Entwined With the Villainous Guardian
Chapter 53: Interrupted Storytime

Chapter 53: Interrupted Storytime

"Yes, they are, aren’t they?" Viviana took a deep breath.

With a smile, she looked at Lionel. He had a neutral expression, and she wondered if he was writing the script in his mind. She would say that her "origin story" does have a great dramatic quality.

"Father Patrick brought the baby first thing to the hospital. The full-term baby didn’t even weigh four and a half pounds and had bad lungs and a weak heart. No wonder her mother abandoned her. The medical treatments are expensive and even then, the baby didn’t have a high chance of survival. Maybe that’s what she was thinking...her mother... To leave her at the church to have her first and final day on earth surrounded by the love of many..."

Viviana took a sip of wine. That’s how she used to think. But that woman never returned to the Church to check what happened to the baby. Maybe she cried herself to sleep thinking that her baby was resting peacefully.

"Maybe..." Lionel agreed. That is a beautiful way of thinking. He expected bitterness from her for the mother who abandoned her.

She indeed is different from the women he knows.

"The All Saints Church had an orphanage and they enrolled her in it. Unlike some children, she knew her birthdate. Maybe that was the one thing she knew about her for sure—her birthdate. Apart from the charity funds they receive, Father Patrick used his money for her treatments. For some reason, he felt attached to that dark-haired girl he picked up from the wet stone floor on the Feast Day of the Archangels. He named her, he fed her, he hugged her to sleep... And in his embrace, the baby survived. And she grew up..."

"This is interesting so far," Lionel gave his contribution. "She got the love she so much deserved from him. And maybe it was his love that healed her."

Viviana nodded. She loves Father Flanagan very much. He is the one who loved her when she had no one else.

He must have gotten very old these days. She missed him.

"Darcia was still shorter than her peers and more prone to upper respiratory infections. But she was a cheerful child. Father Patrick was the strictest head of the orphanage. But everyone knew of his soft spot—Darcia. And that put a target on Darcia’s back."

"Oh, no!" Lionel leaned forward.

It makes sense. In a building filled with children who need love, when one child received what every other child yearned for, it will spark jealousy.

"The orphanage at times will have visitors—the ones who come there seeking adoption. Everyone in the orphanage knew that the younger children have a better chance of adoption than the older ones. It would be a bonus if the child is pretty, smart, and healthy. Darcia was pretty, and young, although she was not healthy. But her unhealthiness gave her a pathetic charm that mesmerized everyone. No one could look away from her if she looked at them with her pretty dark eyes fluttering.

But no one wanted her because taking care of her would be expensive. But the older kids still got jealous and bullied her a lot. When she was two, they cut her hair. They tried to pour boiling hot water on her when she was three. When she was four, they locked her with feral cats, when she was five, they..."

Viviana chuckled.

"Ah, her life is pretty sad, isn’t it?" She asked Lionel. He looked so disturbed.

"It’s fine. Through all her sufferings, she never lost her smile. She was a survivor, remember? From the moment she came to this world, she was struggling and struggling... to survive."

"She must have been tired," Lionel said with a sigh.

There still are children who struggle. What can he say? Struggle is common for everyone.

"Oh, no..." Viviana waved her hands. "She had Father Patrick and every time she got hurt, he would wipe her feet and apply medicines to her wounds. He would talk to her about divine forgiveness and the happiness in forgiving..." she smiled. "She never got back at her bullies, but she started to develop resentment in her heart."

Ah, all his efforts to teach her forgiveness went to waste... Those little sparks united here and there and formed a big pillar of resentment in her heart. And here she is...

"Her almost lonely life took a turn one day," Viviana scooted closer to Lionel seeing that he was affected by her story emotionally. "Come on, it’s going to be a happy story from now on," she smiled to assure him.

"Really?" he raised his brows skeptically.

"Yeah, for sure! She gets a friend!" Viviana confidentially nodded. But then she scratched the back of her head awkwardly. "For a while, yes..."

"I knew it!" Lionel gritted his teeth. "You are so..." he fisted his hand and waved it in front of her face.

Viviana laughed.

Lionel took in a deep breath. He felt a weird feeling in his heart. He knew that she is telling her story and seeing her smile like that invoked a deep feeling in his heart.

Ugh! She is Leander’s woman!

He told himself.

"That day, Darcia got on a tree because she saw a cat, but she couldn’t get down. The older kids from the orphanage gathered around and started to shake the not-so-strong tree to scare her. She screamed for help, but the elders were not around. Darcia clung to the thin branch of the tree with her thin arms hugging it for her dear life..."

"You said no more sad stuff. Geez! You’re so... You are writing a coming-of-age story with the drama content in morning soap operas... God! You’re so competent. I should look out for you," Lionel sighed.

Viviana laughed. "I told you, that’s..." she paused as she felt the disturbance in the air.

Everything around her turned heavy. Her eyes widened and her heart started to pound out of fear.

Lionel noticed the smile on her face getting replaced by utter terror. She was looking at the door and he turned to see what frightened her.

"Yo! Leander?" Lionel stood up with a smile. "What are you doing standing there? Come join us. She’s an amazing storyteller," he walked to Leander.

Leander didn’t even look at Lionel and glared at Viviana. Viviana gulped and stood up not knowing what else to do.

"Come with me," Leander’s deep voice rang like a bell on the balcony.

"Uh, yes," Viviana nodded.

She could see that he is mad, and he might do something she won’t like. So, she decided to do what he asks of her. Bowing her head, she walked to Leander.

"What are you..." Lionel could not believe what was happening.

Leander glared at Lionel, and it only made Lionel more confused.

What soured his mood?