Chapter 77
Asher’s POV
I patiently waited for Zendaya to show up with the children. This was the big moment and I couldn’t wait to see them. I had arranged the private apartment to my taste and everything was perfect.
I had bought an entire toy store and flooded a room with the toys. I had gotten food, drinks, confectionaries and flooded the kitchen and the fridge with them. I was ready to show the children that I was here to stay and I would not be leaving anytime soon.
I knew I had gone overboard with my actions but I wanted to impress them.
I had gotten everything children liked and I was ready. There were to be no slip ups. This was a crucial time for me.
The doorbell rang and I rushed to open it and let them in.
I saw Zendaya smiling at me as I opened the door wider for her to get in.This is property © NôvelDrama.Org.
I saw her outfit and admired it for a second with desire. She always had a way of making me smile with her fashion sense.
I gave her a flirty smile before turning to the children who were staring daggers at me.
“Hey children,” I smiled. “Thank you so much for coming. Come inside.”
I ushered them in as they reluctantly entered with murmurs.
Dinner was a nightmare, after serving everyone the food to eat, it was silent.
“So…” Zendaya smiled at the children. “The children said some nice things in the car about you. Isn’t that right Luca?”
I looked at the boy who glared at me with hatred like I had done something wrong to him personally.
He refused to say anything but sipped his soup noisily, possibly to annoy me.
Zendaya laughed nervously before turning to Layla and Landon to talk to me which ended up being the same way. It was clear they did not like me even when I had tried putting in efforts to talk to them. They hated me and it showed.
I decided that since they were not going to talk to me, then I would talk to them.
“How is school?” I asked.
“Good,” they answered at the same time like they had rehearsed it.
“Okay, any new things you’ve learned here so far?”
“No,” was their response. I looked at Zendaya who was staring into space, embarrassed at how things were going.
“Alright, what if I told you I had emptied a store filled with toys just for you guys?!” I said excitedly as they had a bored expression on their faces.
“Okay,” they answered, and I had this to be the last straw.
“Come on guys,” I sighed. “I’m trying here. At least meet me halfway. I don’t know what else to say to make you believe that I’m not going to hurt you.”
“I’ve had enough!” Their mother slammed her hands on the table, shaking everything as she turned to them. “Now you all listen to me and you listen good, either you act polite like I have taught you too or I will get rid of all your toys and privileges! Do you hear me? And no more ice cream.”
The children stared at their mother for a few seconds before nodding solemnly.
I found this to be progress when they turned to me with their faces no longer being murderous.
“What do you intend to do with us?” Landon asked as I was taken aback by this question.
“What do you mean?” I asked with a nervous laugh.
“How many children have you killed?” Luca joined in. These were all questions I had not expected.
“Why didn’t you come close to us before now?” Layla dropped. “Why do you want to come now? I find that a bit strange of you, sir.”
“Alright, you guys, that’s enough,” Zendaya sighed trying to shut them up as they went on to batter me with more scary questions. “Enough!”
She slammed her hand on the table again with the drinks pouring over the table ruining the meals.
“It’s okay,” I smiled. “I probably deserve this. I should have known better. I should be held accountable to my children and I failed.”
I turned to the children with a sorry smile. “Look, I know I made a mistake and I should have known better years ago but I didn’t. I left your mother when I was younger and stupid and foolish, but now, I know better than that.
“I am wiser now and I have realized how important you and your mother are to me. I will do anything to make it up to you. Anything to show you that I want to be your father again.”
I was sure my apology had gotten to them but this only made them frown harder.
“You’re going to have to try harder than that,” Layla growled. “Apology denied.”
“And just to be clear,” Landon added. “We hate you and we will always hate you. So how about you stop trying and start focusing your energy on other things.”
“Yeah,” Luca said. “Like killing people and hanging children.”
“Killing children?” Zendaya asked, confused. “What does that even mean? What are you talking about?”
“I don’t know,” Layla got out of the chair with her siblings. “We’d like to go home now before we scream to the heavens for kidnapping and assault.”
I watched them with sadness as the children insisted on going home.
“Let’s stay for sometime,” Zendaya said to them but they refused to listen to her. She tried to calm them down but they already had their minds made up on what they wanted to do.
I couldn’t bear the sight of being rejected by my own children and I excused myself for a minute.
I entered the bathroom as I opened the shower and the tap in the sink so they wouldn’t hear me break down.
I hated feeling less than my usual self but these children had done that within the few days I had met them.