novelxo Chapter 22
Chapter 22 In Odell's room, a glimmer of the morning sunlight invaded the room through the blinds. On the large light-gray bed was a man who seemed to be in a deep sleep until his eyebrows suddenly twitched. The next second, he suddenly raised his hand and snatched a soft, tiny hand from the air. He snapped his eyes open immediately and saw Isabel's chubby face. It seemed like she was just as surprised to be caught. Her eyes that expanded into giant circles were proof enough. Odell lifted her onto the bed with one mighty tug. Isabel tried to pull her hand away and refused to let him touch her.
Meanwhile, Odell tried not to distress her. He just held on to her arm and interrogated, “When did you get here, and why are you even here in the first place?”
Isabel sat cross-legged beside him and glanced around like a guilty criminal before confessing, “I was just curious about what your room looked like, so I came in to sightsee.” She said it as if she was the master of the house or the king of the palace.
Odell suppressed a thin smile and asked again, “Is that true?”
"Of course, it's true,” Isabel answered confidently. Odell did not pry further. He touched her head and asked, “Where's your brother?” “He should be taking a shower.”
Odell let go of her arm. “Go wash up and get ready for breakfast too.” “Ok.”
Isabel rolled out of bed and ran out without turning back. After that, Odell got up and walked to the bathroom.
Meanwhile, Isabel, who had just run out, met Liam who was hiding around the corner.
“He didn't notice, did he?” Liam asked in a hushed voice.
Isabel clapped her chest confidently. “Don’t worry. I have it under control.”
She put the phone she stole back into her pocket and then peeked her head around the corner. Beside her, Liam joined in.
In the bathroom, Odell entered and looked at his reflection in the mirror.
He immediately saw several glaring lines marked with a Sharpie running down his cheeks. Upon closer inspection, he noticed that they spelled out the word “Bum’.
From the tip of his forehead down to the corners of his jawline, it was a bright green that
stood out like a sore thumb! A storm of anger riled up inside him. He turned around and stomped outside, shouting furiously at the two sneaky kids peeking around the corner, “Come out, both of you!” The two of them quickly ducked around the corner, snickering mischievously. Speechless, Odell went outside. Liam was quick to respond and immediately took Isabel and ran. When Odell came to the living room, he found them hiding behind Madam Carter. Isabel played the defendant before he could say anything. “Great-grandma, I think he’s going to hit us. I'm so scared...”
“Don't be afraid. Your great-grandma is here and won't let anyone touch you and your brother!” After Madam Carter said this, she turned and glared at Odell. The moment she saw him though, she could not resist her laughter and let slip a brief, “Pfft”. The butler and the few servants nearby who saw Odell could not hold back their snickers either, especially since the old madam was the first to laugh. Odell immediately glared at them and yelled, “Get out of here!” The butler hurriedly took the lead and slipped out of the living room. Odell then looked at Isabel, the aggressor. As she shrank in fright, she grabbed Liam with one hand and clutched Madam Carter with the other.
Liam came in front of her while Madam Carter protected them and defended their actions. “It was just a silly prank the kids got up to. Forgive them.” Odell remained sullen.
At a mature age of nearly thirty years old, this was the first time he had someone sketch the word “bum” directly across his face. How was he supposed to stay calm in this situation?