49 Chapter 49

[Monday Morning.]

Chloe woke up early again. She had to cook a lot because she also had to prepare breakfast for Mackie and her boss, Vernon Phoenix Gray. She also had to prepare lunch for Mackie since her daughter was a picky eater that preferred her cooking as lunch.

Chloe wondered if she also had to make lunch for her boss but remembered that Vernon must've had his restaurant food that Diamond mentioned. So, there was no need for Chloe to make lunch because Vernon would just eat outside.

Chloe prepared the suit for Vernon by putting it in a drawer in front of his bedroom door. He knocked on the door a few times, "Vernon, your suit and shirt are in front of the door…."

"Hrm? Yes…"

After that, Chloe woke her daughter up and told her to wash her face and prepare for school while she found good clothes for Mackie and checked her bag to see if she had all the books she needed for today's class.

Chloe waited in Vernon's penthouse kitchen with the breakfast ready. Today she made avocado toast with scrambled egg and cherry tomatoes on the side.

As requested, she gave Mackie banana milk and a banana-strawberry smoothie for Vernon.

Vernon came out early, looking handsome and dapper with the grey suit. He was wearing rimless glasses, His hair was combed to the back, and he had shaved his stubble. He seemed to be in an okay mood today.

"G—Good morning, Vernon. I've prepared your breakfast."

'Follow current novels ON N (ovelB in.)',

"Hm," Vernon sat and started eating the toast silently.

"Good morning, Mommy!" Mackie climbed the stair after a while, ready with her bag as well.

Chloe smiled and patted her head gently, "Go sit beside Uncle Vernon, and eat your breakfast, okay?"

"Okay!"

Chloe sat in front of the two, watching them eating their breakfast in silence. Her lips slowly perked up;

'It feels like we're a real family of three...'

Vernon noticed Chloe's dumb smile, and his brows knitted together, "What's with your dumb smile? Eat something for breakfast," Vernon said.

"Ah, okay…"

…

Chloe ate very slowly, so slowly that it started infuriating Vernon again. But he wasn't in the mood to yell at someone in the morning. So he got up and picked up his briefcase, "I'll leave first. Don't forget to come to my office after you're done with your daughter's stuff."

Honestly, she was a little scared whenever Vernon said she should come to the office. Because she remembered that velvet room and all the props inside.

Her body shuddered out of fear and nervousness, but she nodded submissively, ""O—Okay, I will…. I will go to work today."

"Good," before he left, Vernon noticed something near the kitchen counter— a pink lunchbox complete with the cutlery set.

"Is that your daughter's lunch?" Vernon pointed at the lunchbox.

"Ah, yes, that's Mackie's lunchbox. I trust my cooking more than the ones in the cafeteria and such, so I make her lunch daily."

"I see…" Vernon stared at Chloe for a moment. "And mine?"

"Eh?"

"Where's mine?"

"I—"

"Didn't I tell you you're in charge of cooking?"

"B—But I thought you'd eat outside—"

"You will make me my lunch, just like how you make one for your daughter," Vernon gave out his order without hesitation, and Chloe had no choice but to concede. "You will suffer a consequence if you don't bring me one."

"Yes..." Chloe nodded meekly.

"Hey! Don't bully Mommy!" Mackie yelled.

Vernon glanced at the little girl before ignoring her and leaving his penthouse.

"Uncle Vernon is so mean to Mommy!" Mackie pouted. "Unlike Daddy, who is very gentle to Mommy!"

…

'I think both of them are just the same,' Chloe said in her heart.

"It's okay, dear. It's what we call a job. Uncle Vernon is Mommy's boss, meaning Mommy has to be obedient to him," Chloe said, trying to calm her daughter down.

Mackie grumbled again.

She missed her old home because many old toys were still there. She also missed Daddy;

"If we're at home, Daddy will protect us from Uncle Vernon…."

'That's also impossible. If Vincent had to choose between me and a dollar store vase, he would still pick that dollar store vase, haha….'

Chloe's self-depreciation developed after getting cheated on by Vincent for eight years. He also often made a mocking remarks such as;

'You have no use, no function other than taking care of my daughter. You should be glad that I didn't leave you yet.'

Or;

You should be grateful that I put up with you. Stop crying just because I fucked the maid.

'Well… isn't that convenient now? He wouldn't need to be careful when fucking the maid anymore since Mackie and I are out of his mansion….'

"Mommy? Mommy!"

Chloe snapped out of her daze when Mackie grabbed her hand, "Mommy, let's go!"

Chloe smiled and grabbed the lunchbox. She packed inside a small lunch bag and allowed Mackie to hold it with her free hand, "Okay, let's go!"

**

Chloe drove Mackie to the school. Usually, she would just drop her right in front of the school gate. But she parked her car today because she had to pay for Mackie's school tuition. She also talked with the secretary and homeroom teacher about the problem between Mackie and her classmates— the children of Vincent's side chicks.

"Mommy, you're going to meet the Principal?" Mackie asked.

"Yes, I need to pay for your school tuition and talked… about something with her. You should go to your class. Remember, ignore Jaden and Mia if they make trouble unless they start hurting you. You must report it to Miss Alicia, your homeroom teacher, okay?"

"Okay, Mommy!"

Chloe watched her daughter walking to her class while she walked in the opposite direction to the principal office.

She took a deep breath and knocked on the door a few times before the Principal opened the door by herself and greeted her, "Oh! Good morning, Mrs. Gray. Are you here to talk about Mackenzie's problem with her classmates?"