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 situation involving a couple, he could not help but think about certain

“Then

great! I’m craving a little for some, and Benny likes it too. If you’re going to kneel on its shell, then we can eat the flesh of

of giggling, she gave Charles another suggestion, “If you don’t like durians,

twitched. “Zendy, you’re… so kind to

the two were chatting,

voice, Benedict asked,

hand over her mouth and muttered,

It’s not as if we were planning

keep your brother

“Yay!” Zendaya cheered.

ward, Zendaya

We’ll be having fruits in the afternoon—durians and

at her. He then pushed away her approaching head

to 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

don’t want to! I want to eat durians and pineapples with you! By the way, Uncle Charles is here to

blurted out to Benedict a plan that

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

“Uh-huh,” Zendaya affirmed.

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

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

smile froze. She 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 sick because of Uncle Charles, and you’re hurting once in a while because of him too. Why don’t

“You’re truly one of a

tilted her head and flashed him

want you both to be happy. If I have to eat a few more pieces of durian flesh… I mean… If I have to pay the price to get you both to make up with each