Veronica's POV
The morning was a quiet one, just too quiet. Or rather it felt like the silence before the storm.
I got up as usual and made breakfast, again for only two as he didn't come back home.
Then I was packing Janet's bag. I called her school and told them I'd be dropping her myself.
"Mommy??!" Janet chirped. "Really!!"
"Yes," I said, smiling as I set her hair with my hand. "I'll pick you up as well, and I don't want you speaking to any stranger."
"Yes, mommy."
After what I saw and heard yesterday at the casino, I knew one thing, I am the only one who's protecting Janet.
Suddenly I felt my chest tighten.
"Honestly, I myself don't know what I'm holding onto anymore…but one thing I'm sure of…I don't have much time."
I left Janet at school and then went to work.
The day was going by uneventfully, until I got a call from her school by noon.
"Janet had locked herself in the bathroom and she won't open the door," the principal said. "I've called the security personnel."
I took my leave and drove as fast as I could. By the time I reached, they managed to break open the door.
"Miss Smith," the principal said. "This way please. She's in the infirmary and she's fine."
After seeing her laying on the bed peacefully, I stepped out of the infirmary.
I took a deep breath.
"Okay," I said, swallowing down my anger. "My daughter is not the type of throw tantrums—"
"Miss Smith," the principal said. "No one knows that better than us. But, you as a mother should have thought of the consequences before allowing Mr. Rollings to adopt her."
"I want to know exactly what you mean," I said with a fury breath.
"I think you'd better see this," the principal said as he turned his laptop's screen towards me and played the CCTV footage.
CCTV Footage from a few moments ago
Janet is seen painting alongside a friend. Then Adrian walked over and snatched her canvas and tore it apart. He didn't stop there. On throwing it down, he stomped with his feet as well.
Janet was clearly hurt on seeing her canvas being destroyed.
"What? Are you gonna cry?" Another boy teases her. "Want to call your father?"
"Oh," a girl said mockingly. "How can she, isn't he dead?"
"I do have a father," she said yelling. "Mr Rollings adopted me. Now he's my father—"
"Oh," the first boy said. "Then why your father only dropped Ardrian, and never you?"
"That's…that's…" she trailed off.
"That's cause," Adrain snarled. "He just did some charity by adopting you. Me…I'm his real son."
"Its really odd though," the principal said. "Even though Adrian is Mr Rollings own son, he's nothing like him."
He took a big sigh.
"Miss Smith—"
"Don't worry," I said, cutting his words. "I've already planned my transfer. So, we won't be here long. Actually, now that I'm here, could you prepare her transfer papers?"
"Oh yes," the principal said. "It will be a loss. After all, she's a straight-A student."
"Miss Smith," the doctor came over. "Janet is up. You can see her."
As I was going back to the infirmary, the teacher told me how she was improving in painting and had a bright future.
As I entered the infirmary, Janet held her arms up and began to cry.
I ran over and hugged her, kissed her then held her a little back to check if she was hurt anywhere.
"Miss Smith," a teacher said. "We may not be able to stop verbal abuse, but we definitely won't allow physical abuse. Adrian has been suspended for a month. His father has also been informed."
"So he knew." I said in my mind.
Janet was still clinging onto the torn canvas.
"Mommy…I didn't do anything…I told them Mr. Rollings is my father, but…"
I picked Janet up and then we went to the principal's office.
As I entered Adrian was already there.
"His mother is coming to take him." the principal said as he gestured to me to take a seat.
Just then the door opened.
"Oh, Mr. Staf!"
As the principal said, I turned around.
"Daniel??" I said surprised. "What are you doing here?"
"My fiancé's daughter studies here," he said, smiling. "I saw you so I came over."
"Mr. Staf," the principal said. "Do you know Miss Smith?"
"Of course," he said. "She's our chief commercial painter."
As the principal filled Daniel in on the events, I noticed his gaze never left Adrain, as if he was reading him or recognizing something.
Daniel was watching him with pinched eyebrows.
Just then Imelda entered and froze.
It seemed as if she was fighting to stay calm. Which made no sense as I was the last person in front of whom she usually had to stay calm, or maybe it was cause of the principal.
"I'm sorry for my son's behavior," she said directly towards me.
I didn't react or reply.
