A Heaven-sent Sweet Child Falls Asking for Hugs-Chapter 27: The Woman Who Abandoned Her Husband and Son
Jasper Ford was still locked out, staring in bewilderment at his mother’s swift, clean motion of locking the door. His handsome features were unnaturally stiff.
The butler ran over, looking very embarrassed, to open the door for Jasper Ford. "My apologies, Young Master. I forgot you were still outside."
Jasper Ford muttered that it was fine and followed Madam Ford. He saw that sly little devil, Beanie Quincy, crying in Madam Ford’s arms, putting on quite a convincing show.
"Where are the toys? Bring them over, quickly!" Madam Ford ordered.
The butler hurried upstairs and returned with two toys. Madam Ford took them and sat beside Beanie Quincy, comforting him nonstop.
Beanie Quincy stopped crying, but his big, bright eyes kept flicking over to Jasper Ford, filled with wariness!
Jasper Ford didn’t leave. He sat down across from Beanie Quincy, sizing him up with great interest. This made Beanie terrified, and he kept trying to hide behind Madam Ford.
Jasper Ford asked, "Mom, have you ever met Beanie’s mother?"
Madam Ford looked back at him. "No. Why do you ask?"
"Hasn’t he shown you a photo of his mother?" Jasper Ford asked with a wicked grin.
Madam Ford suddenly realized she hadn’t asked Beanie Quincy for a photo of his mother this whole time. She looked down at the little boy. "You’re right, Beanie. It’s been so long, and I haven’t even seen your mother."
"Why don’t we have Beanie find a photo of his mother for us? The poor kid lost his father at such a young age, it’s truly pitiful. We should help him find his mother as soon as possible." Jasper Ford’s lips curved into a smile that wasn’t a smile, a suggestion that terrified Beanie Quincy even more.
’Beanie Quincy sorted through their relationships. The bad woman was the strange uncle’s fiancée. If he insisted that Wanda Quincy was his mother, then Miss Ford would definitely stop being nice to an "illegitimate child" like him. She might even kick him out. Then, the bad woman and Jasper Ford would team up to bully him. But he couldn’t reveal his real mommy, either. That horrible Wanda Quincy would definitely join forces with this bad man to bully him and his mother!’
’It didn’t seem like the strange uncle wanted to bring up the engagement party fiasco either.’ Beanie decided to go all in and play dumb. He tugged pitifully at Madam Ford’s sleeve. "Miss Ford, my hand hurts."
"Which hand?" Madam Ford asked in alarm.
"The one that got hit," Beanie Quincy said, blinking his tear-filled eyes. "My mommy probably has to work overtime again. She’s all by herself, working three jobs just to support me. It’s so hard. Beanie is so bad... Mommy works so hard, and now I’ve gotten hurt. She’ll have to take care of me when I get home, too. What if... what if Mommy works herself to death by accident? Then Beanie will really be an unwanted stray! WAAAAH... I’m so pathetic..."
He collapsed onto the floor, crying until his eyes were red and swollen.
Madam Ford’s heart went out to him. After all, her driver was the one who had hit Beanie Quincy. And thinking about it, Beanie’s mother really did have it tough. "Beanie, don’t cry," she said. "Miss Ford won’t let you become a little stray. Since you’re not healed yet, don’t go home for now. Just stay here and rest. You can go visit your mother whenever you miss her. Besides, I get lonely living here by myself. It would be perfect if you stayed to keep me company. Would that be alright?"
"But..." Beanie Quincy trailed off, two more tears plopping from his watery eyes as he shot a deliberate glance at Jasper Ford.
Madam Ford said, "Don’t you be afraid of him. I’m here to back you up. No one will dare to bully you."
"Thank you, Miss Ford." Beanie Quincy wept with joy, and the tiny boy launched himself into Madam Ford’s embrace. His soft, sticky-sweet voice was as sugary as could be.
