Chapter 12: What Went Wrong

Roxanne found Estella curled in a corner, knees drawn up, her eyes vacant, like a soulless doll. Remembering Estella's usual bright, welcoming smile, Roxanne felt a wrenching pain, a suffocating grief. This morning, Estella had been playful, her eyes twinkling as she tugged at Roxanne's skirt; this sudden, pitiful state was unexpected.

Roxanne tiptoed in, squatting beside her. In a soft voice, she said, "Essie, I'm here."

Estella didn't respond. Roxanne was startled by her condition.

From behind, James whispered, "Ms. Jarvis, Estella is completely withdrawn. Keep talking to her; try to draw her back to reality. Be patient."

Roxanne calmed herself and nodded. She began again, "Essie, look who's here! Archie and Benny are here! They're all here!"

Archie and Benny approached. Benny made faces at Estella. "I'm here to see you! Don't cry!"

Archie frowned, gazing at Estella's eyes. "You can just rest for a little while, okay? We're waiting to play. Want to join us?"

Estella used to laugh at this, but now she remained motionless, not even lifting a finger.

Benny's smile faded, replaced by a frown. "Hey, we're talking to you. Are you unhappy about school? Archie and I are starting soon. We can go anywhere you want, do anything together! Doesn't that sound nice?"

Archie, looking sullen, threatened, "If you don't talk to us, we won't play with you anymore!"

Still, Estella didn't respond.

Archie and Benny took a deep breath and changed tactics. Instead of expecting a reply, they chattered incessantly about various things, even mentioning Universe Park and promising to take her there when she recovered.

Despite their efforts, Estella didn't even blink. Their eyes welled up, and they wiped their tears on Roxanne's sleeve. "Mommy, Essie can't hear us. What should we do?" Their voices trembled.

Roxanne's eyes were also slightly red, but she remained composed, patting their heads. "Essie will get better. Why don't you two take a break? I'll talk to her."

Fighting back tears, Archie and Benny quietly retreated behind Roxanne.

Roxanne gently picked up Estella and held her. She talked about everything, regardless of whether Estella could hear her. Estella remained like a doll, passively accepting Roxanne's attention.

The scene tugged at Lucian's heart. He was even more convinced Roxanne didn't know Estella was her daughter. Otherwise, given Roxanne's supposed abandonment of her child, she wouldn't treat Estella so kindly.

What went wrong?