Chapter 158 Utterly Heartbroken
Natalie did not expect Franklin’s injury to be that severe.
The sight of his purple bruise blotches tugged at her heartstrings.
Franklin is only five years old. What has gotten into Old Mr. Bowers? How could he lay such a heavy hand on his great-grandson?
Meanwhile, Franklin could not see the sorrowful look on Natalie’s face as his back faced her.
Wanting to cheer her up, he told a white lie. “I hope my bruise didn’t scare you too much, Natalie. Don’t worry. My great-grandpa is nearly eighty years old, so there’s not much strength left in him. The pain isn’t as bad as it seems.”
“There’s no need to act tough. Plus, I bet your mommy will be utterly heartbroken when she sees this,” Natalie murmured in response.
“I have no mom. Sophia and I only have our daddy. No mommy,” Franklin said in a matter-of-fact tone.
Upon hearing that, Natalie was at a loss for words.
No mommy? Could it be that Sophia and Franklin’s biological mother has passed away?
At that thought, her heart ached even more for Sophia and Franklin.
“Here.” Xavian reluctantly brought over the medical kit. However, after seeing the bruises on Franklin, his heart churned with pity for the latter.
“Sweetheart, why don’t you invite Sophia to play in your room?” said Natalie.
“Alright, mommy,” replied Xavian. He then took Sophia’s tiny hand in his and spoke with care. “Follow me, Sophia.”
“Okay,” the little girl obediently responded.
After applying some of her special ointment on a cotton swab, Natalie gently dabbed it onto Franklin’s back.
The five-year-old wanted to act tough but failed to tolerate the sharp pain on his back, so he let out a hiss of pain.
“That was an accident… I’m not that weak!” Franklin explained with a pout, desperately trying to make up for himself.
“Mm-hmm, sure. Hang in there for a while more, okay?” Natalie coaxed as she blew gently at his bruise.
“Natalie, I already told you that it doesn’t hurt!” Franklin insisted.
“Oh, stop with that tough guy act! If it hurts, it hurts. It won’t get any better if you pretend not to be in pain.” Natalie gradually exerted more force on the cotton swab in her hand.
The boy immediately fell silent as he bit down on his arm to suppress his wincing.
Natalie was indeed harsh and forceful while applying the ointment for him.
However, Franklin felt an inexplicable flow of warmth in his heart.
It was a foreign feeling to him.
After applying the ointment, Natalie straightened out Franklin’s clothes before dealing with the ins and outs of her day.
“Franklin, why did your great-grandpa hit you?” Natalie suddenly asked in a gentle tone.
“Earlier today, that woman, Yara, came to pick Sophia and me up from kindergarten. She insisted on forcefully dragging Sophia by the shoulder, and it hurt so much that Sophia cried. So, I bit Yara’s arm until it bled and shoved her onto the ground. Sadly, in a twist of fate, Great-grandpa appeared and saw everything. He got mad, insisting that I apologize…”
“And you didn’t apologize?”
“Of course not! That woman just wanted to please Sophia and me so that daddy would like and eventually marry her. That’s not something that Sophia and I want. We refuse to give her even the slightest chance to become our mommy!” Franklin clenched his fists tightly.
Natalie had suspected that Yara was responsible for Franklin’s punishment when she saw the latter at the Bowers residence earlier.
It looks like Yara hasn’t changed one bit. She’s still resorting to such dirty tactics, even when dealing with children, Natalie thought to herself.
She then stroked Franklin’s hair while soothing, “You did a good job protecting Sophia today.”
“You think so?” asked a bubbly Franklin with a hint of happiness in his voice.
“Of course.” For the faintest moment, Natalie’s eyes narrowed to slits. Even her voice grew colder as she added, “Isn’t it normal to make yourself ten times tougher so that you can protect those you care for and love from your enemies?
Meanwhile, the Bowers residence was in utter chaos after Natalie had left.
Kenneth heaved in anger. Rage seethed from his body as he rubbed his chest continuously.
Having lived till now, this was his first time encountering a rebellious young woman like Natalie.
Darkness loomed over Kenneth’s face; he was as mad as a wet hen. “H-How dare she take Franklin and Sophia away like that! Who does that brat think she is? It’s evident from her unpolished tone that she doesn’t respect me at all!”
“Careful, Grandpa! Your health comes first,” urged Yara.
Just then, Samuel dashed in from the entrance.
His enraged gaze fell upon Kenneth. “Let me ask you this, Grandpa. Did you use corporal punishment on Franklin earlier?”
