Chapter 136
Paisley finished work early today and decided to pick up Serena herself, saying Maria from making another trip
At the kindergarten entrance, parents were already coming one after another to pick up their kids. Before long, Serena was brought out by Ms. Johnson.
When it came to picking up and dropping off Serena. Paisley and Maria had a clear division of duties. Paisley usually handled the morning drop- offs, but since her work hours were unpredictable, Maria was usually the one to pick her up.
As soon as Serena saw Paisley, her face lit up, and she ran over like a little bunny. “Mommy’s here to pick me up today! I’m so happy!” Serena hugged Paisley tightly, clearly overjoyed.
Paisley picked her up gave her a kiss. “Were you a good girl today!”
Serena nodded eagerly. “Yes! I ate all my lunch and took a good nap. Ms. Johnson said I was a good girl?
Ms. Johnson smiled and nodded. “That’s right. Serena was very well–behaved today.”
ly liked Ms. Johnson. After a brief chat, Ms. Johnson went back inside to
“Thank you for taking care of her,” Paisley said with gratitude. She genuinely look after the remaining kids who hadn’t been picked up yet.
“Mommy, where’s the car? Didn’t you drive?” Serena asked, glancing behind Paisley and seeing no car.
“The car’s broken and in the shop for repairs, Faisley explained. She had noticed a small oil leak earlier when leaving the studio, so she sent it in for servicing and a tune–up, deciding to leave it there and pick it up later when she had time
“Picking up Serena, Ms. Sutton? Vivian arrived with her daughter, Millie. The no didn’t look much alike.
Millie must have taken after her father, Paisley thought
“Yes, I had some free time, Paisley replied coolly. She always maintained a polite but distant demeanor with other parents–neither overly friendly nor cold, just enough for a greeting. She never intended to get close to them
Vivian exchanged a glance with other mother, who then asked, “Ms. Sutton, where’s your husband!
We’ve never seen him around”
Paidey recognized this woman’s daughter, Elara, who was also in the Pre–One Class. They’d never interacted before, and this was their first conversation, yet the woman dove straight into a personal question. Paisley found it quite off–putting,
“I’m raising Serena on my own, she answered bluntly.
“Oh,” Isabella’s mom nodded knowingly, her expression clearly saying, “I figured as much”
Vivian chimed in. “By the way, Millie’s birthday is at the end of the month, and I’m throwing a party for her. You and Serena should com Paisley wasn’t th
thrilled about the idea, but she felt she needed to respect Serena’s wishes.
“Serena, do you want to go?” she asked directly.
Vivian hadn’t expected Paisley to consult Serena so openly and was momentarily taken aback, her smile faltering
Millie said with a smile, “Serena, please come! I want you there!”
Without hesitation, Serena nodded. “Yes. Mommy, I want to go!”
Friendships between kids were just that simple and pure. It was clear the two little girls got along well.
Not wanting to hinder Serena’s social life at kindergarten. Paisley agreed, “Alright, I will take you.”
“Mommy, we need to prepare a gift for Millie, Serena chirped happily, clearly excited about attending her friend’s birthday party.
“Okay.” Paisley replied indulgently with a smile
She knew she’d have to put some thought into the gifi- lead to Serena being looked down upon.
—not too extravagant, which might come across as showing off, nor too cheap, which might
While it seemed like a child’s friendship, it was really a subtle game of adult dynamics.
Vivian, however, didn’t care much about Paisley’s gift. She didn’t think Paisley could bring anything impressive anyway. The invitation was more
about appearances–the couldn’t invite the whole class and leave out Serena and Paisley.
10.15 AM c d ·
Chapter 136
As president of the Parent Association, she had to be considerate of every family.
With that in mind, Vivian smiled and said. “Oh, no need for a gift. Just having you two there is enough”
Paisley couldn’t help but feel there was a hint of condescension and hostility in Vivian’s tone. But she didn’t care–so long as Serena was happy, nothing else mattered.
Just then, a taxi pulled up.
Paisley didn’t want to waste any more time chatting and quickly took Serena to get in the car and leave.
“I thought you wouldn’t invite Serena and her mom,” labella’s mom remarked.
Vivian scoffed, “I just said it for show. If she had any self–awareness, she’d decline. Oh well, it’s fine. It’s not like we’re losing anything by feeding them. Maybe it’ll be a good opportunity for them to broaden their horizons.”
In the taxi, Paisley thought that Vivian was difficult to get along with. And yet, she happened to be the president of the Pre–One Class Parent Committee
“Rena, tell Mommy, did you play well with the other kids at kindergarten? Were you bullied?” she asked.
Serena smiled innocently. “No, everyone is nice. No one bullies me.
“So, who do you play with the most?” Paisley asked again.
Serena thought for a moment, looking a bit troubled. “Everyone likes me, and I like everyone. They’re all good.”
Paisley went silent. She thought, ‘She’s so young, but she already knows how to play the diplomat But seeing that Serena didn’t seem like she had been bullied, Paisley felt relieved. It was always the adults who complicated things,
The mother and daughter chatted and laughed in the car for a while, and noticing the time, it seemed like they were almost home. Paisley looked up at the road but realized the taxi was heading in a different direction! This wasn’t the way home!
“Sir, where are you going?” Paisley asked aloud. However, after hearing her question, the driver not only didn’t respond but also sped up.
Paisley’s heart tightened, and she quickly checked if Serena’s seatbelt was fastened properly. While checking, her brain raced. She was sitting in the backseat, her eyes fixed on the half of the driver’s face visible in the rearview mirror. She confirmed she didn’t recognize this person. “What’s you
́s your goal” Paisley stopped asking why the driver wasn’t following the original route. She only wanted to know what his intentions were.
The driver had been silent until now. He finally spoke, “You’ll know soon enough.”
The unease in Paisley’s heart spread rapidly, but she quickly realized her emotions were affecting Serena. Serena was staring at her without blinking, fear in her eyes.
Paisley said. “It’s okay, Rena, don’t be scared. The driver is just p
playing with us.
At that moment, she had to force herself to calm down. She couldn’t panic, couldn’t be scared, and couldn’t let her daughter be affected.
I
