Whenever

Emerald was given one week detention, not to speak when any of the Blake’s were speaking or act carelessly and during those weeks, she behaved like a real fool and dumb.

She accepted humiliation from Christine and dirty talk from the mother but fortunately, it lasted for only a week and in the next, she was prepared to face them.

To avenge every shame and embarrassment she had gone through by striking them back with cranky actions.

The new week comes in and Christine returns home with a letter concerning her parents’ attendance at her parents and teachers meeting coming up in school the next day.

After serving supper for the Blake’s, Emerald stands at the side in the dinning maintaining silence.

“Mum, dad,” Christine calls out.

Her parents' attention was buried on their phone, they were picking their meal and focusing on their phones.

“What is it?” Shirley asked slyly, paying less attention to her child.

“Our usual school parents meeting is coming up” Christine wasted no time in placing the parcel on the table, none of them made any move.

“There is time for everything, Christine” Blake shunned.

“And besides, I won’t be available” he said and placed his phone on the table before eating delicately.

“Mum too is busy darling. Don’t worry, the dean won’t disturb you” Shirley coaxed her child with words.

“You two are just too much, I’m out of here” and Christine couldn’t also beg for their attention.

All of them were trying to act as captains in one house but it couldn't work. Christine stormed into her room in anger and Emerald sighed.

The family drama is worth a cinema ticket.

Emerald rode Christine to school the next day and her demeanor seemed to have changed.  Christine’s focus was on the white paper in her hands, peeping through the mirror, Emerald saw her facial expression and sighed.

“Want to talk, Christy?” she asked politely.

“No” Christine shunned annoyingly.

“It won’t hurt if you use the word please, trust me” she said.

“I just told you to keep shut, I’m not ready to hear some sermon” Christine snorted.

“You will come across them sooner or later, so get used to them” she smiled and Christine shook her head in disbelief.

“You are really a weirdo”.

Emerald spent quite some minutes in their school waiting for the parental meeting to begin and at the same time monitoring Christine’s behavior in school. Then she notices, all the while that Christine is only putting up this attitude to save herself. She observed that there were a lot of bullies in Christine’s school and if one decides to stay weak, he or she will be bullied. Christine put on the courageous and fearless aura and character in order to scare bullies away and also to stay in recluse since she detest spending time with people. Noticeably, Christine had no friend in school and as a result of her character other children find it difficult to mingle with her.

At around 12:30 PM, Emerald entered the big hall with Christine. Surprisingly other parents were already seated with their children. Emerald quickly took her seat in the front reserved seat with Christine.

“You cheap woman, you are not allowed to mingle with rich people’s affairs” Christine fired annoyingly.

To her surprise, Emerald squeezed her mouth until she winced in pain.

“You don’t talk to your elders that way” she informed in a whispering tone.

“How dare…!” Christine suddenly kept shut after meeting the angry eyes of emerald, she had to fringe it.

Soon, the microphone made some noise and everyone’s attention swayed to the high platform.

“The meeting is about to start but we can’t start it without the presence of our top sponsor” the school dean informed.

The crowd looked amongst themselves in confusion, everyone was present and some sent someone to stand in their place.

“Let’s welcome, Mr. Blake Hampton” the dean announced in a high pitched tone and immediately everyone roared in applause and cheers.

Emerald and Christine were surprised.

“Dad?” Christine called out at the sight of her father, he strolled down to his seat with confident strides and shamefully, Emerald vacated the seat.

The female amongst the crowd who is obviously mother(s) begins to wonder if Blake has gotten a mistress but he paid no attention to gossip.

Riding Mr. Blake and Christine back home, Christine couldn’t stop thanking her father for coming and explaining to him in exaggeration how many of her opposites were astonished by his present, but her father looked uninterested.

“No one told you to go there, why were you there?” he asked her.

“Me?” she asked as if she didn’t know.

“I.. Well, I felt Christy’s sadness and thought of attending. I know it won’t make her happy but at least a present from someone that cares, can” she informed politely.

“I owe you ten dollars for your little help” Christine said in a curt but calm tone.

“Whatever” he cursed under his breath.

“Sir, how come you attended when you claimed to be busy?” she asked politely.

“None of your business” he said and she nodded.

“Sir, I have a proposal to make and also to remind you” she made a comeback resonating the atmosphere.

“Let me hear” he didn’t take his eyes away from his palm top.

“Before I was accepted to work with you, I was given weekends as my day off” she halted.

“But now I can’t even visit my friends and family until it's Christmas” she informed sadly and he sighed.

“What do you want me to do then? Drive you to your house?” he snorted with his furrow brows.

“No.. no sir” she rattled out.

“It’s no longer possible as your wife asked me not to leave or visit” she reported.

“Then go confront her and not me,” he said.

“I… I can’t because I tried doing that but got a worse response” she frowned.

Her eyes didn’t roll away from the road but her attention was in the back seat.

“And what if I don’t accept?” he raised an anxious brow.

“Then you will be breaching the contract” she halted and gave him a dekko from the center mirror.

Their gaze met and he smirked.

“I know you as a business man with integrity, you won’t let such be mishandled” she cut off his courage.

There is no excuse that can save him at this moment.