The Ex and Her Riches

Zendaya mimicked him and whispered, “Uncle Charles, let’s keep Benny company together. It won’t do if you keep running away, Uncle Charles. If we should apologize, then let’s apologize. One day, Benny will be touched by your apologies and forgive you!”

Charles’ face paled, but he patted her head and said, “This isn’t something that can be solved with an apology. Let me think of another way around this.”

Zendaya pouted and pointed out, “Uncle Charles, are you trying to avoid this?”

Charles fell silent.

He simply could not think of a way to face Benedict at the moment.

Whenever he saw the way Benedict weakly lay on the bed, the feelings of guilt and helplessness would threaten to drown him.

It crushed him.

“Uncle Charles,” Zendaya cried out, swinging Charles’ arm and pestering him. “Come in with me. Sometimes Mommy ignores Daddy because of his mistakes too. When that happens, Daddy will just keep pestering her. He’ll do anything to get back into her good books. I’m sure he wants to stomp his foot and start bawling sometimes as well.”

Then, Zendaya covered her mouth and giggled. “Uncle Charles, have you heard of a fruit called durian? Why don’t you get some of them? If Benny doesn’t want to forgive you, then you can just kneel on that fruit’s thorny shell. I’m sure Benny will be moved by that.”

Charles turned speechless.

No godfather ever went on his knees for his godson.

Even if they were not godfather and godson, he, as someone older than Benedict, would technically never kneel before a child.

Still, he was more curious as to why Zendaya would think of durians. “Zendy, why would you ask me to get durians and kneel on them? Did your daddy… do this before?”

Zendaya earnestly shook her head. “I don’t know. Mommy keeps the door shut whenever she scolds Daddy, so I wouldn’t know. The walls in our house are thick too, so even when I tried to eavesdrop, I couldn’t hear anything.”

At that, Charles’ expression darkened.

door and a

placed together in a situation involving a couple, he could not help but think about

asked, “Then

on her face. “That’s because durians taste great! I’m craving a little for some, and Benny likes it too. If you’re

bout of giggling, she gave Charles another suggestion, “If you don’t like durians, we can make do

of Charles’ lips twitched.

two were

voice, Benedict

eyes. Then, she smacked her hand over her mouth and muttered,

if he heard us? It’s not as if we

Zendaya’s hair, he sighed and said, “Zendy, go in and keep your brother company. I’ll go and get some durians and

“Yay!” Zendaya cheered.

the ward, Zendaya merrily launched herself toward

having fruits in the afternoon—durians and

glanced at her. He then pushed away her approaching head with a

keep me company. Mommy’s coming back after her half-an-hour meeting. A quarter of an hour has already gone by, so she’s coming

eat durians and pineapples with you! By the way, Uncle Charles is here to apologize to you. He’s

Benedict a plan that Charles

stiffened. “He’s… going to kneel before me?

“Uh-huh,” Zendaya affirmed.

help wondering if it was true. Still, it did not

to me and cut my lifespan shorter if someone older kneels before me. Is he trying to admit his

never thought that there was

said, “To be honest, Uncle Charles has only said that he’s going to buy durians and pineapples. He never said anything about kneeling, but that doesn’t matter. You’re

“You’re truly one of a

tilted her head and flashed him a sweet

few more pieces of durian flesh… I mean… If I have to pay the price to get you both to make up with each other,