Emmeline stepped into the house, but Jorge was not there. Her mind raced as she pondered the situation. This is Albusâ home. What part does Mr. Jarge, who is closely connected to Mrs. Zeller, play in all this? And Albusâ younger brother, Hank, seems to be Mr. Jorgeâs sout âMr. Jorgeâ¦â she asked with a smile as she looked at Michelle. âIs his foot better now?â
Michelle blushed and tugged Albus, saying. Letâs head upstairs.â
Unbeknownst to Emmeline, Jorge was upstairs in a room. Michelle turned to him and shared, Guess what? The girl Albus is interested in is the same one who accidentally hit you with her car yesterday!â
âWhat a coincidence. Jorgeâs voice could be heard from downstairs.
Curious about the ongoing conversation, Albus asked. âWhat are you two talking about? Have you met Emmeline?
âLetâs set aside Emmeline for now. Michelle redirected the discussion, and concern was etched on her face. âShe saw jurge and me. How will she perceive me when she marries into our family later?â
Albus, his temper flaring, retorted. Thatâs none of Emmaâs concern. She has finally accepted me!â
âShe may have accepted you, but I havenât, Michelle stated angrily. âLetâs put this matter aside for now?
âI donât need your approval, Albus retorted. âYou can return to wherever you came from with Jorge. My affairs are none of your concern!â
With that, Allnus slammed the door and headed downstairs.
Emmeline seized Hannahâs arm and hurriedly left the house.
Puzzled, Hannah asked, âWhatâs going on with their family?â
Emmeline whispered. âSomething is going on in this family.â
âI can sense that, Hannah agreed. âWho is the old man talking upstairs earlier?â
âMrs. Zellerâs having an affair, Emmeline stated plainly.
âAh?â Hannah exclaimed in surprise.
Albus rushed out and called after them. Emma!â
âIâm leaving now, Emmeline declared, ending the conversation. âLetâs leave it at that for the time beingâ
He looked distressed as he tried to explain, âThere must be a misunderstanding here.â
She firmly responded, âItâs not my place to interfere. After all, itâs your familyâs matter.â
âIâll address it later, Albus conceded reluctantly. âMy mom; she-â
Emmeline interrupted, repeating, âItâs your familyâs matter. Let me repeatâitâs not my place to interfere.â
She couldnât bear to stay a moment longer, so she led her sister out of the yard.
On the way, Hannah asked with a furrowed brow, âHow will you explain this to Mom when we get home?â
Emmeline sighed. âI donât know. Mom wonât believe me. Deep in thought, she frowned as she contemplated the impending confrontation with her mother. A wave of apprehension washed over her as she pondered, Albus family seemed so chaotic. Can I embrace that kind of family life? But if I reject it. Mom will be devastated.
Meanwhile, Hannah crafted a web of excuses to deceive Kimberly at home.
Back in her room, Emmeline, feeling the need to talk, dialed Abelâs number and anxiously mentioned, âIf you donât arrive soon, I might just drive home again!â
Abel could sense the unease in her voice and promptly reassured her. Iâm in a cab and will be there shortly, Emma. Please, listen to me, and donât drive anymore!â
She also realized she could not drive, especially since she didnât have a driverâs license.
Maxwell sensed something was amiss and approached Emmeline, inquiring. âEmma, is something bothering you?â
She was still frowning and whispered, âAlbus family is quite chaotic. We must steer clear of them.â
Perplexed, Maxwell probed, âWhat do you mean? What sort of issues are we talking about?â
Tll let Hannah explain it to you later, Emmeline replied, her head hanging low. âI understand that you and Mom wonât believe me; youâll think Iâm just making excuses.â
Maxwell was left speechless.
Even though it was well past lunchtime, Abel escorted Emmeline back to their shared company.
dormitory.
She surprised him by embracing him from behind as he went to the kitchen.
Concerned, he turned to hold her and noticed her body trembling slightly. He inquired, âWhatâs troubling you?â
She clung tightly to him, hiding her face in his chest.
He gently lifted her chin, looked into her searching eyes, and asked, âWhatâs going on?â
âAlbusâ mother, Emmeline revealed, her voice strained. âShe rejected me.â
Abel was momentarily puzzled over this revelation but quickly realized and responded, âIsnât that at positive outcome?â
However, her eyesâdimmed, and she replied, âBut it feels like she rejected Mom too.â
He furrowed his brows, recognizing that he had overlooked this crucial aspect. He thought, Of course, Mrs. Zeller rejecting Emma meant rejecting Aunt Kimberly. Can she handle that?
âOriginally Emmeline said, her head bowed. âI wanted to support Mom, but Iâve inadvertently hurt her. If she learns of my rejection by the Zeller family, it will be a source of immense embarrassment for her.â
Curious and empathetic, Abel inquired, âWhat would you like to do, then? Can you tell me what exactly happened?â