Chapter 286: Chapter 286: Jasmine and I Are Children Without a Father

Renee Jennings sat at her vanity, blinking as she looked at her reflection in the mirror.

After about ten minutes, she sent a voice message to Sylvia Brooks. "Summer, just get back to me whenever it’s convenient. It doesn’t make a difference on my end."

After sending the message, Renee Jennings searched on "Little Orange Book" for places suitable for kids to play.

There was a campsite about ten kilometers away. The site had a large children’s playground with a colorful slide, a dreamy carousel, a challenging climbing net and rock-climbing wall, swings, a sandbox, and a shallow wading pool... all sorts of attractions that kids couldn’t resist.

There was also a bustling flea market, filled with a dazzling array of toys and snacks.

Renee Jennings made up her mind. They would go there.

The place was perfect for a family outing. When the adults got tired from watching the kids, they could rest and have tea under a tent.

She contacted the campsite manager that night to reserve a spot, then sent a screenshot to the family group chat: [We’re going here for Children’s Day tomorrow~~~]

「The next day.」

When Renee Jennings woke up, she saw that Rhea Dempsey had already packed numerous bags, big and small.

"Mom, what are you doing? Are we moving?"

Rhea Dempsey pointed to the bags she’d prepared and explained, "This bag has Zane’s and Jasmine’s clothes, this one has snacks, and this one has cut fruit..."

"What about that one?" Renee Jennings glanced at the tote bag closest to Rhea Dempsey.

Rhea Dempsey gave a rare, shy smile. "These are my clothes. That place is so beautiful, I have to have your dad take lots of pictures of me, right?"

"Makes sense," Renee Jennings agreed with a nod.

Blueberry had found out early that morning about the Children’s Day outing and was determined to go. The moment it saw Renee Jennings get up, it leaped nimbly onto her shoulder. Its little paws began to knead her shoulder trying to curry favor, its fluffy tail wagging gently.

"Renee, does that feel good?"

Renee Jennings glanced sideways at the cat, raising an eyebrow slightly. "You have something you want to ask me, don’t you?"

"Hehe, can I celebrate Children’s Day too?" Blueberry asked, its round cat eyes looking at her expectantly.

"Hang on, let me see if they allow small animals." Renee Jennings took out her phone to ask the campsite manager.

Blueberry waited on the side, a hint of nervousness on its small, fluffy face.

"They allow cats and small dogs." Renee Jennings reached up to rub its head and smiled. "There, you can go. No need to look so serious."

"That’s great!" Blueberry meowed joyfully. "Can we bring Cici along too?"

"Of course," Renee Jennings said with a smile. "We’ll bring Pudding, too."

At the mention of Pudding, Blueberry let out a flat "meow" and leaped nimbly to the floor.

The dogs were left at home to guard the house. Renee Jennings and the others set off for the campsite in the two new cars they had just bought a few days ago, bringing the family’s three cats with them.

Zane and Jasmine were excited the entire way, the light dancing in their eyes brighter and more dazzling than the sunlight outside the car window.

The moment they stepped into the campsite, the two little ones were dumbstruck.

"Wow, it’s a Rainbow Slide! And there’s a sparkling carousel over there!"

"Yeah! And the rock-climbing wall I’ve always wanted to try..."

Renee Jennings hadn’t realized Zane had always wanted to try rock climbing.

’Why didn’t he say so if he wanted to try it?’

Renee Jennings didn’t ask the question out loud. She walked over to them and said with a smile, "So, are we going to play together now, or split up?"

Jasmine tilted her little head, blinking her bright eyes, and said in a soft voice, "I’ll do whatever my brother wants!"

"Together!" Zane declared. "Let’s do what my sister likes first!"

Renee Jennings patted his head. "Okay."

Renee Jennings and Diana Jennings took the two children to play first, while Rhea Dempsey and Dalton Jenson took the three cats to the reserved tent to have some tea.

Blueberry and Pudding didn’t get along, leaving Cici caught awkwardly in the middle, so Cici just stuck close to Rhea Dempsey the whole time.

**

Zane and Jasmine were soon sweating from all the playing, so Renee Jennings and Diana Jennings took them to change into a clean set of clothes.

Coming out of the changing room, Zane looked up and said, "Mom, Auntie, I need to go to the bathroom."

After telling the adults, he walked into the men’s restroom by himself.

After waiting for a while, Diana Jennings couldn’t help but murmur, "Why is Zane taking so long?"

"Yeah." Renee Jennings glanced at the time on her phone. "He’s been in there for seven or eight minutes. Should we have Dad go check on him?"

"Mom, I saw Zoe Archer!" Jasmine suddenly pointed toward the entrance of the men’s restroom.

Zoe Archer was one of Zane and Jasmine’s classmates from kindergarten. Worried about Zane, Diana Jennings responded distractedly before saying to Renee Jennings, "Let’s have Dad come check."

"Okay." Renee Jennings called Dalton Jenson, who immediately ran over.

"I’ll go take a look." Dalton Jenson said before running straight into the men’s restroom.

The sight that met him was horrifying. "Zane, what happened?"

The little boy stood by the sink, his small, porcelain-white face now covered in tear tracks and scratches that were beginning to bleed.

Dalton Jenson pulled the child into his arms, his face filled with heartache. "Tell Grandpa what happened. Who bullied you?"

"Grandpa..." Zane clutched the corner of his grandfather’s shirt, his tear-soaked eyelashes trembling. His voice was choked with sobs, full of helplessness and confusion. "Grandpa, why do all the other kids have dads, but Jasmine and I don’t?"

"Well..." Dalton Jenson didn’t know how to answer that question. He glanced at the people around them and said worriedly, "Zane, first, tell Grandpa who scratched your face."

Zane sobbed pitifully. "It was Zoe Archer. He made fun of me. He said Jasmine and I are kids with no dad..."

"Where is he?" Dalton Jenson asked, suppressing the rage in his heart.

Zane shook his head, dejected. "He and his dad already left."

"Let’s go outside first." Dalton Jenson said, carrying the small boy out of the men’s restroom.

Seeing the scratches and tear stains on her son’s face, Diana Jennings’s eyes instantly welled up. Her heart felt as if it were being squeezed by an invisible hand, the pain making it hard for her to breathe.

"Zane, does it hurt?" she asked, cupping his face to examine it carefully.

When Jasmine saw her brother was hurt, she started to cry sadly. "Brother must be in so much pain..."

Renee Jennings’s eyes were filled with worry, her expression grave. "Zane, are you hurt anywhere else on your body?"

"Yes, are you hurt anywhere else?" Diana Jennings quickly asked.

Zane lowered his head and whimpered, "Mom, why don’t Jasmine and I have a dad... All the other kids laugh at us for being kids with no dad..."

"Yeah," Jasmine added between sobs. "The kids at kindergarten always say my brother and I are ’weeds without a dad’."

Tears instantly streamed from Diana Jennings’s eyes, hot drops splashing onto the back of her hand. Her voice trembled. "I’m sorry. It’s Mommy’s fault. It’s all Mommy’s fault..."

Renee Jennings pressed her lips into a thin line, her gaze darkening. A wave of bitterness and self-reproach washed over her.

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