Filed to story: The Return Novel (Natalie & Bryce) PDF Read Online Free >>
Natalie was worried that Liam might pick up an infection, so she didn’t want to waste time with the teacher’s stalling. She said to the evasive Mrs. Calligan, “Since you clearly don’t want to take me to the principal, I won’t try and force you to do so.”
She picked Liam up and headed to the medical center in a cab. In the cab, Liam, seeing the worry on Natalie’s face, reached out to touch her hand to comfort her. “Mommy, don’t be sad. I’m fine.”
Natalie held Liam tightly in her arms. No matter what, he was the most precious thing in her world. When they arrived at the medical center, Natalie immediately asked a doctor to check Liam over. Watching the doctor gently examine Liam’s cuts and bruises, she suddenly felt guilty for not resolving the matter properly at the school. Unless she found out the truth behind this incident, she wouldn’t be able to relax. What if Liam got hurt again in the future?
After the doctor finished treating Liam’s abrasions, Natalie knelt down next to the little boy, blew gently on his wounds, and said, “Liam, I’m really sorry. I was so careless. But we’ll fix you up, and it won’t hurt anymore, okay?”
“Okay, Mommy, but I really don’t feel any pain.” Liam blinked his bright eyes at her and smiled. He was such a sensible boy. Ever since she could remember, Liam had helped her with household chores and behaved like a much older and wiser child than his years might suggest was possible.
Natalie felt guilty whenever she thought about it. She felt she owed him something. She felt that she had not given him the best of things. She hadn’t given him the warmth and happiness of a normal family. As Natalie thought of this, she felt like she was about to burst into tears. She turned her head aside and closed her eyes, forcing back the tears. When she looked at Liam again, her face had returned to normal.
Liam said, “Mommy, let’s go. My body doesn’t hurt. How about you blow on my cuts again when we get home? Then they won’t hurt anymore. You used to do that when I was little. Remember your magic breath?” He smiled.
Natalie nodded and smiled tensely. “All right, I will take you home now.”
Natalie was about to pick up her son, but then she heard the sound of hurried footsteps. Natalie spun around and saw Mrs. Perkins approaching fast. Mrs. Perkins hugged Liam and said lovingly, “Liam, how did you get injured?” Her eyes were red, and she was extremely anxious. Natalie felt her heart sink with dismay. She admonished herself again for not taking good care of Liam and for causing all this heartache.
Bryce was looking at Liam’s injuries with a dark expression on his face, giving off an aura of anger and malice. He squatted down by Liam and said in a somber voice, “You’re a tough little man, Liam. Doesn’t hurt too bad, am I right?”
“Yes,” said the little boy. “It doesn’t hurt. I’m a strong man.”
Bryce nodded and smiled, saying, “We’re two men together, isn’t that right?” The gentleness in Bryce’s eyes startled Natalie. Was this really the Bryce that she thought she knew?
While she was lost in thought, Bryce stood up and asked her coldly, “What happened? How did Liam get injured?”
Natalie decided to tell him all the facts. She would not let the person who bullied her son get off consequence-free. She told him what had happened. “Another kid pushed Liam down the stairs. I asked the teacher to explain, but she put me off. She said that there was no surveillance footage, but I get the impression that there actually is and that she’s concealing it. I think the teacher is scared to offend that big shot Pam, the other kid’s mother. But because Liam was injured, I didn’t want to stick around there and get to the bottom of the matter, so I came straight here to the medical center.”
Mrs. Perkins was furious. “That other child is so vicious! How can he do this? We can’t let the person who hurt Liam get away with it.”
Bryce narrowed his eyes menacingly. Once he understood the sequence of events, how dare these people touch one of his family! He said, “All right, I understand. Let’s take Liam home before we do anything else.”
In the car on the way home, Liam climbed into Bryce’s arms and said, “Dad, please hug me.”
Bryce looked surprised and uncomfortable. Afraid that Bryce wouldn’t want to hug Liam, Natalie reached toward her son to pick him up, but then she saw Bryce’s face change from discomfort to pity. She drew her hands back. Bryce, his heart softened, embraced Liam tightly. Safe in Bryce’s arms, he fell asleep.
After returning to the house, Bryce laid Liam gently on a bed and went to his study, from where he called one of his trusted assistants and told them to go to the school and find the surveillance footage. Natalie, meanwhile, sat beside Liam’s bed and caressed her son’s head, her eyes full of concern. Thinking about what had happened that day, she couldn’t help but blame herself. If she hadn’t deepened the feud with Pam, was it likely that Liam wouldn’t have suffered these injuries?
Natalie’s eyes reddened as she thought of this, a tear rolling down her cheek. The weak and fragile side of her personality, which she tried so hard to hide, could no longer be concealed.