Rift in the perfect picture

Chapter 0462

At the celebration banquet, Pete made a grand announcement that he had officially hired me as a special legal consultant for his company.

Someone chimed in with flattery, “Ms. Jones is truly remarkable. Ever since your success a year ago, I bet many have tried to hire you!”

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“Of course! The title of ‘international lawyer‘ isn’t just for show. But in the end, it’s Mr. Shelman who has this honor.”

Pete and I exchanged a glance and smiled. Then, he added, “She is not just an international lawyer anymore. She is also a successful young entrepreneur with multiple companies and countless assets. Be careful not to offend her, or she’ll leave us!”

I chuckled, clinking glasses with a few people in front of me. “Stop complimenting me already. You should be praising your CEO instead, or else he might make my life difficult.”

Honestly, the success of that case a year ago wasn’t solely mine. The timing and circumstances aligned perfectly, making the win almost inevitable.

That was also the moment I saw Pete in a new light. The fears his brother and father had of him weren’t unfounded. It turned out that, when given a chance, Pete could take things to the extreme.

Pete discovered Annie’s family business was locked in a long–term business war with another well–known brand. No one knew how he had managed to gain the trust of the rival company’s majority shareholder in just three months.

In this game, Pete had both sides believing the other was attempting a hostile takeover. As they cautiously probed each other’s intentions, he carefully laid countless business traps along the way.

He had his own legend internationally. In just five days, he raised 1.1 billion dollars and gained control of two of the most influential fashion brands, becoming the undisputed new fashion mogul.

As we chatted, my phone buzzed in my bag. I excused myself and found a quiet corner to answer it. However, the smile on my face faded the moment I saw the caller ID.

“Hello, is this Tabitha’s mother? I’m the teacher in charge of her at Maple Daycare.”

I took a deep breath and gripped the phone nervously. “Yes, that’s me. What’s wrong?”

“Well, Tabitha has been here for three days now. As her dedicated teacher, I’ve observed her for this time. Since we have more international kids here, it seems Tabitha is having trouble fitting in.

“She hasn’t spoken a word to any of the other children in these three days. I wonder if this daycare might not be the right fit for her. I suggest that you consider transferring her to another one.”

Listening to the teacher, it felt like a heavy stone pulled me down to the depths of the ocean, suffocating me. This was the fifth daycare I had found for Tabitha.Exclusive © content by N(ô)ve/l/Drama.Org.

For the past year, because of my busy work schedule, Deena often helped me take care of Tabitha. It was she who first noticed Tabitha’s unusual, repetitive behavior.

She always held her bottle the same way and slept in the same spot on her pillow. If l’ever tried to make her do something differently or out of her usual routine, Tabitha, who rarely cried, would wail loudly.

This behavior was quite unusual for a child who had just learned to sit up and barely knew how to crawl.

When Deena said that Tabitha might have Asperger’s syndrome, my heart sank. I knew it was another term for high–functioning autism. Even if Deena hadn’t said it, I knew there was a genetic chance of it.

Deena explained that there was no cure, but early exposure to the outside world could minimize its impact. We would only know for sure after further tests were conducted when she was older.

Tabitha had already been to five different daycares, and every teacher’s feedback was the same. She just couldn’t fit in.

Suddenly, a large hand rested on my shoulder. Pete asked with concern, “Only Tabitha can make you look this upset. Did it not go well again?”

I nodded.

He continued, “Don’t worry. Tabitha might just not be used to the new school environment. I’ll find her another daycare where she can interact with kids from our country. You know how wild foreign kids can be. It’s perfectly normal that our Princess Tabitha doesn’t like them.”

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I handed my phone to Pete, tears welling up in my eyes.

“The teacher sent me the school’s surveillance footage. It breaks my heart to see Tabitha standing alone in the corner, watching the other kids.”