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.

and

a situation involving a couple, he could not

thoughts away, he asked, “Then why would you think

some, and Benny likes it too. If

“If you don’t like durians, we

of Charles’ lips twitched. “Zendy, you’re…

two were chatting, they

icy voice, Benedict asked, “Who’s

hand over her mouth and muttered, “Oh no! Was

It’s not as if we were planning something

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.

ward, Zendaya merrily

you hungry, Benny? We’ll be having fruits in the

He

you here, right? I don’t need you to keep me company. Mommy’s coming back after her half-an-hour meeting.

I want to eat durians and pineapples with you! By the way, Uncle Charles is here to apologize to you. He’s going to be kneeling on

a plan that Charles had not even agreed

going to kneel before me? Did he

“Uh-huh,” Zendaya affirmed.

it was true. Still, it did not dismiss the hatred he

cut my lifespan shorter if someone older kneels before me. Is he trying to admit his mistake, or is he

froze. She never thought that

buy durians and pineapples. He never said anything about kneeling, but that doesn’t matter. You’re sick because of Uncle Charles, and you’re hurting once in a while because of him too. Why don’t

one of a kind, Zendaya. Are you

head and flashed

pieces of durian flesh… I mean… If I have to pay the price to get you both to