"Oliver! Oliver!" He kept calling but he refused to answer as he ran out with tears welled up in his eyes.
Looking at Lavender and Ava, Hardin exhaled loudly before running after him.
Soon, Hardin caught up with Oliver who was about to run out of the Mansion.
"Oliver, can you calm down huh?"
"Why are you doing this?"Oliver asked instead, tears still pouring out of his eyes.
Hardin's lips patted slowly as he tried to speak, but no word came out of his mouth, he was deeply hurt inside as he felt his son was hurt cuz of him.
"Oliver, daddy loves you" Hardin muttered slowly, seems like all the strength in him was completely drained.
"Then why are you doing this? Why are you getting married again? What happened to Mom? Why was she forced to leave?"As he threw Hardin the question, he sighed tiredly, not knowing what to do or how to explain the situation of things to him.
If only he could understand, things would have been a lot better.
"I'm not getting married again, only want to.. to.. you'll never understand," He said and Oliver nodded with a scoff.
"Why won't I understand?"
"Stop acting mature Oliver! You're just eight"He blurted out and grabbed Oliver's hand.
"Let's go!!"
"Hardin!!!"Lavender ran out with Ava, but Hardin paid deaf ears to neither of them as he walked out of the Mansion completely with his son.
"He looks so mad"Ava muttered sadly and Lavender turned to her with a smile.
"He'd come around"
••••
"Breakfast is ready Oliver, come come"Hardin smiled as he waved at Oliver to come and eat.
He was already dressed for school.
"You aren't dressed for work?"Oliver picked on his question and Hardin chuckled before ruffling his hair softly, he pulled out a chair and told him to sit.
"Eat First and let's go to school"Hardin replied instead and Oliver cast him a gaze before shrugging, he grabbed his fork and began digging in.
Hardin only sat as he watched him eat, a lot of thoughts going on in his mind, how was they to survive? Finding a job during this period isn't an easy task and the one he found, his son was somehow against it.
"I'm done, Dad. Go get dressed for work hmmm!"Oliver whined and Hardin chuckled.
"Well actually, Oliver you see. I.. I.. I.. got fired from work!"He blurted out with a sad smile.
"Fi.. Fired?"Oliver asked instead to be sure he wasn't double-hearing.
"Yes!"
"No Dad! Why get fired? What did you do? How are we going to survive?"He asked at a time while breathing heavily.
"We would survive!!"
Lavender sighed for the umpteenth time, while still pinging on her keyboard.
Kim gulped and scratched her head funnily before looking at Lavender, who was looking as serious as ever, but still in Deep thought.
"Are you okay Ma?"Kim couldn't help but ask and Lavender sighed.
"I'm not okay Kim. I think am going crazy"Lavender blurted out and Kim furrowed her brow.
"Don't go crazy Ma, there's no mental asylum near"She blurted out and Lavender gasped before standing up.
"What are you saying? That I need to..."
"No! No! I'm sorry Ma!!!"She shouted and Lavender raised her face from the laptop, before staring at Kim questionly who slapped her forehead funnily before rubbing her temples she only zoomed off, why would she dare say that to her Boss? She sure has a death wish.
"My phone please"Lavender requested and Kim nodded before giving her the phone.
"Pick up! Pick up for damn sake!!"She groaned sadly.
This is the 20th time she requested her phone and called Hardin, but he isn't picking up.
"Damnit! Does this mean he won't accept the contract?"Lavender thought and just the possibility of him refusing to be Ava's Dad scared the hell out of her and she began fidgeting.
••••
Hardin wiped off the beads of sweat on his forehead as he continued trekking while sweating profusely.
His phone began ringing again and he sighed when he saw the caller's ID.
Throwing his phone back inside his pocket, he continued walking when the call came again, angrily he brought out his phone.
"Gawd!"He cussed and was forced to pick up the call without checking the caller's ID.
"I'm not inter...."
"Hello sir, the call is actually from Starlight Academy. Your daughter got into a school accident and is requesting to see you before she's attended to"
"Ava? I'm on my way right now!!"
