Chapter 83 That Brat
Chapter 83 That Brat
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After lunch, they spent the afternoon accompanying Aiden through a few of the more standard attractions. Then, as the group was happily walking back, someone suddenly called out:
“Aiden! Aiden, over here! Don’t walk so fast–look at me!”
Turning toward the voice, Freya saw a well–dressed couple dragging along a chubby little boy in their direction. The kid was already heavy to begin with, and his parents were struggling to keep up as he flailed, desperate not to lose sight of Aiden. Freya couldn’t help but feel tired just watching them.
“Is that your friend?” Freya asked Aiden quietly.
But Aiden’s face darkened, and he turned his head away. “Definitely not. That kid’s a total pain.”
A pain?
Freya immediately understood why. The chubby boy ran up and shouted his very first sentence:
“Aiden! Didn’t your family go broke? And they still bring you to amusement parks? Aren’t you afraid you’ll go hungry later?”
What kind of socially inept little gremlin says something like that in public? How is this kid not already black and blue from being punched?
“Whether we can afford food or not, what’s it got to do with you!” Aiden snapped back, his cheeks puffed in anger.
The worst part? The boy’s parents didn’t even try to stop him. His dad, wearing an expression that made Freya’s skin crawl, let his eyes rake over her several times before finally pretending to be concerned.
“Oh, you must be Aiden’s classmate, right? We’ve heard all about your family’s situation. It hasn’t been easy. When Mr. Graham’s accident happened, I honestly thought Aiden would transfer to another school. I’m surprised Mr. Graham’s still holding on, trying to save face for the kid. But if you ask me–people should live within their means. Don’t let the boy grow up with lofty expectations. If he can’t handle setbacks, he’ll just end up a spoiled brat with no resilience.”
The boy’s mother added with exaggerated surprise:
“Oh wow, is this really the child from that bankrupt farnily? Tsk. If you’ve got no money, don’t come out to places like this. Pretending to be rich won’t make your life any better. Why waste money here when you could buy more food? My husband’s right—when the time comes, you should transfer him out. If he’s always surrounded by classmates flashing their wealth, what if he grows up bitter and starts causing trouble in society?”
Freya’s temper flared instantly. Her expression was polite, but her smile was razor–sharp as she stepped in front of Aiden:
“Oh wow–isn’t this the classmate Aiden always talks about? The one who loves pretending to be rich even though his family’s kind of average? Tsk. If you’re strapped for cash, maybe stop trying to show off. Faking it won’t help your life one bit If you’ve got money to spend, wouldn’t it be better to invest in books and manners instead? My husband always tells Aiden to be kind to his classmates and never gossip about others‘ private matters–because if someone holds a grudge, he could end up with a knife in his back someday. You never know.”
“You-! Who do you think you’re talking about?!” the woman snapped, her face changing on the spot. Her husband tugged at her sleeve, stopping her from saying more. He, on the other hand, turned to Freya with a smile that was somehow both slimy and condescending:
“And you must be one of Aiden’s guardians? I admire your determination. Even after a family crisis, you still stayed–there aren’t many women like you these days. But if I may offer a word of advice–don’t be so hard on yourself. If you know it’s a trap, don’t jump into it. With your looks, you could do so much better.”
