Chapter 8- Trouble (1)

The air remained thick with tension as Old Madam Chen's tirade finally subsided, leaving behind a trail of awkward silence.

Her chest heaved with exertion, but her eyes still blazed with disapproval. Chen Xiao attempted to intervene, "Mother~"

Old Madam Chen, however, was far from finished. "What?" she thundered, her voice echoing off the walls. "Are you going to wait until she becomes rotten?"

Her gaze snapped to Delilah, who was eating quietly, trying to appear as invisible as she could be, avoiding the fray. "And you, spoiled brat, why are you not in school? Do you need me to beat your senses back into your head?" Old Madam Chen's walking stick quivered with agitation as she raised it menacingly.

Delilah raised her head, her eyes welled up with tears, and she pouted, her lower lip trembling. "Grandma..." she whispered, her voice barely audible.

In a desperate bid to placate her grandmother, Delilah decided to deploy her trusty "honey trap."

She rose from her seat and bowed deeply, her voice dripping with sweetness. "I'm sorry, Grandma. I promise not to do it again." The room fell silent, with only the sound of Delilah's contrite murmurs breaking the stillness.

Old Madam Chen's expression softened, ever so slightly, as she pinched the bridge of her nose. With a sigh, she returned Delilah's phone.

"Eat up and get ready for school." Her tone was gruff, but Delilah detected a hint of warmth beneath the surface.

Delilah's face lit up with a bright smile. "Thank you, Grandma! Delilah loves you the most!" She brown-nosed Old Madam Chen shamelessly, earning a gruff "Mm!" in response.

Chen Xiao cleared his throat, a hint of amusement dancing in his eyes. "Delilah loves Daddy too..." Delilah giggled, her eyes sparkling with mirth.

As the tension dissipated, Delilah suddenly remembered she was running late. "Aiya! Dad, Grandma, I'll be leaving now!" She grabbed her backpack and made a hasty exit, but Old Madam Chen's authoritative voice halted her in her tracks.

"Wait!" The room fell silent once more. Delilah froze, her eyes wide with trepidation. "Finish your milk." Old Madam Chen's expression was inscrutable, but Delilah knew better than to disobey.

With a hurried "GU·GU·GU·," Delilah downed the remaining milk and placed the empty glass on the table. She kissed Old Madam Chen and Chen Xiao on the cheek before making a frantic dash for the door.

As she disappeared into the morning chaos, the room remained silent, the only sound the soft hum of the air conditioner and the faint echo of Delilah's hasty goodbye.

"Mum, you shouldn't have said that about her mother. You know how sensitive that phrase 'mother' is to her, and to make her attend such a lowly school, what is your plan?" Chen Xiao asked after a round of silence, his voice calm and gentle as he probed.

The Old madam cleaned her lips elegantly, "You will know when the time comes, Xiao. Just don't spoil her too much or you will regret it in the end."

"Heed my words and they would lead you right. Now tell me, what has that cunning weasel of an uncle been up to lately?" it was the old madam's turn to ask.

…

Delilah arrived at school, she wasn't too late.

She slipped into the classroom, the scent of fresh board marker paint enveloping her like a damp blanket.

Her introverted nature took hold as she scanned the room for familiar faces, her gaze lingering longingly on the empty chair beside her.

Fredrick was nowhere to be found, probably holed up in the library, lost in his books and surrounded by the musty smell of old pages. A gentle smile curved up her lips at the thought of him.

Reaching into her school bag, she pulled out her timetable, and her anxiety spiked, hitting the top.

Her most dreaded subject, mathematics, loomed before her like a specter, its ghostly presence making her skin crawl.

Her eyes welled up with tears, and she felt a lump form in her throat. The sound of her own ragged breathing filled her ears, and she could feel her heart racing like a runaway train.

Just as she was about to succumb to her despair, the bell rang, shattering the silence like a burst of gunfire.

Students poured into the classroom, their chatter and laughter filling the air like a cacophony of sound. Fredrick flashed his charming smile as he took his seat, his eyes crinkling at the corners.

Delilah hastily lowered her head, her face flushing wildly with embarrassment. No one suspected that she had been on the verge of tears mere moments ago.

Mr. Zhou, the mathematics teacher, strode into the classroom, his stern expression a harbinger of the challenges to come.

His glasses perched on the end of his nose, adding to his intimidating aura. He halted behind the podium, surveying the room with an air of quiet authority.

"Good morning, class," he said, his voice dripping with an air of expectation. "I trust you're all ready to tackle the wonders of mathematics?" His smile was more a snarl, sending a shiver down Delilah's spine.

Delilah felt her heart sink as Mr. Zhou's gaze swept over her. She wished she could melt into her seat, escaping the scrutiny.

Her recent performance in mathematics had been lackluster, and she dreaded the prospect of being called upon.

"Miss Chen," Mr. Zhou said finally, his voice dripping with an air of expectation, "how about you help us out with this question, huh?" He scribbled something on the large, white markerboard, the sound of the marker pen scraping against the board making her skin crawl.

Delilah's mind went blank as she rose from her seat, her legs trembling beneath her. Why did it have to be her? Why now, with Fredrick watching? She felt like she was going to make a fool of herself.

As she prepared to make her way to the markerboard, Fredrick's confused gaze lingered on her pale face.

"Hey," he whispered, his voice barely audible. He scribbled something on a piece of paper and passed it to her, his eyes locked on hers.