Caesar's Rose

Chapter 25

"Claudia, Listen," Dad said, making my mum scoff.

"Oh, wow. You remember my name. I thought you have totally forgotten about us." Mum said.

I held my mum's hand, trying to stop her from making a scene. 

Dad heaved a sigh, putting his two hands into his pockets.

"I am asking you, Nicholas Adams." Mum said.

"Can you not make a scene? This is a high standard school for pit's sake." He said.

Mum scoffed. "Do I look like I care? I thought you don't want anything to do with us. Why are you here to see my child?"

Dad scoffed. "I still don't want anything to do with you two, okay?"

My heart clenched at his awful words.

So did my mum. I know that.

"I just want to know why you gave her my last name. Who gave you the right to do that?" He said.

Mum held my hand tightly, giving me a hint of how she is feeling right now.

"Are you so desperate to make her my daughter that you had to give her my last name, huh?" He asked without emotions.

God, this bad person can't be my father. No.

"How petty can you be, Claudia?" He asked.

Mum kept staring at him.

"I wonder how you got her into this school." He said.

"She passed the scholarship exams, Nicholas." Mum said.

He chuckled in disbelief.

"Laugh all you want. But it is true. My child is a very intelligent student, and I bet she is more intelligent than those rats you call daughters." Mum said.

He clenched his jaw angrily.

"Mind your tongue, Claudia." He warned.

Mum scoffed. "My tongue, my words, Mr miserable Nicholas Adams." She snarled.

He clenched his jaw while glaring at her.

"You can swallow your last name. I made a mistake thinking that you are worthy to be my daughter's father, but no. You are nothing. Even money can't make you worthy. My child will take over this school academically. Just watch and see." Mum said boldly, making my heart pound.

"Believe it or not, it will surely happen and you will regret ever treating us this way. Let's go, Rose. Some people are not worthy to even stand before us." She said, looking at dad. She dragged me along.

We stopped in front of the road.

"Dad!" I heard the twins call out loudly, making me look back.

"My adorable princesses." Dad said as they approached him and hugged him.

"Stop looking at them, Rose." Mum said, making me face the road as we sought out a taxi or a bus.

"Face your life. They are not relevant." She said and I dropped my gaze.

"Dad, what were those slum people saying to you?" I heard Barbara's familiar voice.

"Yeah, what do they want this time? Money?" Sandra asked.

I heard dad let out a laugh.

"Ignore them, sweetie. Like your mother said, beggars have no shame at all." He said, making his daughter chuckle.

My heart clenched severally.

"You are a bastard, Nicholas. A real bastard." Mum muttered as she waved at an incoming taxi.