Jasper Ford snorted. ’He’s quite the little actor.’
’Although he didn’t like him, Beanie Quincy was just a child. It wasn’t like Jasper Ford could actually do anything to him. Besides, his mother had hit the boy; it was only right to look after him until he recovered. But this kid was too clever. He was cute, sure, but the more Jasper Ford looked at him, the more something felt... off. He looked familiar... like...’
"Young Master, I’ve noticed that Beanie looks a lot like you," the butler beside him couldn’t help but say.
Jasper Ford’s face darkened. "Where do you see a resemblance?"
The butler replied, "There’s a resemblance in the brows and eyes. I feel like he looks exactly like you did as a child, Young Master."
The butler’s words struck a chord with Madam Ford. She’d felt the same way the first time she saw Beanie Quincy, thinking he was the spitting image of Jasper Ford as a child. That was why she’d taken such a liking to him. She smiled and said, "I thought he looked a lot like him when I first saw him, too."
The man and the boy locked eyes, neither saying a word.
Beanie Quincy didn’t think he looked anything like Jasper Ford. But after studying the boy’s face a few more times, Jasper Ford had to admit there was a slight resemblance to his own childhood self. The Ford Family had kept photos of him as a boy. If it weren’t for Jasper’s scrupulous lifestyle, he would have mistaken this child for his own son the moment he saw that face.
Jasper Ford shot the butler a sharp look, the warning unspoken.
Realizing his misstep, the butler hastily lowered his head.
Seeing that the corners of Beanie Quincy’s eyes were red from crying, Madam Ford’s heart ached. She went to the kitchen to cook sweet rice balls for Beanie to eat. Jasper Ford, her own flesh-and-blood son, was lucky enough to benefit from this, getting to eat his mother’s homemade sweet rice balls for a change.
The man and the boy sat at the dining table, looking for all the world like a father and son. The more Madam Ford watched them, the more she liked the sight. She couldn’t help but chide Jasper Ford, "When are you going to bring a daughter-in-law home?"
Jasper Ford didn’t even look up as he ate in silence.
"I’m talking to you!" Madam Ford declared loudly.
Jasper Ford replied in a low voice, "We’ll talk about it later."
"Fine. I’m not asking for much. As long as it’s not Wanda Quincy, any woman can be the Young Madam of the Ford Family," Madam Ford said, stating her terms.
Quietly nibbling on his sweet rice balls, Beanie Quincy blinked his big, beautiful eyes in surprise. "Miss Ford, is Wanda Quincy bad?"
"A woman who would abandon her husband and son—how good could her character possibly be? We absolutely cannot accept someone like that," Madam Ford said with utter seriousness.
Beanie Quincy nodded in agreement. "Miss Ford is right! Don’t want her!"
The words were barely out of his mouth when an icy glare from Jasper Ford shot in his direction. Frightened, Beanie Quincy flinched, instinctively scooting his little bottom closer to Madam Ford.
Jasper Ford said, "Mom, it’s eleven o’clock. You should go to your room and rest."
Madam Ford looked at the wall clock and suddenly realized how late it was. She glanced at the sweet rice balls still filling Beanie’s bowl.
Jasper Ford said, "I’ll stay and watch him. I’ll take him up to rest when he’s finished."
"I’m full, Miss Ford! I’ll go up with you." As if Beanie Quincy would dare be left alone with Jasper Ford! He pushed his bowl away, hopped off the chair, and scurried after Madam Ford.
Afraid he might get hungry in the middle of the night, Madam Ford said, "You should finish eating first. I’ll wait for you right here."
"Beanie is full, I’m not hungry! Let’s go upstairs." Beanie Quincy flashed Madam Ford a sweet smile, revealing two adorable little fangs and a pair of faint, charming dimples.
Madam Ford was utterly charmed. She took his hand and led him upstairs, telling Jasper Ford to wash Beanie’s bowl on her way out.
