Page 49 of The Defiant Wife

"Traitor."

She laughs.

I glare at her.Mostly because she's right.

A little while later I spot my target.Veeraj stands near the storage room reviewing some documents while Raj sits beside him drawing something that appears to be a dinosaur riding a tractor.

I don't ask questions anymore.I've learned my lesson.Children exist on a different plane of reality.Veeraj notices me approaching. His eyebrows furrow in suspicion immediately. Good.He should be.I stop in front of him.

He lowers the file andI smile at him, as sweetly as possible.His eyes narrow.Excellent.We're making progress.

"I need your help."

"What?"

"I need your help."

He's silent for a moment as if he didn't understand what I meant and then sighs, his gaze shifts toward the ceiling brieflyas if he's preparing himself emotionally.

"I heard you the first time."

"Then why aren't you helping?"

"You haven't told me what you need."

I smile wider.Dangerously wider.His expression somehow becomes even more cautious."I need you to organize the donation room."

His face muscles don't move a little. I am one step away from assuming they don't work at all.

"That's it?"His eyebrow rises slightly.

I frown. "Should there be more?You're not going to complain?"

"No."

"Question it?"

"No."

"Argue?"

"No."

My eye twitches.This man is ruining everything.I spent ten whole minutes coming up with this task.The donation room is a disaster. It has been for a while. None of the staff, me or Mani have any motivation or will to work on it.

Boxes everywhere. Clothes. Books. Toys. School supplies. Nothing organized.

It will take hours.Hours.And yet all he does is close the file and nod once."Okay."

That's it.Okay. Who responds like that?

We stare at each other, more like him unbothered while I am glaring at him.The silence stretches.

Finally he gestures toward the hallway. "The donation room?"

"Yes."

He starts walking. Just like that. No suffering. No irritation. No dramatic sighs. Nothing.