Chapter 57
The mood in the nurse’s office felt frozen. Not a single person spoke, the air thick with worry.
Suddenly, someone shouted from the hallway, “We found Jasper’s dad! He’s here now p>
The second Camilla heard Barnard’s name, she felt heat crashing through her body. She’d trusted him completely, believed him when he said he could take care of Jasper. And this was what happened? Jasper had been lying in the nurse’s office forever, hurt and alone, while she rushed all the way over from the hospital. Now Barnard finally decided to show up.
The door swung open and there he was, Barnard, holding Daisy in his arms with Davina close behind.
He spotted Camilla, looking totally startled. “Camilla? What are you doing here? Weren’t you supposed to be at the hospital p>
He didn’t wait for her to answer. Instead, he quickly handed Daisy off to Davina, like he couldn’t ditch the responsibility fast enough. The whole act was so ridiculous that Camilla almost laughed out loud.
She said nothing. Barnard walked up, finally noticing Jasper stretched out on the cot. “What happened to him? I was only gone a little while. How did he get this hurt p>
“You’re asking me what happened?” Camilla’s voice was sharp, barely restrained. “You were the one who promised to take him to school. Now this… and you want me to explain p>
Barnard just stood there, looking like none of this had anything to do with him. Not even a trace of concern for Jasper. Camilla’s regret hit her like a wave. How could she have ever thought Barnard would step up? Just because The Carter Estate was involved, she convinced herself he’d magically become a caring father. Sure, Jasper was his son, but all these years, Barnard barely acknowledged him, never mind actually playing with him.
She used to fool herself, telling herself he just didn’t like kids in general—after all, Jasper was never supposed to have happened. But once Daisy came into the picture, she could finally see the truth. Barnard never had a problem with children. He just didn’t like her son.
Barnard seemed uneasy for a second, but then he straightened up. “It’s not like I was gone for ages. I told him to wait for me, I p>
“So you left Jasper alone to go be with them?” Camilla cut in, her anger spilling out.
Jasper’s kindergarten wasn’t just any school. It was exclusive, and Camilla had practically moved heaven and earth to get Jasper enrolled. Barnard never cared enough to help. But now, suddenly, Davina’s daughter Daisy was a student there too. Barnard never said a word about it, but Camilla knew exactly who pulled the strings.
He had gotten the nanny’s daughter into this elite kindergarten, but when Jasper needed him most, Barnard was off supporting Davina and Daisy. The more she thought about it, the more Camilla realized she’d been underestimating just how deep his double standards went. He always made sure Davina and Daisy were taken care of, way beyond anything she ever imagined.
One of the teachers finally broke the tension. “Please, don’t argue here. Right now it’s most important to get Jasper to the hospital p>
Barnard seemed to remember why they were there and reached for Jasper, but Camilla stepped between them and gently pushed him aside. Her hand was still tender—the cast had only just come off—but she didn’t care. She wasn’t about to let Barnard play the hero now. Trusting him with Jasper was no longer an option.
The ambulance arrived at last. Camilla picked up Jasper herself and carried him out, teachers following close behind.
Barnard still came to the hospital, bringing Daisy and Davina along as if it was the most normal thing in the world.
Once Jasper was taken for tests, Camilla leaned against the wall, feeling the ache creeping back into her wrist. She ignored it. As long as Jasper wasn’t okay, nothing else mattered.
Barnard kept stealing glances at her, looking like he wanted to say something but couldn’t figure out how to start. Davina stood with Daisy, her eyes down, trying to go unnoticed.
Jasper’s test results came out quickly. Besides a broken leg, he only had a few scrapes and bruises. He was awake now, moved to a hospital room, and as soon as he saw Camilla, he almost burst into tears. “Mommy…” he whimpered.
Barnard let out a long, shaky breath, like a huge weight had been lifted. “Camilla, see? Jasper’s okay. You can relax now, you p>
“Okay? That’s what you call it?” Camilla’s voice was harsh. “Just because he’s alive, does that mean we should pretend nothing happened? That’s your idea of okay p>
Barnard scowled, irritation flickering across his face. “Camilla, there are people here. Can we talk about this later p>
The teachers looked uncomfortable and started making their excuses. They apologized to Camilla, offered up compensation, then left as quickly as they could.
Camilla turned back to Barnard. “Now, do you want to explain? You said you’d bring Jasper to school. So where did you actually go p>
The question made Davina shrink even further, her head almost touching her chest.
Barnard fumbled for an answer. “Davina and Daisy… they’d never seen a place like that before. They were nervous, so I just went to calm them down. Jasper, didn’t I tell you to stay where you were and not wander off? Why couldn’t you just listen p>