Just waited for her to take Adrian out of the office.
Then we also went out.
Adrian pulled his hand out of Imelda's and ran over.
"Dad!"
"Hey, bud!"
I laughed ironically inside as I saw them.
Smiling, chatting and being affectionate in public.
And we, his real family—strangers who can't even stand next to him, let alone say a word.
Then his gaze fell on Janet's face.
For a moment his smile faded as he saw Janet's cheeks with dried tear stains, but only a brief moment.
"Veronica," Daniel said as he came over. "Shall we go?"
"Who are you?"
I didn't realize when Jonathan was standing near his car and when he came over.
"Mr. Rollings," Daniel said. "Veronica is my chief commercial painter, and Janet had a matter at school with…your son."
"As far as I know," Jonathan said. "She's Veronica's daughter, and her husband—"
Daniel cut his words. "That's why I'm standing with her. Veronica is a decent, kind, caring, self-made upright woman. It's only right as her partner, I be here."
"Partner?" I was shocked.
"Yes," Daniel said. "I intended it as a surprise, but well, yes. Miss Smith is my new partner as well."
Later that day, I got a message from Imelda asking to meet her and to bring Janet along.
I don't know why, but I went.
The Grand Cardinal Casino
As I entered the room, there were about ten-fifteen people, including Imelda, Jonathan and Adrian.
She came over smiling, and stood beside us.
As a server enters to serve the wine, Imelda stops her.
"It's okay," she said. "We don't need any servers."
The server nodded and left.
"Veronica," Imelda called out. "Serve."
Seeing my shocked look, she smiled.
"Adrian wronged Janet not you," she said.
"You," she pointed towards Janet. "Sit on that table."
"Imelda!!" I yelled in anger.
"Lower your voice," she said. "Do you think your daughter deserves to sit on the same table as my son? In your dreams."
"Janet–" Jonathan said as he came over.
But Imelda grabbed his hand, stopping him.
He clenched his jaw and took his step back.
"Imelda," one of her friends says. "What's going on?"
"Oh," she said. "That girl is the one my fiancé Jonathan adopted out of pity. My son Adrian tore her canvas, so I called her over for a treat. As for Veronica, she's my employee. And, I think children should learn their place early on, shouldn't they?"
All the while I kept watching Jonathan hoping he would react.
But again—silent.
Then my gaze fell on Janet who was seated in the chair in the corner and all she had in front of her was plain white rice.
I never cared about the humiliation I faced, but today he was silent when his own daughter was being treated like a pauper.
But when she spoke up, I realized I wasn't the same Veronica who had to endure her humiliation, let alone my daughter.
"Mommy…can we go eat elsewhere?"
"Why elsewhere dear," I said with my chest out.
I rang the bell and called for a server.
As he came in.
"I called you," I said in a frank voice. "Here's my card. I want a separate box for two."
"This way Miss Smith," the server said as he took my card.
I stopped for a brief moment, and turned around.
"Imelda," I said. "I think you should order a tonic. You seem to have forgotten, I resigned and you signed it yourself. Now, I'm a chief commercial painter at Staf Designs. And…I've already revoked the adoption. So, Janet is only my and only my daughter."
With that I took hold of Janet's hand and walked out.
As I went to our box, I ordered some food for us.
I kept watching Janet as she was enjoying herself.
It was the first time she ate here at the Casino.
Whereas Adrian has been eating here since he was born along with his father, Jonathan.
"Today, again I couldn't protect her. I realized if I stayed here, no matter what she'd be targeted. Even if it was a brief moment, she got the first chance. Again I understood one thing. His world, and our world, are not the same."
Today I wasn't in anger nor did I have any tears in my eyes.
But I had made a decision in my mind.
By the time we reached home, it was already late, so I put Janet into her bed, and went to my room.
I opened the drawers and removed the document and placed them on the bed to sort them.
A laugh slipped out of my mouth as I realized Jonathan had taken his documents before as I couldn't find even one in the stack.
Then I double checked to see and made sure my passport, mine and Janet's certificates, my savings, my bank book, bank card, and other important documents were safely kept in my bag.
"Fifth day," I said. "And I've already packed my bag."
"Two more days," I said, already feeling light at heart. "And we'll be gone."