Naomi [Wattys 2017]

Chapter 54

He retreated, leaving me with his dad. I turned to a standing Mr Richardson and gave him a small smile. He didn't return the smile again but gave me one last glare before he turned and walked away.

He surely dislikes me.

I sighed and sat down in my lonely state as I waited for Adam. I looked through my phone and didn't see a message from anyone, not even Hayley or Grace.

I look up and my eyes gaze to the end of the room ahead of me as I see Anastasia sitting all alone on one table. She looked sad. But wasn't she just playing with some kids some minutes ago?

It's about time to do the girlfriend-sister bonding.

I stood up and walked up to Anastasia before sitting beside her.

"Hey." I whispered.

She turned to me with a very sad expression and this made my heart break.

"Hi." She mumbled.

"Are you okay?"

She shook her head.

"Tell me. What's wrong?" I turned her body to face me completely.

She remained silent for a little while before she spoke up.

"I don't want daddy to get married." Her voice broke.

Aww. I feel so bad for her. It must be really terrible to watch your dad getting married to another woman. Good thing Adam is hiding his feelings.

"I understand how you feel." I touched her face. "I promise everything will be fine."

She shook her head and stared at me with her sad eyes.

"I don't like Paige." She mumbled before she looked down. "I miss mummy."

Suddenly, she started crying.

My heart was really breaking at the sound of her cry. I've never seen Anastasia in this state. She was always the happy and jumpy one.

I pulled her for a hug and patted her hair gently as she cried on my chest.

Poor little girl.

I allow her to let all her tears stay on my chest for as long as she want. She really needed this hug and no one else was there to give her. Except Adam probably.

My eyes looked away and I caught Adam looking at us from my former table. He looked like he wanted to come but I shook my head and gestured for him not to. He nodded his head and gave a small smile before he turned around.

"Thank you Naomi." Anastasia said as she moved her face away from my chest. "You're the second person who made me feel good about everything."

"I am glad." I smiled at her. "And I am glad Adam is the first too."

She shook her head.

"Adam isn't the first." She said.

"Who then? Your dad?"

"Miss Oliver."

Sounds like a familiar name. I furrowed my eyebrows to figure out who she was. Then it snapped to me. She was the teacher in Anastasia's school who was Adam's mum's high school best friend. The lady who took Anastasia to her house the day she got missing on my very first date with Adam.

"She's such a nice lady." I smiled at Anastasia remembering everything. She sat there in silence and was staring at me.

"Can I tell you a something?" She asked.

"Sure. What's up?" I nodded my head.

"She told me it's okay to let girls touch each other."

My expression changed from a smiling one to a gawk expression.

"Wait." I scoffed to calm myself down. "What exactly does she mean 'touch other girls'?"

"She puts her hands inside my panties sometimes and makes me do the same thing-"

My mouth gape open the moment she said that.

"-and she makes me kiss her boobs." Anastasia blurted out everything like it was a normal thing to say.

"I think that's enough." I muttered and shut my eyes.

I didn't even know what to say. Like this was completely UNACCEPTABLE. The moment Adam hears this, he's going to blow up. Like really blow up.

"Is there anything wrong with it?" Anastasia asked as she was still looking at me curiously.

I stared at her with so much pain gushing through my chest. Anastasia was only 7 years old! 7 good years! And this bitch was molesting this priceless little girl. I didn't even know if this was the right time to tell Anastasia that what Miss Oliver was doing was completely UNLAWFUL.

"Naomi you're making me scared." She mumbled.

I have every right to make you scared little one. You're in a terrible danger!

I looked at her before I faked a smile.

"There's nothing to be scared about." I lied. "Just be careful."

I really did want to tell her not to ever meet Miss Oliver but whatever the two were doing was not my business and I didn't have any reason to interfere.

She smiled at me and nodded.

My eyes searched for Adam in the hall and I saw him not too far from us, talking and laughing with the wedding planner.

This was terrible. I could not tell Adam this terrible news when he was happy.

To make things worse, his dad's wedding is tomorrow and this was a day he never wished for. If I was going to tell Adam about his little sister's secret with Miss Oliver, it better be after the wedding or else I will just screw up everything.

Maybe I should wait till the end of tomorrow.

I turned back to Anastasia who was playing with her thumbs together. Sadness and guilt came over me once more.

Poor Anastasia. Really poor Anastasia.

This was really hard to say but I don't think I can ever look at Anastasia the same way anymore.

The little girl's life was already shattered.

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END OF CHAPTER 54