with emotion as she said, "Willow, Glenn, thank you! I love it. I’ll treasure this headband forever!"
She immediately put the pearl headband on.
Seeing that she liked it, Willow breathed a secret sigh of relief, her small face breaking into a radiant smile. "I’m glad you like it, Aunt Rae."
To make the act complete, Renee Jennings also ordered a birthday cake.
After dinner, a delivery guy brought the cake over.
The whole group gathered in the living room to sing "Happy Birthday" to Rhea Dempsey.
After eating the cake, Willow brought up going home.
Glenn, on the other hand, was not eager to go home. Compared to that shabby, tiny house, he much preferred it here. It was spacious and bright, with good food and fun things to do.
Most importantly, everyone here was so nice to him.
Renee Jennings met the little girl’s dark, somber eyes and asked gently, "Willow, it’s too dark out now. Why don’t you two stay the night here, okay?"
Hearing this, Glenn’s eyes instantly lit up. "Yay!"
’This is great!’
But Willow frowned slightly, her expression hesitant. "But if we don’t go home, Uncle will be really angry tomorrow."
’He might hit us really hard then, and it would hurt a lot.’
Renee Jennings comforted her, "Then we’ll ask Brother Henry to go with us for backup. He’s a police officer; he can protect you."
Glenn agreed enthusiastically, nodding his head vigorously. "Yeah! If Dad dares to hit my sister, we’ll have Brother Henry arrest him!"
"Brother Glenn, why does your daddy hit your sister?" Jasmine asked, her little round face filled with curiosity.
Glenn sighed and explained, "Because my dad is a terrible dad! He likes to drink, and every night after he drinks, he gets into a bad mood, throws tantrums, and hits people. He’s always hitting Mom and my sister."
Jasmine’s little eyebrows furrowed. Her soft, childish voice was filled with feeling as she exclaimed, "It’s better to not have a dad at all!"
Zane, at her side, nodded vigorously, his little face serious. "Right! No dads!"
’Deep down, Willow had always felt the same way.’
She had also secretly asked her mom why they had to live with James Yelric.
Her mom said that although James Yelric had a terrible temper, having a man around could prevent a lot of other trouble.