"Mommy, you're always red whenever Uncle is around. Does that mean you're not happy with Daddy, but very happy with Uncle?"
...
Mackie's question was very simple, yet gave Chloe no space to lie or maneuver and gave an ambiguous answer. It was a simple yes or no question.
...
Mackie sensed the hesitation in Mommy's heart.
She might not be able to discern fully what happened around her family. But she caught up to the change in her Mommy very quickly.
Usually, her Mommy wouldn't even think twice before saying that Daddy had no fault and was always the best, even though Mackie always noticed the emptiness in her Mommy's eyes.
But now that Mommy's eyes were filled with joy, Mackie soon realized that Mommy never talked good about Daddy anymore, nor did she talk bad about him.
Daddy was simply out of their lives for now.
"Mommy, if you're happy with Uncle, then let's stay with Uncle for a while," Mackie said out of the blue. "I'm sure Daddy won't mind."
Chloe's breath shortened, and she tensed immediately. She couldn't believe what she had just heard from her daughter.
She still vividly remembered how Mackie kept asking to meet her Daddy a few months ago and despairing at how much she missed her Daddy.
Now she decided that they should stay with Uncle a bit longer.
Chloe was speechless and even more speechless as Mackie continued speaking.
"I want to meet Daddy, but if Daddy hurts Mommy like before, I prefer not to meet him now...." Mackie said. "Let's wait until Daddy feels better and stay with Uncle, okay, Mommy?"
"Oh, dear..." Chloe's voice wavered as she embraced her daughter in a tight hug. "I'm so sorry, Mackie. I don't know how to tell this to you," she muttered.
"Mm, I don't want Mommy to get hurt. If staying far away from Daddy will make you feel better, then let's stay away from him. I hope Daddy will say sorry to you later, Mommy...."
'He will never apologize, dear. But your image of a father figure was crushed already when you saw him choking me up. I don't want you to hate your father completely...' Chloe thought, recalling when Mackie interrupted her fight with Vincent in the Principal's office. It must've caused a great shock to her daughter.
"What do you think, Mommy? Can we stay with Uncle?"
"Mhm, I think we can stay for a while," Chloe replied. "I'm sure Uncle would be happy with us staying."
**
Vernon finished his work quite late in the evening, he arrived at his penthouse around eight, and the foyer was already dark when he opened the penthouse door.
Vernon's eyes darted to the sofa where Chloe usually fell asleep, waiting for him to return home.
Unfortunately, the sofa was empty, and there didn't seem to be any trace of someone around his penthouse the whole day.
Vernon let out a low laugh, ridiculing himself as he actually expected Chloe to wait for him as usual, even though they had been fighting this morning.
"I guess that call at noon didn't change a thing. She's probably still too scared to face me right now."
Vernon threw his briefcase to the sofa and pulled his tie to loosen it up.
He went to the kitchen and was disappointed when he didn't see Chloe there.
He remembered that sometimes Chloe would fall asleep at the dining chair, waiting for him as he returned home late at night.
He was so used to seeing that sight of Chloe waiting for him that he felt at a loss when Chloe wasn't around.
"All this just because we had one fight this morning," Vernon muttered while he opened a beer bottle. He took a big gulp before sitting on the sofa, staring straight into the dark, empty foyer.
He didn't even feel like turning any light because this was his life whenever Chloe wasn't around.
And he was used to this.
He kept drinking the beer while mumbling, "I should've been softer to her-- no, I should never stop her from doing anything. I don't care what will happen next. I don't give a crap if I have to blow up my cover in front of Vincent, as long as Chloe won't get mad at me, let alone shedding her tears."
He knew that he might've been way too soft for Chloe because what Chloe did by contacting Dorothea was wrong and dangerous.
But to be separated from her, even for one night, felt so excruciating. He'd rather do everything she said as long as she was happy.
Vernon burped after he drank the whole bottle of beer. He wasn't drunk at all. It was just a bottle, after all. But he did feel a bit relaxed and didn't like it.
Vernon didn't like the fact that he had to drink alcohol to make himself feel better, it was an old habit he had developed before he reunited with Chloe, and he certainly didn't want that habit to return.
Vernon took off his suit and threw it on the sofa. He unbuttoned his shirt as he pushed his bedroom door open. He turned on the dim light around his room and noticed a figure of a beautiful woman sleeping on his bed.
The woman was beautiful. She was thin but not too thin like she used to be. Her long and wavy chestnut hair was spread on the pillow like a sleeping beauty, and she seemed to be at peace in her sleep.
"Chloe?" Vernon couldn't help calling her name as he was confused about what was happening. He thought Chloe refused to find him because she was scared after their fight.
"Umh... what took you so long...." Chloe mumbled in her sleep before recognizing the voice of the man who had called her name just now. She opened her eyes, sat on the bed, and yawned casually before staring at Vernon with her sleepy eyes. "Um, welcome home, Vernon...."
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