Jeslyn just stared back, refusing to speak.
âIf you wonât talk, Iâll have to send you back immediately,â Jessie warned sternly.
After Jessie had said her piece, Jeslyn looked up at her with those large, watery eyes that seemed to plead for sympathy.
Jessie, however, was not moved to pity.
She reached out and tugged at Jeslynâs ear, declaring, âIâm calling your father this instant.
â
âBut heâs on a business trip,â Jeslyn protested weakly.
âHeâs away on business, then.
So he sent you to me instead? Look here, Iâm not the one to be your constant guardian.
â
âElsie directed me your way,â the youngster retorted.
âTold me youâd be willing to look after me.
So she was only lying about that.
â No sooner had the words left her mouth than Jeslynâs eyes filled with tears, and she began to weep.
Jessie fixed her gaze on Jeslyn, observing as the tears made their escape.
It was bold, Jessie thought, for Jeslyn to show such vulnerability.
The sight kindled a fire of frustration in Jessie, pushing her to the brink of phoning Albert.
Yet, the mention of Elsie stayed her hand.
In the end, there was nothing for it but to contact Elsie directly.
The call connected.
Elsie, caught amidst her ride on an electric bicycle, phone in hand, feigned confusion.
âIâm sorry? Miss Green, could you repeat that? Itâs terribly noisy here, and your words are getting lost in the wind.
â
Jessie spent a good while trying to convey her message.
Elsie claimed the wind was too fierce, muffling Jessieâs words.
She added, offhandedly, that she was visiting her hometown for the time being.
After ending the call, Elsie pressed on, pedaling her electric bicycle towards her home.
The reason behind sending Jeslyn to Jessie lingered on her mind.
Earlier that day, she had glimpsed Jessieâs boyfriend, cozying up to a young girl and her family.
From her hidden vantage, Elsie feared for Jessieâs emotional well-being and decided Jeslynâs presence might somehow ease the looming heartache.
In Elsieâs eyes, Jessie deserved someone better, certainly not a disloyal partner.
Despite her bicycleâs dwindling battery, Elsie pedaled with determination at the thought of Jessie and Albert getting back together.
Meanwhile, Jeslyn, perceptive beyond her years, noticed Jessieâs reluctance to host her.
With a mix of defiance and sorrow, she suggested, âWhy not call my Dad? It seems⦠no one wants me anyway.
â
Jessie, masking her own frustrations with a scoff, retorted, âThink I havenât got the nerve?â