Chapter 6 Send Her to School
1245 Words
Hugh's pupils trembled slightly, and his mouth unconsciously opened.
He found it hard to breathe.
Father?
Aliana's expression remained unchanged.
Her eyes were clear and bright, but cold.
In the depths of her eyes, there was no sign of Hugh.
"Aliana..."
"Yes, father."
Hugh's voice was low.
Aliana did not flinch. She looked straight at Hugh. Slowly and steadily, she called out "Father", which made Hugh's heart ache a bit.
"Dad!"
Hugh recalled the soft voice when Aliana called him "Dad".
What expression did she have when she called Hugh "Dad"?
"Bang!"
The sound of a cup forcefully hitting the table startled Aliana.
She looked at Hugh in confusion, whose cheeks flushed in anger.
"I told you to address elders properly. So, you deliberately did so to annoy me, didn't you?"
"Cannot I call you 'Father'? Isn't that a more respectful way of addressing an elder?"
Hugh was furious.
He wondered, "What is going on?
"What happened to Aliana?
"She keeps her distance from me. What does she want?"
Ah?
"What are you doing?"
Joshua, who had not slept well last night, entered the dining room and immediately sensed the strange atmosphere.
Hugh's rationality was brought back by Joshua's voice.
"Joshua, you come at the right time. Look at Aliana. Her character has changed! She's even contradicting us!"
Hugh angrily pointed his finger at Aliana.
Joshua's brow twitched.
He had seen the way Aliana was even before his father did.
After Hugh accused Aliana, the three sat awkwardly in the dining room.
Aliana had lost her appetite.
She just wanted to go back.
And she did just as she thought.
"I'm leaving first. I'll come back later."
"Wait! Is this how you should behave?"
Hugh stood up abruptly, stopping Aliana from leaving.
Aliana's brow finally moved.
"Father, is there anything else?"
Now it was Joshua's turn to widen his eyes.
"Father..."
Joshua mumbled to himself.
A trace of gloominess appeared in Joshua's sharp gaze.
"Aliana, let's have a proper conversation today. Dad is also here. If you have any grievances, you can talk to us and explain why you did this."
Joshua pulled out a chair, crossed his arms on the table, and examined Aliana.
Hugh also sat down. He propped his elbows on the table with his hands on his chin.
Both of them had no intention of having a good conversation.
What grievances?
If Aliana told them, they would always have a bunch of excuses to retort.
The men of the Harriman family never allowed themselves to be in the wrong.
When Aliana was five or six years old, she argued with them.
What she got in return was their increased dislike and reproach.
Aliana clenched her teeth, placed her hands on her legs, and tightened her fists. She lowered her head, refusing to look at them.
"Speak. Everyone is busy. We all have things to do in a while, so there's no obligation to indulge your temper. If you have any dissatisfaction, just say it directly."
Joshua's volume gradually increased.
Aliana's heart pounded with disappointment.
Dissatisfaction? She dared not have any dissatisfaction.
Having dissatisfaction implied that Aliana held a glimmer of hope for them.
Aliana lifted her head and stared directly at the two men who were looking at her coldly.
"Joshua, Father, I have no dissatisfaction. I just did things that I thought were proper. Do I need to be criticized for it?
"When Father saw me in the morning, I greeted him, but he said I should address him respectfully like Leia, and show respect to my elders.
"I just called him 'Father'. Isn't that a respectful term?
" Father, why are you angry? You even encouraged Joshua to criticize me.
"I don't understand. It seems like no matter what I do, you will accuse me.
"Is what I've done not enough?
"I've given everything to Leia that she likes, such as jewelry and my room. I've given them to her.
"You told me to eat by myself, not to trouble everyone. I've learned to do it and won't trouble you anymore.
"I just had breakfast early. Do I have to accept your criticism for that too?"
Aliana's expression didn't show as much anger or sorrow as expected, as if she were telling a story.
The pace was slow, and the tone was distant.
The two men sitting across from each other didn't know how to respond at all.
If Aliana cried and made a fuss like before...
Crying and making a fuss?
Hugh's heart missed a beat.
When was the last time Aliana made a scene in front of him?
And what about the room she mentioned?
Leia was in poor health, and Aliana's room was big, so Hugh asked Aliana to give the room to Leia...
Where was Aliana living now?
Leia's previous room had been turned into a dressing room.
Where was Aliana living now?
Reality made Hugh's chest throb directly.
A chill surged through him.
Even Hugh's toes began to feel cold.
Joshua glanced at Hugh, observing his expression.
Hugh's pupils contracted as he looked at Aliana.
It seemed that he thought of something.
But Joshua did not soften his attitude.
Leia was in poor health, and Aliana's room was big, with good air circulation.
Why not just let Leia have it?
The Harriman's house had so many rooms. They could arrange one for her.
Aliana was so small. How much space did she need?
Even the way Aliana addressed Joshua had changed from "Josh" to "Joshua," just like her addressing Hugh.
Aliana was willful.
Joshua's mind raced at high speed.
He wanted to see if there was any way to change Aliana, who was stubborn.
Out of the corner of his eyes, Joshua noticed the newspaper in Hugh's hands.
A spark of inspiration flashed in Joshua's mind!
"You should be around 7 years old this year, right? It's time for you to go to elementary school."
Hmm?
Aliana looked up at Joshua with a puzzled expression.
In Aliana's previous life, she wouldn't be thought of until two years later before she was sent to a public elementary school.
Did this trigger the butterfly effect?
A wave of shock rose inside her.
Aliana quickly calmed down.
It didn't matter if she went early or late. Anyway, it was a public school.
It was time for Aliana to go to elementary school.
In that case, she had to thank Joshua. He reminded Hugh to send Aliana to school.
"Yeah, school! That prestigious international school still recruits students. I'll go and see if there are any spots left."
Still in a daze, Hugh heard Joshua mention elementary school.
His mind cleared up instantly.
Hugh didn't even bother to have breakfast. He walked straight to the study.
There shouldn't be excitement.
It was more like that Hugh was escaping.
Hugh didn't want to admit it, and he didn't want to face Aliana.
Hugh would help Aliana get into a prestigious school...
Only by doing so could he relieve his sense of guilt.
With that thought in mind, Hugh quickly dealt with the matter of enrolling Aliana in the prestigious school.
The two men planned which school Aliana should go to, each engrossed in their own thoughts.
Joshua used work as an excuse and left after making a cup of coffee. He had nothing more to say to Aliana.
Aliana was left alone in the kitchen, with her eyes wide open.
Wasn't it supposed to be a public elementary school?
- Writer
