Ivana Monroe laughed and pointed at the pizza store next to the hospital.
Tonia was almost drooling; the aroma wafting from the store was incredibly enticing. She dread of eating there.
Tonia followed Ivana Monroe into the pizza store.
The man in the corner hurried over. Seeing Tonia sitting in her seat waiting for her pizza, while Ivana Monroe was ordering at the counter, he glared viciously at Tonia through the glass door.
"Tonia, do you like beef? This beef pizza combo is pretty good."
Ivana pointed at the combo on the nu, asking Tonia. She noticed the little girl had her head lowered and her body shrunk like a frightened quail. Ivana turned and through the glass door saw a shady figure quickly turning his back, hands in his pants pockets, walking away like a lowlife.
"Auntie, I don’t want to eat at, can you buy a bouquet instead?"
Tonia extended the flowers in her hand once again, her little eyes full of unease, tears brimming.
Had that man threatened Tonia with his eyes just now while she looked at the nu?
Ivana smiled gently, took the flowers from Tonia’s hand, placed them on the table, and said softly, "But Auntie is hungry. How about this? Tonia, if you keep company and finish the pizza, I’ll give you a thousand bucks, okay?"
Ivana took out ten hundred-yuan bills from her wallet, deliberately waving them in the air so the man outside could see.
The trafficker would not leave. When she turned her head, the trafficker would once again fix his gaze on Tonia.
Indeed.
The mont the man outside turned around, he saw Ivana taking the flowers and pulling out about ten hundred-yuan bills, seemingly about to hand them to Tonia. He inhaled sharply, and his eyes crinkled with laughter.
This ti they encountered a wealthy patron.
Tonia did not agree with Ivana but slowly turned her head to look at the man outside.
Ivana placed the money next to the bouquet, pretending not to notice Tonia’s small actions, and lowered her head to continue looking at the nu.
The man outside didn’t know exactly what Ivana said to Tonia. Watching the hundred-yuan bills placed beside the flowers, his eyes were filled with greed, and he nodded at Tonia.
He continued to keep watch outside, not fearing that Ivana would take Tonia away.
When Tonia got the money and left the pizza store, he had his own ways of snatching the girl back from Ivana.
This wasn’t the first ti he had encountered such a situation.
So won nowadays! They love to act self-righteous and don’t use their brains to think. If he didn’t have the skills, would he dare to put the child on the streets to earn this money?
Tonia’s little stomach was growling with hunger, but as she saw the man nod, her fearful emotions were replaced with joy.
"Okay, Auntie, you can’t lie, okay?"
"I won’t lie to you."
Ivana smiled and reached out to gently touch her little face.
Tonia was not a little princess growing up in the city; her face was fair but a bit dirty. Ivana pinched her, which made her very happy because usually, people saw her and disliked how dirty she was. They didn’t want to touch her, let alone pinch her cheek.
Tonia looked at Ivana, sowhat reluctant for her to remove her hand. She felt that having soone pinch her was a form of happiness.
If only Auntie were Tonia’s mommy.
The little girl’s eyes flickered with gloom.
Once the combo was ordered, it wasn’t long before the fragrant pizza, fried chicken legs, fries, lava cake, and milk tea were served.
Seeing so much delicious food, Tonia gulped hard.
"Co, let Auntie put on the disposable gloves for you."
Ivana held the little girl’s hands in her own, noting how dirty they were. She took Tonia to wash her hands and then ca back to help her put on the disposable gloves.
The little girl picked up a slice of pizza, devouring it ravenously.
The way she ate was not elegant.
The child nearby was dumbfounded by the sight and said innocently, "Mommy, look at that kid. Is she a starved ghost reborn? Her eating manners are so ugly."
Ivana frowned, a bit worriedly looking at Tonia. The little girl continued eating her pizza as if she hadn’t heard, though Ivana distinctly saw her slow down the speed of her eating.
Tonia could hear and did care but had grown used to the mockery.
Ivana suddenly felt a pang of heartache. A child so young should be cherished, doted on by her parents— not soone who has borne the hardship, learning the patience of an adult.
"Now you understand how fortunate your life is, right? Not all mothers can afford to often take their children out for pizza." The child’s mother said proudly.
Ivana originally didn’t care to argue with a child, as they were young and lacked the ability to discern right from wrong. Parents could guide them.
But she didn’t expect the child’s mother to say such words to belittle others just to elevate herself and give fulfillnt to her child. Such a mother was detestable.
Ivana looked toward the child’s mother. The woman had fashionable curly hair, and a YSL-branded bag was on the table. When Ivana cast a glance her way, her eyes were full of disdain.
As though in her eyes, Ivana was nothing but a pauper.
Ivana snorted. Carrying a YSL bag makes her think she’s wealthy and can look down on others? Really low.
"Degrading others doesn’t yield happiness; it shows a lack of manners. A child not knowing better is one thing! But for an adult to be so ignorant is truly pitiful."
Ivana’s voice was neither loud nor soft, but the woman beside her heard it clearly, as did the surrounding custors. Many had co with their children to eat here, and among them were those with high standards, who all cast disdainful looks in the direction of the child’s mother.
The child’s mother saw the cynical glances from everyone and looked extrely embarrassed. She retorted sarcastically, "Am I belittling you? Look at your child; dressed in such rags, gulping down a pizza like a starving ghost. You dress yourself up, but won’t spend money on the child? I’ve never seen parenting like this."
Anyone with eyes could see the little girl wasn’t Ivana’s child. Besides the clear difference in their attire, many people who ate at the pizza place knew Tonia as she often road the area selling flowers.
After all, in a big city like Ravenswood, such flower-selling little girls were quite rare.
"Auntie isn’t my mommy, she’s a good person."
Tonia mustered the courage to speak up for Ivana.
"Alright then! Stop making excuses for your mommy. It’s pitiful for a child to be born from her, as she doesn’t treat you like a daughter."
So people are like this; though they know they are wrong, even if they make a mistake, they persist into the dark and refuse to admit it.
"Auntie is good; she’s better than my mommy because my mommy never brought to eat such delicious at." As Tonia spoke, her eyes reddened.
Those around heard this and looked at Tonia with sympathy.
Only the child’s mother persisted, "Stop explaining; the more you say, the worse it gets."
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