Promise to Punish My Ridiculous Family Rael sighed , a soft , helpless smile on her face . “ Why do you think ? They miss their parents . It happens all the time . If one starts crying , the rest will follow . They’re all orphans , some abandoned more than once . They cry constantly , day and night . Just now , I had to comfort a few , or the entire room would’ve been full of wailing children . Wendy’s body shuddered , her eyes widening with disbelief . “ They … They cry ? ” “ Of course they do , ” Rael replied , her tone heavy with resignation . “ When one breaks down , the others join in . The sound is heartbreaking , enough to make anyone tear up . The teachers and volunteers often say they can’t bear hearing it . But what can we do ? They’re just longing for their parents , for their families . Children without parents are like leaves , drifting with no roots to hold them down . Wendy trembled upon hearing that . Suddenly , a commotion broke out in the next room . The children had started fighting . Rael glanced over and sighed . “ They’re at it again , probably over that doll . It’s worn out , but it was a gift from one of the girls ‘ mothers . She holds onto it like a lifeline and can’t sleep without it . But the other kids love to snatch it from her .” “ I … ” Wendy stared at the scene unfolding just a few feet away , her eyes wide in disbelief . “ You’re related to Joshua , aren’t you ? ” Rael asked , watching Wendy closely . “ Joshua was a sweet kid . He helped the others a lot . But he cried often , especially at night . He was scared of the dark and would hide in corners and sob . As soon as the sun set , he’d refuse to go back to his room . He never felt safe . Now that he’s with his family , I’m sure he’s happy .” Wendy didn’t say a word . She couldn’t . Somehow , she made it back to her car , but her breathing was shallow , almost suffocating . Every hair on her body stood on end , and she was horrified . She felt as if she was in a daze , For years , Wendy had handled her family’s business and dealt with all kinds of challenges . But this – this was something she had never encountered . Rael had said Joshua was afraid of the dark , insecure , and often cried alone . It made sense – most kids in orphanages were sensitive , timid , and fragile . When Joshua first came to the Frasers , he was exactly like that . It had made his parents dislike him even But sneaking into their room and sleeping in their bed … Wendy still couldn’t wrap her head around it . She had dismissed the thought before , assuming she was overthinking . But now , tears welled up in her eyes , spilling uncontrollably . The truth was , Wendy had known Joshua had been sneaking into their mother’s room . At the time , it hadn’t seemed significant , and she hadn’t paid much attention to it . But now , reflecting on it , the realization hit her hard , like a vice squeezing her heart . Maybe all Joshua had wanted was just a little bit of security . That was all . Whether he snuck into his mother’s room or took her clothes , it wasn’t out of malice . He had been searching for a scrap of comfort . Maybe his mother’s clothes smelled like her , offering him the same security the children in the orphanage fought over a raggedy doll for . In all of Wendy’s memories , she couldn’t recall ever seeing Maggie or David hug Joshua – not even once . The reason he could only sneak in , instead of walking in openly , was because his family didn’t truly acknowledge him . Even his own mother , Maggie , didn’t want to touch him . Tears clouded Wendy’s vision as she replayed the past in her mind . She couldn’t say for sure if her suspicions were entirely accurate , but everything she had witnessed over the past four years seemed to point in that direction . She didn’t even know how she managed to get back to the Frasers ‘ house . She drove aimlessly , returning to the Fraser Residence in a daze . Memories of the past four years flooded her thoughts , and tears continued to stream down her face . Inside , her parents were still in the living room , watching TV . Shirley , Judy , and Indy were nowhere to be seen – only Maddy remained . “ Wendy , where have you been ? ” Maggie asked in surprise , noticing the strange look on Wendy’s face as she walked in , dazed and distant . 7:16 pm 444 . Promise to Punish My Ridiculous Family