A Second Chance at Forever

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.
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...