Leslie received her answer soon, an unfortunate one.
"Irene, how have you been?" Leslie glanced at Calliope, seeing the little one resu reading the storybook, "Are you excited for your... sumr break next month? Wait, are you... calling during school hours?"
Sumr break usually started in July, which ant around one month more. The holidays last for about eight weeks, plenty of ti for the students to have fun in sumr despite so still being tied to cram school.
"Yeah, I’m quite excited, haha... It’s a self-study session so, I’m not interrupting the class. Big Sister, are you busy now? Is my brother-in-law there with you?"
Irene’s voice lacked its usual cheer, paired with the hollow laughter. Leslie pointed out nothing about it as she hoped to hear more from the teenager.
"I’m not busy... I just had lunch. Have you eaten? How... is your study so far?"
"I had lunch earlier too. Well, Big Sister, I have sothing to ask you... Can you listen to first? It might upset you."
It seed like Irene couldn’t stand waiting anymore. Her tone carried a hint of unwillingness and worry, clashing with one another.
"Why? Do you have any... problem?"
Leslie guessed Irene was calling her because of Rowan and Bianca but, she feigned ignorance. She wanted to know what her younger sister would tell her first.
"Well, the thing is..."
Irene paused, seemingly in a conflict with herself. She opened her mouth to speak, only to be held back by her concern again. It happened a few tis, only letting Leslie hear her breathing.
Smiling in helplessness, Leslie decided to bring the issue forward herself. Irene would be surprised but, it might lessen the tension once it was out in the open.
"Irene, are you calling ... to talk about Mother and Father?"
A short gasp echoed from the end of the line.
"B-big Sis... You... I an, how do you know I wanna talk... about Mom and Dad?"
Irene stamred, unable to speak clearly as Leslie’s question shocked her. Incredulity laced her voice, overtaking the earlier worry and reluctance.
Leslie’s lips curled into a small smile but, it didn’t reach her eyes. Once again she looked at Calliope who had changed her position on the bed.
Calliope lay on her back, eyeing Leslie with interest in her expressive eyes. Still, she kept quiet as she had been requested earlier.
Softening her smile, Leslie extended a hand before patting Calliope’s head. Her action earned a bright smile from the little munchkin. Calliope covered her small mouth, trying not to slip any sound out.
"They texted and called but... I ignored most of them..." Leslie replied to Irene as she kept caressing Calliope’s head, "So, I wondered if they told you to contact instead..."
Leslie blocked Rowan and Bianca’s numbers without telling them anything. She felt better once she stopped receiving any calls or ssages from them.
Calix inford Leslie that Rowan had contacted him twice, asking about her. He gave the middle-aged man vague answers.
"He won’t ever dare to pressure ah. But, I think he might use Irene soon."
Leslie shared the sa opinion as Calix. Rowan and Bianca might resort to involving Irene if they couldn’t get ahold of her at all.
As much as Leslie and Calix felt bad for the teenager, this was inevitable. Irene would undoubtedly be dragged into this ss once Leslie revealed her cutting ties with the Li family soon.
"Mom and Dad asked to call you... I told them not to pester you. I’ve also told them to give you ti but... I wonder why you blocked them."
The aning behind Irene’s words was clear. The teenage girl warned Rowan and Bianca not to bother Leslie too much even though the latter showed signs of reconciling with them[01].
Yet, Irene could tell sothing was off when she discovered Leslie blacklisting Rowan and Bianca’s numbers. It was not hard to guess despite the lady didn’t tell her anything about it.
The calls made from her parents’ phones didn’t go through. The ssages were simply sent, remaining unread.
Leslie exhaled a sigh. She pulled her hand from Calliope’s head, her gaze was thrown to the windows.
"Irene, tell them not to disturb ... Well, I have sothing important to tell them later... I’ll contact you when it’s ti..."
Irene didn’t imdiately respond to Leslie, seemingly fazed by her elder sister’s words. New question marks popped into her mind.
"Big Sister, did sothing happen?" Irene uttered after a short period of silence, "Did Mom and Dad... do sothing to upset you again?"
Mockery flickered in Leslie’s eyes as Irene’s question amused her.
Did Rowan and Bianca complain to Irene? Wondering why their eldest daughter was mad at them again?
"They did... But, I can’t tell you about it yet..."
Leslie had discussed this issue with Calix as she sought his opinions.
If not for thinking about Irene, Leslie would just notify the Li family about her cutting ties with them permanently through a simple letter. But, doing so would certainly shock the teenage girl.
Leslie hadn’t thought of when to tell Irene but, the latter had to know. She didn’t want to taint Charlene’s image even though it ant ruining Rowan and Bianca’s reputation in exchange.
Charlene was the victim of this ss.
Why should she worry about maintaining the abusers’ and neglectors’ prestige?
"B-big Sister, I... I understand..."
Leslie sensed Irene’s desire to ask further but, the teenage girl still held back.
"Irene, try not to think about it... too much for now... I know you have questions. I’ll tell you... when it’s ti... I want to et you alone before... I et our parents... Your exam’s coming soon, isn’t it?"
Leslie was aware this was a hard task for Irene. The high school girl surely would keep worrying about this issue.
’After Calliope t Calix’s family... I’ll tell Irene then.’
Perhaps, the waiting wouldn’t be too long.
Irene’s sigh was audible from the end of the line. She quietly replied, "...I understand, Big Sister. Yeah, my exam begins next week."
"Then, let’s talk after that..."
Leslie pursed her lips. She tore her gaze away from the windows, looking at Calliope. The little one had fallen asleep without her realizing.
How would Irene react once she t Calliope?
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Reference:
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