A Second Chance at Forever novel (Eleanor and Bernard)

Chapter 1500

In the quaint town of Rosewood, the three Lawrence kids, notorious for their
reign of terror at the local kindergarten, quickly caught the attention of the
headmistress. Determined to nip their behavior in the bud, she summoned the
leader, Damian, for a chat. “Damian,” she said, her voice stern but caring, “where
on earth did you pick up such unruly habits?”

Without skipping a beat, Damian blurted out, “Robin,” making The headmistress
reach for the phone to confront their mother, Eleanor. She demanded to know
who this Robin was and why he was leading the child astray.

As luck would have it, Robin was visiting the Lawrence estate, right across the
street from the playground, when the call came through. Overhearing The
headmistress’ accusations, he snatched the phone from Eleanor, fuming as he
defended himself in a heated

exchange.

The conversation took a turn when The headmistress mentioned Damian's new
status as the “big brother’ of the schoolyard, even orchestrating brawls with
children from the neighboring kindergarten. It was then that Robin fell silent,
realizing that perhaps he had indeed played a role in the boy's behavior.

After Katharine’s wedding, Robin had returned stateside, never straying far from
his residence opposite the Lawrence's grand home. On occasion, he'd swagger
around the neighborhood with Damian in tow, exuding an air of authority, but he'd
never encouraged, the boy to engage in actual fights.

Regardless, Eleanor banned him from contact with Damian, stripping him of all
visitation rights. This left Robin no choice but to intercept Damian en route to
school, desperate to clear his name of teaching any “fighting skills.”

Standing defiantly on the sidewalk, Damian looked up at Robin and said, “Sorry,
Mr. Bran, I didn’t want to go to school or get beat up, so I had to say it was you.”
Mr. Bran and

Damian had christened Robin and his brother Elbert with nicknames

Mr.Leslie, respectively. At first, the brothers thought it was a sign of affection,
boasting about it to their father, Bernard. It wasn’t until Bernard's dismissive
sneer that Robin realized the cruel joke-their nicknames meant brainless muscles
to Damian.’

Staring at Damian's retreating figure, Robin was livid. “Ingrate!” he muttered. “I
take the fall for you, and this is the thanks I get? Next time see you, it'll be the
last!”

From the safety of his mother’s car, Damian cracked a sly smile and waved
goodbye through the window. “Bye, Mr. Bran...”

The tales of Damian's bullying spread through the Lawrence, Pine, and Sharp
families, with each adult taking turns trying to set him straight and leaving
exasperated.

1/2

00.52

Only Mr. Peterson seemed to have an influence on Damian. When Eleanor
invited him to stay with them and mentor the boy, he agreed. Under his guidance,
Damian's behavior improved, following Peterson like a shadow.

But the calm was deceptive. One day, Damian sneaked into Peterson's room and
took his handgun. In the garden, he aimed and fired at a cluster of cherry
blossoms, mimicking mobsters from the movies. Peterson, followed by a terrified
Eleanor, discovered the

scene too late.

Standing tall, Damian turned to Peterson and asked, “Uncle Pete, how's my
aim?”

Peterson realized the boy's attachment was not to him but to the gun at his side.
His hopes of leading Damian on the right path were dashed with this revelation.
Bernard, upon hearing of his son’s mischief, left his corporate meeting to deal
with the matter personally. Unlike Peterson, Robin, and Elbert, who indulged the
child's whims, Bernard was firm. At home, he stripped Damian down and
disciplined him with a severity that brought tears and cries for his mother.
Eleanor didn't intervene, knowing that a mother’s leniency could spoil a child.
Damian, sensing even his mother’s support had limits, stopped resisting and
accepted his punishment, though his tear-filled eyes still simmered with defiance.
Bernard's tough love worked. Damian's bad habits vanished, but so did his
spirited demeanor. He became reclusive, burying himself in books and barely
speaking to anyone except Eleanor. Even Bernard received only cold
indifference. This silence lasted for two

years...