Side Chick Era... Over

Loving Mom 3

When Wendy saw Carter and Kelly, her brows drew together instinctively, and a flicker of deep disgust surfaced in her eyes.

Her voice was cold. “Shaluna is not for sale.”

Kelly’s brow twitched ever so slightly, her gaze quickly shifting to the woman standing beside Wendy—Sharon.

Compared to Kelly’s delicate charm, the kind you’d find in a dainty porcelain figure, Sharon had a quiet grace, a poised elegance. Her face was a perfect oval, her features soft yet defined. Her eyes, limpid and calm, seemed to hold a ripple of water. She looked just like a classical beauty walking straight out of an ancient painting.

The moment Kelly laid eyes on her, something flickered in her gaze.

She walked quickly toward Sharon and stopped in front of her, her expression tinged with a pleading softness.

“Sharon,” she said gently, “is this violin your friend’s? Could you ask your friend to lend it to me for a little while? Back then, Carter and I met because of the violin. I was practicing in the garden, and he was drawn to my music. That’s how he found me… and how we got together. He always loved hearing me play.

“Sharon, I don’t know how much time I have left. I don’t even know if I can still hold a successful concert. But no matter what, I want to try—just one more time.”

Whether intentional or not, Kelly lowered her head slightly, revealing the familiar necklace on her neck.

The overhead lights caught the pendant, scattering soft brilliance.

The gleam stabbed into Sharon’s eyes.

Her voice was emotionless. “People die every day in this world. So what—just because someone with a terminal illness appears in front of me, I’m supposed to accommodate them?”

Kelly had clearly never heard such words before. Her eyes reddened instantly, tears pooling, trembling on the edge.

Carter’s expression turned cold. “Sharon, it’s just a violin. Must you be so aggressive? If you like it that much, I’ll buy you another.”

Sharon looked at him. “Exactly. It’s just a violin. If she wants one, buy her another. Why does it have to be mine?”

Kelly pleaded softly beside them. “Sharon, what would it take for you to let me borrow it? Whatever conditions you have, just name them.”

Name her price? As if the bill wouldn’t end up on Carter’s desk in the end?

of things left

don’t quite understand what you

her feign innocence, Sharon sneered

mother’s. And that necklace around your neck, that too

pale. “I’m sorry. I really didn’t know it belonged to your mother… Last night, Theo gave me a gift box with the necklace inside. I thought it was a gift from Carter, so I wore it. I didn’t realize it was your

now that you do—can

collarbone, bit her lip,

have the necklace? We shouldn’t upset her

Let her have it?

return it—let her

if the necklace was originally her mother’s, it wasn’t hers to begin with. As if Kelly were

talk of divorce was just a ploy to threaten him. He hadn’t liked that. Now, as he heard Kelly’s words, his expression

“Since I

“But…” Kelly started.

“Once something’s given away, there’s

trace of emotion stirred

instinctively curled her fingers

something

want to borrow the violin? Sure. If Mr. Biggs

pupils widened. She

darkened to

he said coldly,

I thought Mr. Biggs would do anything for you, Kelly. But

once believed Carter

she realized: the things he sacrificed were always the

Like her.

that, Sharon felt nothing anymore. Not disappointment. Not anger. Just…

to the shop manager, who’d

said, “the authorization for this violin expires today. Please remove it from

manager glanced

As the owner, do I not even have the right to take my own