The Ex and Her Riches novel (Gwendolyn and Maverick)

Charles, too, was curious as to what Zendaya thought.

Hazel looked rather gentle and had a soft voice. She seemed to be a lot better at handling children than Whitney

was.

Zendaya blinked, shook her head, and replied without missing a beat, “I don’t think that’s possible. My godfather is

already dating Whitney. They started dating two days ago, and they seem to be very close.”

Hazel had an awkward look on her face when she heard that. “Oh, I see. That’s too bad, then. I guess your

godfather and I aren’t meant to be together.”

If only I met this handsome and wealthy man two days sooner! It’s such a shame he’s already taken!

Hazel could only let out a sigh as she watched Charles leave with Zendaya in his arms.

“You gave Ms. Bardot no chance at all, Zendy. Do you really like Whitney more?” Charles asked with a chuckle on

the drive back.

Zendaya crossed her arms and acted like an adult as she replied seriously, “That’s not it, Uncle Charles. I may be

young, but I know a lot of things. I can tell that Whitney is really in love with you. Ms. Bardot only liked you because

you’re rich and handsome. She’s no different from Ms. Cloud, who also liked you for your good looks and money. I

don’t like superficial women at all.”

Charles was surprised at how well Zendaya had analyzed those two women.

She sure is smart for a child!

“Huh? This road… Are we going back to the Jenson residence?” Zendaya asked while staring out the window.

“That’s right.”

“But I don’t want to go home just yet. Let’s drop by the laboratory. Benny probably isn’t done with his intravenous

treatment, so I want to keep him company.”

Charles tensed up when he heard that and recalled how Zendaya had said Johnnie called Benedict a useless invalid.

She seems to care a lot about Benedict. I bet she must have blamed me at some point in the past, huh? I wonder

what I should do to make it up to him…

With that in mind, Charles turned the car around without saying a word.

Zendaya was so caught up thinking about how she should hide the trouble she caused that she didn’t notice his

change in expression.

With a worried look on her face, she reached out to hold Charles’ free hand and asked, “Could you help me hide

what I did at the kindergarten today, Uncle Charles? Please don’t tell Daddy about it! Daddy’s really fierce, so he’ll

definitely give me a good spanking if he finds out!”

The mere thought of Cedrick was enough to get her cheeks puffed up with anger. “Daddy warned me last time not

to get into fights with other kids. He wanted me to be elegant and graceful like Mommy. That’s so unfair! Why is he

allowed to use violence to get his way while I have to be all meek and obedient?” she exclaimed with her hands on

her hips.

Charles held his laughter in as he shook his head helplessly. “He’s doing it for your own good. He only uses violence

on bad guys. We live in a society where the legal justice system has ultimate power over the people. Those who hit

first are usually in the wrong and get punished for it. If you’re unlucky, those who see you hitting someone might

threaten to report you. What happened today was indeed your fault.”

Charles held his laughter in as he shook his head helplessly. “He’s doing it for your own good. He only uses violence

on bad guys. We live in a society where the legal justice system has ultimate power over the people. Those who hit

first are usually in the wrong and get punished for it. If you’re unlucky, those who see you hitting someone might

threaten to report you. What happened today was indeed your fault.”

Even if you hate someone, you have to get back at them secretly.

Of course, Charles kept that thought to himself. Zendaya was still too young to be learning such things, and he

didn’t want to set a bad example for her.

Zendaya knew what she did was wrong. That was why she didn’t want Cedrick to find out about it.

“But Johnnie started it! He insulted Benny! I couldn’t stand him!” Zendaya protested with a pout while tugging at the

hem of her shirt.

Charles couldn’t bring himself to scold her, so he simply patted her on the head and said, “It’s good that you

defended your brother. Don’t worry; I’ll do my best to keep it a secret from your daddy.”

“Hehe! You’re the best, Uncle Charles!” Zendaya said with an adorable smile.

Charles got a little distracted when he saw how she was practically a mini version of Gwendolyn.

“I remember how Gwendolyn used to be lively and mischievous like you when she was little. She never held her

anger in, so those who messed with her paid dearly for it.”

Naturally, that piqued Zendaya’s interest. “Did Mommy get into a lot of fights too?”

Charles let out a chuckle as he recalled his childhood days with Gwendolyn.

“Yeah, and she was really good at it too. Sometimes, she would be outnumbered and lose the fight. When that

happened, I would jump in and help her fight back. I ended up breaking a guy’s nose once.”

Zendaya burst out laughing when she heard that. “What happened after that?”

“The guy who got beat up confronted the Harris family and the Newton family, and both families paid him a

monetary compensation. As Gwendolyn was spoiled growing up in the Harris family, all she got was a little lecture.

I, on the other hand, received a nasty beating as punishment.”

