Facade of Love

Chatper 353

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Chapter 353 Abandoned

Ariel froze for a second like she could not believe it. She blinked at the Strawberry Bear, then at me,

and finally asked, “For… for me?”

I nodded, encouraging her to take it.

She was on the shy side, so even though this was our second meeting, she was still pretty quiet.

Clutching the Strawberry Bear, she managed a quiet, “Thank you.”

Then something seemed to click, and she looked up at me with a curious twinkle. “How did you know

today’s my birthday?”

I just smiled. “The director told me.”

She nodded, a little overwhelmed, and went quiet.

I knew she was not much for talking, so I grabbed a stool and sat down next to her. I glanced over at

Charlie, who was still standing, and said, “Why don’t you take a seat too?”

He gave the wobbly stool a wary glance and, with a slight frown, said, “No thanks, I’ll just take a look

around.”

I nodded in response and turned back to my conversation with Ariel.

I had already been here yesterday, and there was not really any reason to come back today. However,

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after catching a glimpse of this girl and hearing about her from Director Williams, I felt compelled to

return.

Maybe it was destiny. Why else would I have asked for her name and not the others?

We chatted for a bit before Charlie, who clearly was not feeling the vibe, wandered back over, looking a

bit out of place.

I got up and asked him, “What’s up?”

“Do we have to stick around all day?” he asked.

I shook my head, seeing how uneasy he was, and said, “Just hang tight. After Ariel is done with her

cake, we will head out.”

At that, he seemed to relax a little and gave a small nod.

I had ordered a big cake for Ariel, and it was not long before it arrived. With so many kids in the yard,

Director Williams and a few teachers started slicing it up once the candles were out. I did not see

Charlie anywhere, so I made my way through the crowd to look for him.

I found him by the stairs.

“Hey, Char…” I started to call out but stopped when I saw two boys scuffling in the hallway, scrapping

over who knows what. Both teenagers were sporting a few scrapes and bruises.

Charlie was leaning against the wall, watching them with a detached air, like he was at the

movies.

When they noticed him, they stopped, shot each other dirty looks, and decided to leave.

Charlie, losing interest now that the show was over, started to walk away.

Chapter 353 Abandoned

He hesitated for a second when he saw me, but his face did not give anything away

I stared at the two kids, both a little worse for wear after their scuttle, and found myself speechless. I

stepped closer and asked why they had been fighting Turns out, it was all over a toy that neither of

them ended up with because they broke it in the fray

Sighing, I gave them a talking to and sent them on their way

Charlie was leaning against the stairwell, waiting for me the caught my eye and flashed that signature

half–smile of his. “Ready to head out

I reached him, biting my lip, and blurted out, “Why didn’t you break up their fight?”

He quirked an eyebrow, his features sharp and striking, “Why should I have?”

I was momentarily tongue–tied. “They were fighting. Isn’t that reason enough to step in?”

He frowned thoughtfully. “Even if I did, they would just find another place to duke it out. It’s just how

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things are. Fighting for what you want is pretty normal It’s not right or wrong. The real shame is that

they were too foolish to realize they had wrecked their prize. Now, nobody wins.”

I was stumped. His take on right and wrong left me without a comeback

I was not in the mood to lecture anyone, especially not Charlie I gave him a look, dropped the subject,

and said, “We should get going. It’s late, and we’ve got to head back”

With that, I turned and walked away

After the kids had their fill of cake and a bit of fun, I bid Director Williams farewell and got ready to

leave.

As I was about to go, Ariel scampered over and pressed a candy into my hand. She looked up at me

with those big, hopeful eyes and whispered, “Thanks, sis.

I tousled her hair and gave her a gentle smile. “You’re welcome. I’ll come visit again when I can.”

She nodded, her eyes following us as we left.

The car ride was quiet. I was still thinking about the fight and did not know what to say to Charlie. He

must have picked up on my mood because his voice softened. “Are you upset?”

I shook my head and gave him a forced smile. “Upset? No way. We just see things differently, that’s all.

Even family members don’t always see eye to eye, so it’s no surprise friends might disagree.”

He bit his lip, silent for a moment, then dropped the subject of our argument. Instead, he asked,

“What’s so special about that girl? You really look out for her.”

He meant Ariel.

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