Chapter 99
"Thank God."
After all, she had invoked God's name when she jumped from the building.
"Such a good child. Here, this is a blessing from God."
The old nun kindly removed a cross necklace from around her neck and handed it to her. "This is the cross I've always carried with me. Inside is my devout faith in God. I'm sure it can help you."
David, who had been watching from the side, quickly stepped forward and said, "This is too valuable, Headmistress. It's not appropriate to give it to Emma."
Unlike the school, the convent had been brought in by him to help Emma with her mental well-being, so he had to show a sincere attitude.
"Sigh, Mr. David, this is a gift for the child."
After a bit of back-and-forth, the headmistress personally put the cross necklace on Emma.
David then took the initiative to invite the headmistress aside to talk. They likely had to discuss some funding issues for the church, and later she would serve as a witness when facing the school's administration.
After the others left, Emma removed the cross with a look of disgust. She hated useless ornaments, and ever since learning about the existence of the demon (Randy), she had become curious about whether God existed. So, she handed the cross to Randy to examine.
"Is this thing useful?"
Randy wasn't sure either. At first, he had thought Catherine's Bible was nothing special, but in a critical moment, it had managed to repel Mr. Whirlpool.
So, he took the cross and tried to feel its energy. It certainly looked old enough, and Randy was sure that the old nun had worn it for a long time. Unfortunately, there was no trace of divinity on it. Randy even channeled some energy into it to see if it could be passively activated, but it still didn't respond.
In short, it was just an ordinary iron trinket!
"No use. This old headmistress's faith isn't up to par."
She wasn't even as devout as Catherine. How long had Catherine been at the convent? Yet, the Bible she often read had enough power to cause great effect.
Of course, it could also be that only the Bible held significance. After all, the cross was originally a tool of execution for God!
To be honest, Randy was quite intrigued by Catherine. However, that girl was probably deeply hurt and unlikely to preach to him again.
After Randy confirmed the cross was useless, Emma discarded it like trash.
"Then I'll give it to Bee."
Bee, feeling offended, said, "Hey, are you really treating me like your servant now?"
"Yeah, and from now on, you should be more professional. At least wear a maid's uniform."
Randy agreed, "That sounds like a good idea."
"Then maybe tonight I'll put it on just for you."
Bee didn't miss a chance to flirt with Randy and also annoy Emma.
Emma, irritated, temporarily pocketed the cross and glanced towards the main hall. David was happily chatting with the old nun, and a check had just been signed.
"Those church scammers swindled another sum of money from my dad!"
"Well, that's your own fault. When you jumped, you should have shouted for Randy instead of God."
"You can save that line for when you're in bed!"
Emma was furious at Bee's taunt and stormed off. It took Randy's intervention to calm her down.
In the main hall, though David and the nun couldn't hear Emma's conversation, they could see that the group was getting along well. At least, Emma was speaking more than ever before. She used to sit quietly for hours like a proper lady or watch TV out of boredom.
The old nun, perceptive as she was, noticed David's pleased expression and asked with a knowing smile, "Who are those two?"
She had noticed Randy and Bee earlier but assumed they were a nanny or something else, especially since Randy's ethnicity made her uninterested in talking further.
Now, seeing David's reaction, something seemed different. Could Randy be the child of a wealthy Asian family in town? Or maybe a relative of David?
"The cheerful girl is Bee, Emma's nanny. She's a very kind-hearted older sister. As for the boy, his name is Randy, Emma's favorite friend. Randy has helped Emma many times, and yesterday, he was the one who caught her when she jumped."
"Oh? Randy?"
The old nun found the name familiar.
"He's a child who gives a very trustworthy impression, always with a kind and optimistic smile on his face."
David wasn't shy in his praise for Randy, but noticing the nun's reaction, he asked curiously, "Do you know him?"
"Oh, no. I just think the name sounds vaguely familiar. Perhaps God mentioned his name to me in a dream. That boy must be very good if even God recognizes him."
An Asian boy named Randy, and clearly well-liked by David.
The old nun refrained from asking more about Randy's family background. However, she was confident that her memory was correct and that she'd heard the name somewhere. She decided to think about it later and see if she could bring Randy into the faith as well!
The old nun smoothly continued her conversation with David, and occasionally, they could hear Emma's laughter from their position, which only made David even more satisfied.
Later, people from the school arrived, along with Mylo's mother and other neighbors acting as witnesses. Dr. Dan also joined the gathering, though his eyes kept glancing at Randy.
The school's administrators and principal apologized to David, and Mylo's mother also stated that she never doubted Emma. No one mentioned the clown anymore.
In David's presence, Mylo's mother and the school's teachers apologized to Emma.
As for whether teacher Ellis would be dismissed, David didn't care anymore, and the headmistress graciously stated that there would be no further pursuit of the matter.
Soon, people began to leave, but before Dr. Dan departed, he approached Randy for a brief chat. The aura of resentment around Dan seemed even heavier, and he invited Randy to visit his hospital.
This left Randy puzzled.
"Sorry, Mr. Dan, I currently have no need for cosmetic surgery."
"You certainly don't need cosmetic surgery!"
Dr. Dan's response was obsessive, but realizing he might have come off too strong, he shifted his offer. "How about this, maybe next time you have some free time, you could come over to our house for dinner instead?"
This time, Randy accepted. He also wanted to find out how Dr. Dan had accumulated so much resentment.
Dr. Dan left shortly afterward, but the old nun had taken notice of his enthusiasm, finding it strange. His intentions were obvious—it was all directed at Randy.
This only deepened the old nun's curiosity.
Who exactly was this Asian boy?
Randy?
All the way back to the convent, the old nun finally remembered.
Ah, yes! Officer Mike had previously contacted her to help guide a child—his name was Randy, and he was also Asian!
The old nun slapped the leather seat. "I remember assigning him to Catherine! But that little girl told me a while back that her mission had failed! She clearly wasn't dedicated enough."
She muttered to herself, "Preaching requires sincerity first and foremost, and then perseverance. If she gives up at the first setback, how can she ever become a nun?"
The old nun decided that once she returned, she would put some pressure on Catherine. After all, they were both from marginalized backgrounds—one was Latina, and the other Asian—they should have plenty to talk about.
Of course, it never crossed the old nun's mind to visit herself. In her eyes, Randy wasn't worth the trouble.