Chapter 62
Beau kept a straight face and issued a stern warning to his group of friends. “None of you are allowed to play with Bambil”
The kids lined up in perfect formation and saluted him in unison. “Yes,
sir!”
Elara noticed Merida’s expression shift as she looked toward the school gate.
“Merida?” she called softly.
Merida tightened her grip on the straps of her backpack, forcing her voice to sound lighthearted as she said, ” Mommy, I’m going to school now! Bye–bye!”
She then spotted her usual playmate and ran over excitedly. “Shirley!“.
Shirley Moore glanced at her, then quickly looked away and sped up her pace.
Merida caught up to her, eager to share the news. “Shirley, guess what? I changed my name! I’m not Bambi anymore—I’m Merida Jones now! I took my mom’s last name.”
“Don’t talk to me.” Shirley veered to the side, putting distance between them.
Mérida stopped in her tracks, completely stunned. “Shirley, what’s wrong?”
Shirley hesitated for a moment before lowering her voice. “Beau said that anyone who plays with you will become the whole school’s enemy.”
Merida was shaken by this.
Meanwhile, Elara hadn’t left yet. Standing at a distance, she watched her daughter’s back and could sense something was wrong.
“Elara!” A voice called out. Elara turned to see Rosalie Fisher holding the hand of her daughter, Paisley Fisher.
Rosalie was Harvey’s cousin. Her husband came from an ordinary family and had married into the Fisher family.
With an expensive Hermès bag draped over her arm, Rosalie’s sharp eyes gleamed with amusement. “So, you really divorced Harvey?”
“Yes,” Elara answered calmly before her gaze fell on Paisley, and she frowned slightly.
Paisley was the same age as Merida, but her petite frame made her look like a much younger child.
Rosalie had raised her daughter as a strict vegetarian since birth. As a result, Paisley was frail, almost paper–thin, and her complexion was unnaturally pale.
Back when Elara was in the Fisher household, she would sneak bits of meat to Paisley whenever she could. But now, there was nothing she could do.
“Found a job yet?” Rosalie asked eagerly.
“Not yet,” Elara answered truthfully.
Rosalie could barely contain her glee.
“I just don’t get it. You were Mrs. Fisher, living in a mansion and driving luxury cars. Look at you now, taking a taxi to drop Merida off at school.
“Do you really need to make yourself look this pitiful? You’re embarrassing Bambi!”
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+25 BONUS
Chapter 62
Elara replied evenly, “If children discriminate against Merida just because she takes a different kind of transportation, that’s a failure of their parents and the school’s education, not mine.
“And for the record, my daughter has taken my last name and has a new name. She’s Merida Jones now.”
Rosalie clicked her tongue in disdain. “All the other kids here have chauffeurs picking them up. Now that you’re divorced from Harvey, you’re not in the same class as us anymore.
“And changing her last name to Jones? Ha! Even my husband knows how important the Fisher name is!”
“Aunt Elara…” Paisley whispered hesitantly while biting her finger.
Rosalie’s expression hardened, and she pushed her daughter forward. “She’s divorced from your Uncle Harvey! From now on, you don’t need to acknowledge her. Now, get to school!”
Paisley didn’t fully understand what Rosalie meant, but she turned and left under her mother’s urging.
Nonetheless, she still liked Elara as Elara used to tell Merida to slip her some meat during lunch. At that moment, a loud shout rang out from nearby.
“Bambi Fisher! What are you doing? Let go of Beau!” Niamh’s voice boomed across the schoolyard.
Merida had suddenly charged forward and grabbed Beau by the collar.
Even though they were twins, Merida had grown noticeably taller than Beau, and their physiques were now vastly different. She lifted him clean off the ground with just one hand.
Furious, she demanded, “Beau Fisher! Why did you tell Shirley not to talk to me? Shirley is my best friend!”
Beau’s feet dangled in the air as he kicked wildly, trying to break free.
Merida extended her arm further, keeping him at a distance–his little legs couldn’t reach her no matter how hard he tried to kick.
