The Day I Kissed An Older Man by Cher the Cherished

In the end, Phoebe said sulkily, “Wait here. I’ll go check if he’s woken up from his nap.”

Corinne smiled, satisfied. “Okay. Thank you, Miss Phoebe.”

After a while, Phoebe came back with Joey.

Joey looked fearfully around the room. His eyes immediately lit up when he saw Corinne, but they quickly dimmed again.

Even though growing up in the orphanage turned Joey into a sensitive and insecure child, Corinne still remembered the look of awe in his eyes when she first met him.

That was why it was especially jarring for her to realize Joey had become so fearful through his stay with Anya and Phoebe that he did not even dare to look others in the eye anymore. His whole body language screamed how he wished he was dead.

could not help but

waved him over. “Come

took a few steps back before turning

already brought him there, so she said sarcastically to Joey, “What are you

tell when a grown-up was sarcastic. He thought Phoebe meant what she said, so he cautiously made

stroked his bony cheeks. “Look at how scrawny you’ve become. Are you

look

a look, and Joey immediately knew that was his cue to keep his mouth shut.

the many bruises and wounds on

those bruises

looked down and shook