The Plane Tickets He Hoarded The Wife He Hid novel Chapter 21

21 Chapter 21 A Child Completely Abandoned

21 Chapter 21 A Child Completely Abandoned

Zain’s POV 1

While Carry threw her tantrum in the living room, I stepped out of Oswald’s bedroom.

Cards lay scattered across the floor. I looked around but couldn’t spot Blanche anywhere.

Puzzled, I turned to Carry. “Where’s your mom?”

Carry shot a furious glare toward the stairs. “She went up.”

Her words caught me off guard for a moment.

The woman who used to put her daughter before everything else now seemed completely detached.

After a pause, I took Carry’s hand. “Come on. Let’s get you cleaned up.”

Carry planted her feet. “Dad, I don’t want to sleep with Mom.”

I looked down at her, keeping my expression neutral. “Mr. Oswald only set up one room. If you don’t want to sleep with your mom, go tell him yourself.”

Carry’s cheeks puffed out in frustration, but she knew better than to push me. She gave in.

If her mother wouldn’t take care of her, then she wouldn’t take care of her mom either.

When we reached the bedroom, I noticed Blanche hadn’t laid out any pajamas or toiletries for us.

The bathroom light glowed from under the door–she had to be inside.

I couldn’t figure out what was going on with Blanche.

I pulled off my watch and jacket, then settled onto the couch.

Carry sulked beside me. Her mom wasn’t fussing over her anymore, and though she tried to hide it, the anger simmered just below the

surface.

Blanche emerged from the bathroom wrapped in a terry cloth robe.

When she saw us both waiting on the couch, expecting her usual service, something almost like amusement flickered across her face.

But she stayed quiet, never once looking our way, and continued toweling her hair dry.

Once finished, she finally approached us.

I held my phone, deep in a video call, while Carry snuggled against me, beaming at the screen.

“Miss Joanna, are you getting ready for bed?”

Joanna’s voice drifted from the speaker. “Yes, I’m about to sleep, but I’d love to stay up and chat if you want.”

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21 Chapter 21 A Child Completely Abandoned

Carry noticed her mother getting closer but stayed put in my arms.

I knew Blanche would’ve felt that familiar stab of jealousy before, maybe even asked if we were heading to bed.

Blanche’s POV

Now, I didn’t give a damn. Instead, I spoke directly. “I’m taking the couch tonight. You two can have the bed and keep talking”

Both Zain and Carry stared at me like I’d grown a second head.

I didn’t flinch under their confused gazes.

“I’ll sleep on the couch. You two take the bed.”

Carry’s eyes blazed with fury. She looked ready to explode, but Zain beat her to it. “Aren’t you giving Carry a bath?”

I ran my fingers through my dried hair. “Let the maid handle it.”

I used to do everything myself, but those days were over. I wasn’t anyone’s servant anymore.

Zain’s face went dark. “You always did it before.”

I fired back without hesitation. “When I wasn’t at Blissfield Villa, didn’t she manage just fine? Didn’t Heidi bathe her?”

I knew damn well Joanna had been the one helping Carry with baths, but I wasn’t about to bring that up.

Carry felt the ice in my voice and her anger exploded. She jumped up and shoved me hard.

“I don’t need you to do anything. I can handle it myself. You’ll never get to bathe me again.”

She stormed toward the bathroom.

Joanna’s voice floated from the phone, trying to smooth things over. “Carry, sweetheart, don’t worry about showering tonight. I’ll take

care of it tomorrow when you’re home.”

Carry grunted back, “Fine.”

I could tell by her grunted response that she preferred my baths to Joanna’s, and she likely felt I no longer loved her. She probably

realized Zain, being a man, couldn’t help her with a bath.

But now, her mother didn’t love her anymore.

Carry didn’t call for the maid either. Instead, she crawled into bed and yanked the covers over her head.

Zain’s POV

After the call ended, I stood up. I glanced at Blanche but didn’t ask anything. I just headed to the bathroom to wash up.

When I came out, darkness had swallowed the room except for one small bedside lamp.

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21 Chapter 21 A Child Completely Abandoned

I lay down next to Carry but sleep wouldn’t come.

From the sofa came Blanche’s steady breathing.

What the hell had caused such a dramatic change in her?

Then again, maybe it didn’t matter anymore.

The next morning, Blanche woke before dawn.

She slipped out quietly, careful not to wake Carry and me, and went downstairs to get ready.

When I came downstairs later, I saw the oatmeal and pies she’d made, clearly for Grandpa. Grandpa was already awake, and from his

expression as he watched the kitchen, he seemed to have a mixture of happiness and worry.

After breakfast, Blanche sat with the old man briefly before getting up. “Grandpa, I need to get to the hospital for work. I’ll bring you

homemade cookies next time.”

Oswald’s eyes drifted upstairs. “Aren’t you waiting for Zain and Carry?”

Blanche had never left the old house without us before, but she just shook her head. “No, I’m running late for work.”

She grabbed her bag and rushed out like she was escaping.

I could see Oswald watching her go, and later I noticed he seemed troubled by her departure. He couldn’t interfere in his grandchildren’s

problems anymore. Once, he’d forced me to marry Blanche, but now he seemed helpless to fix what was broken between us.

I woke up early too, but since it wasn’t time for Carry to leave for school, I let her sleep.

Walking past the couch, I saw the blanket folded perfectly, as if no one had slept there at all.

I figured Blanche must have gone downstairs to keep grandpa company.

When I got downstairs, Oswald was nowhere to be seen, which seemed to confirm my guess.

Amiya spotted me coming down and hurried over. “Mr. Jacob, would you like breakfast?”

I was rushing to get to work, so I declined. “No, I’m good.”

At the door, something hit me. “When Mrs. Jacob comes back, tell her to take Carry to kindergarten.”

Amiya didn’t know Blanche had already left, so she nodded. “Of course, Sir.”

After I left, Amiya returned to the kitchen to clean up.

Suddenly, loud crying echoed from upstairs.

Amiya froze, not even bothering to remove her apron before racing upstairs.

The closer she got, the louder Carry’s sobs became.

“Daddy…”

Amiya pushed open the bedroom door to find Carry sitting on the bed, hair wild and messy, pounding the covers with her fists.

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21 Chapter 21 A Child Completely Abandoned

Tears had soaked the bedding, her eyes red and swollen, looking like a child who’d been completely abandoned.

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