Promise to Punish My Ridiculous Family
Chapter 21 Silent Cries
“Why are they crying?” Wendy asked, genuinely surprised.
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Rael sighed, a soft, helpless smile on her face. “Why do you think? They miss their parents. It happens all the time. If one starts crying, the rest will follow. They’re all orphans, some abandoned more than once. They cry constantly, day and night. Just now, I had to comfort a few, or the entire room would’ve been full of wailing children.”
Wendy’s body shuddered, her eyes widening with disbelief.
“They… They cry?”
“Of course they do,” Rael replied, her tone heavy with resignation. “When one breaks down, the others join in. The sound is heartbreaking, enough to make anyone tear up. The teachers and volunteers often say they can’t bear hearing it. But what can we do? They’re just longing for their parents, for their families. Children without parents are like leaves, drifting with no roots to hold them down.”
Wendy trembled upon hearing that.
Suddenly, a commotion broke out in the next room. The children had started fighting.
Rael glanced over and sighed. “They’re at it again, probably over that doll. It’s worn out, but it was a gift from one of the girls‘ mothers. She holds onto it like a lifeline and can’t sleep without it. But the other kids love to snatch it from her.”
“I…” Wendy stared at the scene unfolding just a few feet away, her eyes wide in disbelief.
“You’re related to Joshua, aren’t you?” Rael asked, watching Wendy closely. “Joshua was a sweet kid. He helped the others a lot. But he cried often, especially at night. He was scared of the dark and would hide in corners and sob. As soon as the sun set, he’d refuse to go back to his room. He never felt safe. Now that he’s with his family, I’m sure he’s happy.”
Wendy didn’t say a word. She couldn’t.
Somehow, she made it back to her car, but her breathing was shallow, almost suffocating.
Every hair on her body stood on end, and she was horrified. She felt as if she was in a daze,
For years, Wendy had handled her family’s business and dealt with all kinds of challenges. But this–this was something she had never encountered.
Rael had said Joshua was afraid of the dark, insecure, and often cried alone. It made sense–most kids in orphanages were sensitive, timid, and fragile.
When Joshua first came to the Frasers, he was exactly like that. It had made his parents dislike him even
more.
But sneaking into their room and sleeping in their bed…
Wendy still couldn’t wrap her head around it.
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Chapter 21 Silent Cries
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She had dismissed the thought before, assuming she was overthinking. But now, tears welled up in her eyes, spilling uncontrollably.
The truth was, Wendy had known Joshua had been sneaking into their mother’s room. At the time, it hadn’t seemed significant, and she hadn’t paid much attention to it.
But now, reflecting on it, the realization hit her hard, like a vice squeezing her heart.
Maybe all Joshua had wanted was just a little bit of security.
That was all.
Whether he snuck into his mother’s room or took her clothes, it wasn’t out of malice. He had been searching for a scrap of comfort.
Maybe his mother’s clothes smelled like her, offering him the same security the children in the orphanage fought over a raggedy doll for.
In all of Wendy’s memories, she couldn’t recall ever seeing Maggie or David hug Joshua–not even once.
The reason he could only sneak in, instead of walking in openly, was because his family didn’t truly acknowledge him. Even his own mother, Maggie, didn’t want to touch him.
Tears clouded Wendy’s vision as she replayed the past in her mind.
She couldn’t say for sure if her suspicions were entirely accurate, but everything she had witnessed over the past four years seemed to point in that direction.
She didn’t even know how she managed to get back to the Frasers‘ house. She drove aimlessly, returning to the Fraser Residence in a daze.
Memories of the past four years flooded her thoughts, and tears continued to stream down her face.
Inside, her parents were still in the living room, watching TV. Shirley, Judy, and Indy were nowhere to be seen–only Maddy remained.
“Wendy, where have you been?” Maggie asked in surprise, noticing the strange look on Wendy’s face as she walked in, dazed and distant.
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Promise to Punish My Ridiculous Family
