Immature Mistakes | mj.q✓

Thirty-Two

Jiaqi could feel the argument escalating, and he felt it important that he should go and address the issue.

'I'm very sure she's here.' Evelyn was the next to speak.

'Shut up you brat,' Mr. Ma replied then looked back at Michael. 'Your daughter already learned your habits?'

Jiaqi ran down the stairs then walked towards the door, standing behind his father.

'Oh there you are. Jiaqi, tell this man that his daughter isn't here. How could he even think that?' Mr. Ma said to his son behind him.

Jiaqi didn't answer. Instead he looked at Michael. 'You were gonna hit Ava?'

'What are you talking about?' Mr. Ma turned to him. 'Just tell him that his daughter isn't here.'

'Okay just bring her out before I push you out of the way,' Michael warned. 'You know what this is? This is kidnap.'

Before Mr. Ma could reply, Ava showed up and stood next to Jiaqi.

'Hey what are you doing here?' Jiaqi whisper-shouted. 'You were supposed to be upstairs in your room. Now your dad has seen you...'

'I wasn't going to let your father fight with my dad because of me okay?' She whispered back.

Mr. Ma looked at Ava in shock then turned to Jiaqi. 'You did this!? You brought in this girl when I clearly told you to stay away from her!?'

Jiaqi sighed. 'So you wanted me to let her get hit by her father? You've always told me to be a good and helpful person, and when I'm finally good you don't want me to be good anymore?'

Mr. Ma glared at him. 'Being good also means listening to your parents. Whatever, here's your daughter. Have her and don't come back here.'

Ava started to walk towards the door but Jiaqi grabbed her arm. 'Stop. You're not going until I'm sure that he's not going to hit you.'

'And who are you to say that? You're not her father.' Mr. Ma reprimanded.

'Just get out here before I come in there myself.' Michael warned Ava.

'Let go.' Ava said to Jiaqi.

'No.'

'Let her go,' Evelyn told him next. 'Dad wouldn't hit her, trust me.'

'What's with all the noise?' Mrs. Ma's voice asked as she walked down the stairs in her morning gown. Michael immediately looked away uncomfortably, not wanting to see her.

'Oh Jiaqi brought a girl in the house, a girl I clearly told him not to talk to.' Mr. Ma answered.

'I know that.' Mrs. Ma said next then walked over to the door, walking past Jiaqi and Ava. She looked at Michael with a sad look on her face.

'What happened to you?' she asked sadly. 'You weren't like this...'

'Like what?' he answered in a cold tone.

'Well you weren't a person whom I would have thought would mistreat his children. Why Michael?'

'People change. And sometimes we change because of what we've been through, like being left by the only person you had and trusted.'

Evelyn looked at the two curiously, being the only one who had no single clue on what was going on. She looked at Ava and Jiaqi who didn't seem as surprised as her, then looked back at Michael and Mrs. Ma.

'But you have to let it go. Those things happened more than 2 decades ago.' she shook her head in disapproval.

'You wouldn't really understand how long it takes to get over things unless it was you who had your heart broken. It wasn't.'

She sighed. 'Just promise me you won't hit her, please Michael. I know you're better than that.'

'This should not even be our business.' Mr. Ma moved from where he was standing and walked inside, clearly irritated with the situation. He sat down in front of the television once more and tried to continue watching his games.

'Please,' Mrs. Ma continued. 'Don't lay a hand on her, alright?'

To Evelyn and Ava's surprise, Michael nodded. He turned to Ava. 'Let's go.'

'Go on Ava, he won't hurt you.' Mrs. Ma assured him.

Jiaqi reluctantly let go of Ava's arm, trying his best to trust his mother. Ava looked at him before she proceeded to walk out of the door and stand next to her father.

'Thank you Mrs. Ma.' Ava said before she left with Michael.

'You're welcome.'

Jiaqi watched as the three of them walked towards Michael's pickup, and he could tell how confused Evelyn was. She was completely in the dark over the issue.

Michael started the car and drove off. As he drove, Ava noticed him wipe a tear from his eye.