•••
STARLIGHT ACADEMY
"Isn't she ashamed??"
"She claims to have a Dad, but it turned out to be Oliver's Dad!!"
"Daddy snatcher!!"
"Just go away, you don't belong here seriously!!"
"You'll always remain fatherless
"Ava, should I call the gatekeeper to be your dad? Since you want a fake Dad?"
"That sounds like a plan
Oliver sat in a corner while watching the students make fun of Ava who was sobbing slowly, she was bleeding from the head but refused anyone to touch her, not until Hardinn came.
Oliver sighed and looked away while feeling guilty for what happened to Ava. He only told his friends about Ava and his dad, but he never expected them to take it to this level, to the extent of pushing her down the stairs.
"Daddy!! Please come!!"Ava continued sobbing and one of the teachers sighed, they've done all they could to take her to the infirmary but she refused bluntly.
Meanwhile, Lavender's car and the cab covering Hardin both stopped on the school premises as the duo rushed down at once.
Their eyes locked but Hardin immediately looked away as he rushed inside, with Lavender running after him.
"Daddy!!!!!"Ava screamed and rushed towards Hardin, lavender only stood with mouth agape as she watched her daughter embrace while ignoring her.
"How did you get hurt huh?"Hardin asked as he lifted her off the ground.
"I don't know, but I think the students pushed me cuz they think you're not my Dad, they keep calling me fatherless"She cried and Hardin sighed before turning to the teachers.
"I'm taking her home, she'd receive treatment at home, and please warn the students not to mess with my daughter, else they'll have me to contend with, "He said and Ava hugged him tightly with a smile.
Lavender's heart tripled and she gushed inwardly, hearing Hardin publicly call Ava his daughter. What more could she ask of?
"I love you daddy!!"Ava kissed his cheek and Lavender chuckled.
"How are you, princess?"
"Hi, Mom?"Ava waved instead and Lavender shook her head.
"Ol.. Oliver?"Hardin stuttered when he saw Oliver looking at them.
Oliver only smiled sadly before going towards his classroom.
"Shit!!!!"Hardin uttered inwardly.
"M-hmmmm!!!"Ava gushed as she watched Hardin prepare dinner.
She refused him to go home and right now, lavender is on her way to get Oliver.
"You love the smell?"Hardin smiled and Ava nodded.
"Trust Daddy to make the best meal"Hardin winked and Ava laughed happily.
Only God knows how much she is happy.
"I trust you!"Ava smiled as she gave him a thumbs up.
"Come here"Hardin uttered, carrying her before sitting her on the counter.
"How are you feeling? Does your Head still hurt?"He asked more like a worried Dad as he ruffled her curly hair.
"I'm feeling great, so long I have you by my side!!"Ava replied with a smile and this time, Hardin kissed her forehead.
She was just adorably cute.
"Ta-da!!"Lavender walked in while holding Oliver's hand.
Though Oliver had a smile on his face, it was much like a forced smile cuz he had no other choice.
"Hey, bro!"Ava winked and Oliver scoffed.
"Don't call me that"He retorted and Ava laughed before jumping down from the counter.
"Careful please" Hardin told her and she giggled before grabbing Oliver's hand who made to protest but Hardin gave him a pleading eye and he rolled his eye before going with her.
"Thanks" Lavender walked to Hardin and said.
"It's no big deal" He shrugged.
"Well, it is for me"Lavender retorted and Hardin shrugged without saying anything.
Lavender walked closer to Hardin, she placed her hand on the counter as she watched him slice the carrots.
He was looking irresistibly s£xy even with the apron, his hand moving in sync as he did justice to each ingredient for the cooking.
Lavender bites her bottom lips as she felt the urge to grab him and smash her lips on his.
"Are you going to keep staring at me that way?"Hardin asked.
"No! No!! I..I..."
"It's boring holes on my skin"Hardin cut her off with a smirk and she gasped.
"Hey!!!!"
"Help me with the potatoes"Hardin told her and she scoffed as she walked grumpily to get the potatoes.
•••