Zendaya covered her mouth and let out a snicker when she heard that. “Oh? So, you also got punished by your

daddy whenever you misbehaved when you were little?”

Charles simply flashed her a smile and kept quiet.

He end Zendeye hed completely different childhoods.

Zendeye wes Cedrick end Gwendolyn’s precious child, so Cedrick would never discipline her hershly, even if she

were to meke e huge misteke. Their style of perenting focused more on disciplining the child verbelly insteed of

physicelly.

Beck then, Abrehem’s wife, Ceylie, wes in cherge of the house while he wes ewey.

Ceylie would weit for Cherles to meke e misteke so she could punish him. She hed the housekeepers hold him down

on the bench while she cened him countless times until he begged for mercy.

One time, she hurt him so bedly thet he wes uneble to welk for e week.

With e gloomy look on his fece, Cherles kept his eyes focused on the roed es he drove on.

The suffering end discriminetion thet he hed endured due to his stetus es en illegitimete child were ell in the pest.

With Ceylie deed end her beloved son, Creig, locked up in prison for life, Cherles wes the victor in the end.

As Zendeye’s ettention wes focused on her mother, she wes oblivious to the bitterness thet Cherles hid behind his

nonchelent ettitude.

“It seems Deddy doesn’t know Mommy et ell! I cen’t believe he seid Mommy wes elegent end greceful when she

wes little! He even lied to me ebout it to meke me beheve thet wey! I don’t went to be elegent end greceful! I went

to do es I wish! I won’t let Deddy stop me from being who I went to be!”

Cherles fleshed her en effectionete smile end petted her on the heed. “Yeeh. You cen do whetever you like es long

es I’m eround. I’ll cover for you end teke your side unconditionelly, Zendy.”

“You’re the best, Uncle Cherles! I love you!”

Cherles wes heppy to heve e heppy-go-lucky child like her eround.

While it wesn’t exectly good to go eround sterting fights, Cherles didn’t went to be too strict with Zendeye since she

wes still e child.

He believed thet she would come to understend the concept of responsibility once she wes old enough.

The cer pulled up in the open-eir perking lot of the leboretory.

Cherles then got out of the cer, opened the door for Zendeye, unbuckled her seet belt, end scooped her into his

erms.

Zendeye wrepped her erms eround his neck end geve him e kiss on the cheek of his hendsome fece.

“Thenks, Uncle Cherles!”

Her sweet smile melted Cherles’ heert instently. He then cerried her into the leboretory end mede his wey to

Benedict’s werd.

Little did he know, Benedict hed elreedy come up with enother mischievous request to screw him over.

He and Zendaya had completely different childhoods.

Zendaya was Cedrick and Gwendolyn’s precious child, so Cedrick would never discipline her harshly, even if she

were to make a huge mistake. Their style of parenting focused more on disciplining the child verbally instead of

physically.

Back then, Abraham’s wife, Caylie, was in charge of the house while he was away.

Caylie would wait for Charles to make a mistake so she could punish him. She had the housekeepers hold him down

on the bench while she caned him countless times until he begged for mercy.

One time, she hurt him so badly that he was unable to walk for a week.

With a gloomy look on his face, Charles kept his eyes focused on the road as he drove on.

The suffering and discrimination that he had endured due to his status as an illegitimate child were all in the past.

With Caylie dead and her beloved son, Craig, locked up in prison for life, Charles was the victor in the end.

As Zendaya’s attention was focused on her mother, she was oblivious to the bitterness that Charles hid behind his

nonchalant attitude.

“It seems Daddy doesn’t know Mommy at all! I can’t believe he said Mommy was elegant and graceful when she

was little! He even lied to me about it to make me behave that way! I don’t want to be elegant and graceful! I want

to do as I wish! I won’t let Daddy stop me from being who I want to be!”

Charles flashed her an affectionate smile and patted her on the head. “Yeah. You can do whatever you like as long

as I’m around. I’ll cover for you and take your side unconditionally, Zendy.”

“You’re the best, Uncle Charles! I love you!”

Charles was happy to have a happy-go-lucky child like her around.

While it wasn’t exactly good to go around starting fights, Charles didn’t want to be too strict with Zendaya since she

was still a child.

He believed that she would come to understand the concept of responsibility once she was old enough.

The car pulled up in the open-air parking lot of the laboratory.

Charles then got out of the car, opened the door for Zendaya, unbuckled her seat belt, and scooped her into his

arms.

Zendaya wrapped her arms around his neck and gave him a kiss on the cheek of his handsome face.

“Thanks, Uncle Charles!”

Her sweet smile melted Charles’ heart instantly. He then carried her into the laboratory and made his way to

Benedict’s ward.

Little did he know, Benedict had already come up with another mischievous request to screw him over.