The Ex-Wife's Burning Elegance

Chapter 130

"Rachel, there's no need to feel wronged about apologizing," Stella said calmly.

But Rachel ignored Stella and turned her attention to Haynes, desperation in her voice. "Haynie, I didn't, I really didn't push him..."

Haynes was about to say something when Marvin's young voice cut through the tension first.

"Stella, let it go. Don't let this affect your relationship with Ms. Pearce or Mr. O'Brien," Marvin said, his tone wise beyond his years. "I chose to help Keen. No matter how badly I got hurt, it's nobody else's fault."Dad says helping people isn't a transaction," Marvin added, wiping dirt from his scraped palms. "If I get hurt doing it, that's my choice. Doesn't mean they owe me anything."

"Rachel is an adult. It's not common for adults to apologize to kids, is it?"

Coming from an innocent five-year-old, Marvin's words had a sharp irony to them. Everyone in the room, apart from Marvin, was someone deeply connected to Keen. Rachel, especially, always acted like she had Keen's best interests at heart. Yet, as Keen's savior, Marvin was neither thanked nor apologized to by Rachel or Haynes, who seemed to side with her.

It was utterly absurd.

wanted to take Rachel's side, he couldn't bully a child. After

she chose to apologize on her own, that was one thing. But Haynes asking

eyes welled up with tears. "Haynie,

sake, thanking him or apologizing is the

looked at Rachel intently. "Are you really unwilling to say

weight of their stares felt eerily familiar. It was a tactic she often

Marvin. This kid... was a

Rachel turned her gaze on him, Marvin looked at her with wide, innocent eyes and said, "Stella, it's really okay. I'm

between indignation and

sorry. I was just so worried in the

nodded understandingly. "I know Ms. Pearce didn't mean