Chapter 6
Chapter 6
11
In the awkward silence, Emma suddenly seemed to remember something. “You still love sleeping in, don’t you? Just woke up now-must be hungry, right? Come eat with us.”
She smiled and waved Emily over, completely forgetting that all the food on the table had already been eaten-except for some bread Lydia had taken one bite of and disliked.
Gale frowned. “Why are you bothering with her? She already ate in the kitchen. She stuffed her face like an animal, with
zero manners.”
Then he glared at Emily. “I told you-if you can’t behave properly, you don’t get to eat at the table. Are you just ignoring everything I say?”
Trying to calm him down, Lydia quickly said, “Dad, don’t be mad. Maybe Emily’s still hungry. I don’t eat much-I’d be happy to give my breakfast to her.”
She sweetly picked up the plate with the leftover bread and looked at Emily with innocent eyes. “Emily, come eat with us.”
Emily didn’t move. She lowered her eyes. “Thank you, Ms. Bennett. But I already ate.”
The chef had given her plenty of spaghetti. She really couldn’t eat another bite.
But Lydia’s eyes started to turn red. “Emily, do you not want it because it’s from me?
“I know it’s leftover bread, but I didn’t touch it-it’s clean. I was just worried you didn’t eat enough. I didn’t mean anything else. If you’re upset, I-I’m sorry.”
Her face was full of guilt and helplessness, with tears welling in her eyes. Seeing that all-too-familiar expression, Emily already knew what would happen next.
Sure enough, Lucas slammed his fork down and glared at her. “Lydia offered you her breakfast out of kindness. What’s your problem?
“Dad just saw you eating in the kitchen. And now you’re here trying to take Lydia’s food on purpose? Picking a fight first thing in the morning? Honestly, you should’ve stayed at St. Gabriel’s and never come back!”
Emily had heard this kind of scolding more times than she could count two years ago. Back then, it always left her feeling wronged and upset.
But now, she just looked calmly at Lucas. “I never said I was still hungry. I never tried to take anything from Ms. Bennett. And I never said I had a problem with her leftovers.”
She had even waited until they were all done eating before stepping out of the kitchen. The only thing she said was politely turning down Lydia’s offer. She didn’t understand how that turned into her picking on Lydia.
Facing Emily’s steady gaze, Lucas suddenly felt a sharp pang in his chest.
Emily really hadn’t said anything rude. But in his eyes, turning down Lydia’s kindness-and making her cry-was enough to count as picking on her.
Furious and embarrassed, Lucas stood up and grabbed the plate of bread. “You don’t deserve Lydia’s kindness. If you don’t want it, then forget it!”
He tossed the bread and the plate straight into the trash and stormed off.
The mood at the table grew heavy. Even Emma’s smile disappeared. “Everything was fine-why does it always turn into
this?”
1/2
She didn’t say Emily’s name, but it was clear who she meant.
Emily acted like she didn’t hear it. She said coolly, “I want to see Grandpa Charles.”
From the beginning, that was the only thing she’d wanted to say. But no one gave her the chance. They just jumped in and blamed her for picking on Lydia.
When Emily mentioned Charles, the angry looks on Gale and Emma’s faces froze.