Chapter 8 Fueled by Pure HateÂ
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At the time, Alfred had even smiled, an expression that could only be described as pleased, while looking at the boy’s twisted, terrified face.Â
The incident scared the preschool teachers badly.Â
After the chaos settled, his parents finally realized he wasn’t suited for group environments.Â
Alfred went back to living at home.Â
If it weren’t for Maya going to school, he wouldn’t have come back to a place as boring as preschool.Â
“What a freak.”Â
“Why is Maya’s brother so weird?”Â
“He never talks. It’s like he’s mute.”Â
“Why does Maya always follow him around? He’s so mean to her!”Â
Sometimes, Maya could hear the other kids whispering about him.Â
But it didn’t really affect anything.Â
The two siblings were still stuck together almost every day, inseparable.Â
After spending more time together, Maya gradually started noticing flaws in Alfred’s personality.Â
For example, if another kid accidentally bumped into him while playing, he’d shove them straight to the ground without hesitation, wearing a cold, stay away from me expression.Â
Once, a boy’s remote-control car rolled to his feet.Â
The moment the boy bent down to pick it up, Alfred crushed it under his foot without mercy.Â
The boy cried his eyes out, while Alfred’s eyes curved slightly in rare amusement.Â
Maya began to question her entire worldview.Â
Maybe Alfred isn’t some awkward pseudo-human…. Maybe he’s just straight-up a bad person.Â
With how obnoxious he is, the only reason he hasn’t been bullied yet is probably because rich kids have better manners.Â
“Alfred.” Maya filled up his water bottle and pushed it toward him, deciding she needed to say something.Â
The little girl sat upright, serious. “Can you tone it down a bit? I feel like the teachers are getting mad at us.”Â
Maya didn’t say “mad at you.” She deliberately said “us.”Â
In reality, the teachers all liked her, but she didn’t want to create distance between them, so she used “us,” as if they were accomplices.Â
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Alfred picked up on that subtle detail, and it put him in a slightly better mood. “I already am holding backÂ
“This is me holding back.”Â
Maya paused. “I don’t even wanna imagine what you’re like when you’re not.”Â
Her sarcasm was so obvious that even someone like Alfred could understand it. He tilted his head, confused, and tugged at her cheek. “Are you mad at me because of them?”Â
Maya’s face got pulled out of shape. She slapped his hand away, fed up. “I’m not.”Â
She stood up and left her seat, a little annoyed.Â
A girl who usually played with her quickly pulled her aside and whispered, “Maya, can you stop hanging around your brother all the time? I think he’s… really weird. He’s kinda scary.”Â
Maya blinked. “Is he?”Â
She didn’t think he was scary. Alfred had always been like this.Â
“It’s true!” Lily Schwartz said anxiously. “Everyone’s talking about staying away from him. The teacher’s even planning to separate your seats.”Â
Alfred’s completely unchecked behavior had made the teachers realize something was wrong.Â
The kids attending Kingsley all came from wealthy families. Every single one was their family’s precious treasure. If anything happened, the teachers would be the ones held responsible.Â
The best solution was to isolate Alfred.Â
Maya pouted. “But I don’t wanna change seats.”Â
“Why not?” Lily couldn’t understand at all. In a child’s logic, you were supposed to stay away from the bad kid.Â
Maya didn’t think she could explain it, so she just smiled and waved her hand. “Okay, Lily, I’ll go talk to my brother.”Â
She turned and ran back to her seat, repeating what the teacher had said about switching seats.Â
After hearing it, Alfred didn’t comment.Â
He just stared straight at Maya. “Do you wanna sit with them?”Â
Maya did, actually!Â
She didn’t have many friends yet, and in her mind, changing seats wasn’t a big deal. They still saw each other all the time at home anyway.Â
Seeing her hesitate and not answer, Alfred’s cold, emotionless eyes darkened instantly. “I understand.”Â
After saying that, he turned away from her, completely ignoring her.Â
Maya stared at him, stunned.Â
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But no matter how upset he was, Alfred still did her homework along with his, his face cold the entire tubeÂ
Cold-faced homework mode.Â
Watching him act all awkward and stiff, Maya had to cover her mouth to keep from laughingÂ
That night, Wendy carried a glass of milk into Alfred’s room. The boy was inside, flipping through a pile of books.Â
She set the milk down and sat on the edge of the bed. “Alfred, have you been unhappy at preschool lately? Did you and Maya have a falling-out?”Â
Alfred didn’t answer right away. He just turned his head to look at Wendy.Â
In those emotionless eyes, there was, for once, a trace of confusion and irritation.Â
“The teacher changed our seats. She ignored me and went to play with other people.”Â
Even though Alfred had the communication skills of a brick, Wendy still immediately understood what was bothering him.Â
“They’re all stupid,” Alfred continued muttering.Â
And I’m smart.Â
“But she chose them.”Â
He couldn’t understand why she would leave him and choose to be with those brainless, single-celled creatures instead.Â
“But being smart isn’t what matters, sweetheart.” Wendy gently pulled her youngest son into a hug, smiling. “Being liked by Maya is what matters.Â
“Being this controlling will only make Maya dislike you.” Wendy casually patted his head. “Whether Maya makes friends or not is her choice. Wouldn’t it be better to be a more tolerant big brother?”Â
No.Â
Alfred realized Maya could effortlessly win over people.Â
And he was a freak.Â
That was the label he’d been given from the moment he first entered a group.Â
He didn’t know how to communicate, his thinking was strange, and even his delicate, good looks did nothing to help.Â
Preschool kids didn’t care about appearances.Â
A child’s personality determined their place in school. Fortunately, Alfred held grudges fiercely. If someone pissed him off, he’d make their whole family miserable.Â
Wendy thought, With a personality like that…Â
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If we weren’t here to back him up, he would absolutely end up in prison someday.Â
“You’re missing one thing.” Wendy stroked his head, her tone calm and gentle. “You have to tell Maya what you want. If you want her to sit with you, you need to say it.”Â
Maya is a considerate girl, but that doesn’t mean she has to cater to him.Â
Alfred seemed to speak whatever came to mind, muttering his conclusion, “She’s not smart.”Â
Wendy replied, “So you need to tell her. What do you want?”Â
She repeated the question.Â
“I want Maya,” he answered awkwardly in a low voice. “I want Maya to only stay with me.”Â
Alfred hated everyone at school.Â
As someone fueled by pure hate, he couldn’t understand Maya’s desire to make friends at all.Â
“Then you have to take action.” She blinked lightly. “If you just wait around, Maya will get taken away.”Â
Wendy’s little counseling session worked surprisingly well.Â
The very next day after their falling-out, Alfred took the initiative to make up with her.Â
He even became a little clingy.Â
Maya looked at the suddenly different Alfred, scratching her head, unable to understand his hot-and-cold behavior.Â
Maybe boys just have those days once a month.Â
During the two weeks Raymond was gone, the family’s life was unexpectedly peaceful. There was none of the random malice she had suffered in her previous life, no one mocking her out of nowhere, no humiliating comparisons.Â
Maya sincerely hoped her life would continue like this, quiet and ordinary.Â
But life had a way of messing with her.Â
The more she wanted something, the less she’d get it.Â
A week later, Wendy brought back Toby, the one who was supposedly “frail and sickly.”Â
Maya had been playing with building blocks with Alfred, Hearing the door open, she immediately dropped everything and ran over excitedly.Â
“Mom-” Her cheerful call cut off the moment she saw the unfamiliar boy standing there.Â
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This Time All Be the Villains Favorite Daughter