Just as Cherry was about to speak, Justin frowned and asked, "What kind of special methods?"
The tutor sighed and replied, "Pete was born autistic. He doesn't like to talk nor does he know how to communicate with others. If this goes on, it'll impede his development. I think you can consider either sending him to medical specialists for treatment or to a school for children with special needs."
Her eyes shone after she spoke.
Once Pete was sent to a school for children with special needs, he would be diagnosed as being mentally handicapped. With that, they would be able to ruin his future!
Cherry was confused.
That teacher was horrible!
She looked at Justin. Should Daddy agree, she would stop seeing him as her father and would get Mommy to save Pete from their clutches.
Hmph.
Justin's expression instantly darkened. He retorted fiercely, "Pete is fine. He doesn't need to attend a school for children with special needs! If you can't teach him, then I'll find someone else! Lawrence!"
"Yes, sir?"
Justin ordered, "Settle her wages immediately. She doesn't need to come in anymore tomorrow!"
The tutor was shocked by his sudden wrath. Justin was usually very polite to them, which made her forget how domineering a man Justin really was.
She had made a mistake.
She shouldn't have said something like that. She should have taken it slow.
Seeing that she was out of a job, in order to complete her mission, the tutor put on a sincere and earnest expression and said,
"I am the top domestic tutor in the States, Mr. Hunt. My advice is undoubtedly in your son's best interests. Since you refuse to listen to the truth, then take it as if I didn't say anything. I enjoyed myself very much during my time with Pete. Goodbye."
Her speech was very in line with what an exemplary teacher would say.
Justin's anger faded a little and he said, "Give her an extra half a year's wages."
The tutor was ecstatic. Half a year's wages were a lot of money! Together with what that person had given her…
Cherry, who was listening to them intently, was very satisfied.
Daddy hadn't given up on Pete. He was indeed protective of him. However, he had been deceived by that teacher!
As she watched the wicked teacher walk happily toward the door, Cherry's big grape-like eyes swiveled a little and she asked, "Daddy, am I a little bastard without a mother?"
Justin was taken aback. He looked down suddenly to see his son looking up at him trustingly. His young, childish voice made what he said next sound particularly heartbreaking: "Am I really very stupid and dull? Did Mommy lower the quality of Daddy's genes?"
Justin was stunned. His son rarely spoke this much.
However, the content was especially shocking to him. He restrained his overwhelming fury and asked gently, "Who told you these things, Pete?"
Cherry stretched out her arm and pointed her chubby little finger at the door. "She did!"
At the door, the tutor's legs went limp the instant she felt Justin's murderous aura and anger. She said fearfully, "Stop spouting nonsense, Pete—"
Cherry hid behind Justin and hugged his leg. She stuck out her tongue at the tutor and said, "Please don't hit me again. I'm sorry!"
The tutor was taken aback.
Was this really that little dimwit who didn't talk?!
At the sight of how fearful his son looked, Justin didn't give the tutor a chance to explain anymore. He ordered, "Bring her out, Lawrence!"
"Yes, sir."
Lawrence grabbed the tutor and pushed her out.
Justin rubbed Cherry on her head comfortingly and said, "Can you play by yourself for a while, Pete?"
The upcoming scene was too bloody and unsuitable for children.
Although Cherry wanted to be with her father, he needed to deal with the vicious teacher now. It was just like how Mommy would also blindfold her and tell her to count sheep whenever she fought others when they were abroad.
She nodded. "Okay, Daddy!"
Justin only left the room after seeing Cherry pick up a toy without any significant fluctuations in his emotions.
Lawrence was a very efficient man. By then, he had already interrogated the truth out of the tutor. With his head down, he said, "… It's your uncle and his family that bribed them. They wanted to make Pete into a stubborn and problematic child so that their own children can take over the corporation. The two tutors were sent by the old madam, so were negligent and overlooked it."
The old madam doted on Pete the most. Who would have imagined that the tutors she sent harbored ill intentions?
Justin clenched his fists and asked, "What did they do to Pete?"
At the mention, Lawrence's head lowered even further. He answered, "They punished him by making him stand, hitting his palms, and reprimanding him. Also, they didn't teach him seriously. They didn't dare to do any kind of physical abuse worse than that; because they were also afraid that someone would discover what was going on."
Justin looked at the trembling woman kneeling on the ground and kicked her in the chest. The blow caused her to immediately cough up blood.
His dark and overcast countenance made him look as if a demon. He ordered, "Throw her out."
Lawrence's heart trembled upon sensing Justin's fury.
However, even he himself was furious, let alone Justin who had always loved and doted on Pete. It was just that his way of expressing it wasn't quite right.
Justin returned to the room. When he saw Cherry's tiny little form sitting on the sofa and playing with the toy car, his heart tightened with guilt.
Pete had been with him since he was an infant. He had personally nursed him and changed his diapers, but even until he was one and a half years old, he didn't speak at all. When they saw a doctor, he was told that Pete had slight congenital autism.
Grandma said that it was because the boy didn't have a mother and thus, had no sense of security. They mustn't have him, a grown man, taking care of him anymore, so she had arranged for babysitters, family doctors, and tutors for him.
As Pete slowly grew up and became able to have short conversations with people, it convinced him that Grandma was right.
Pete was a stubborn boy and always went against him. He often made him so angry that he almost wanted to give him a good thrashing. Despite that, he continued to think that this was a phase that all normal children went through.
That was, until that incident last week…
It was all his fault.
Justin walked over slowly. He sat beside Cherry, softened his voice, and said, "Daddy is sorry, Pete."
Cherry stretched out her little arms and hugged her handsome father. "Everything will be fine as long as you can acknowledge your mistakes and turn over a new leaf, Daddy!"
Justin sighed. Then, he said seriously, "We won't engage any more tutors. I'll personally teach you in the future."
The happy Cherry was instantly petrified. What??
She hated having to do homework the most! Help, Pete!
Downstairs.
When Nora returned to the room, she found her daughter sitting on the sofa and looking at her obediently instead of playing games like she usually did.
She walked over and kissed Pete on the forehead. "You're so well-behaved today, baby."
The soft lips pressed against his forehead, causing Pete to freeze. Yet at the same time, a sense of anticipation also arose in him.
Mommy's so soft and gentle.
He looked at Mommy longingly and subconsciously stood up and followed after her. As he did, he suddenly found his mother stopping and looking at him with a half-amused smile. "Are you intending to take a bath together with Mommy, Cherry?"
Only then did Pete realize with a start that he had followed her into the bathroom in the master bedroom!
He was about to retreat, but Nora stooped over and picked him up. She said, "Forget it, let's bathe you first."
Alarm bells rang in Pete's head.
Wouldn't his identity as a boy be revealed if she were to bathe him?