Side Chick Era... Over

Loving Mom 4

Theo curled his lip. “My lactose intolerance is much better now. The doctor said it’s fine if I eat a little now and then. But Mom always wants to control me—make me do what she says.”

That word—control—coming from a five-year-old’s mouth, felt too heavy, too strange.

Carter was just about to respond when his phone rang.

He answered, and Kelly’s voice came through from the other end.

“Carter, are you home now?”

“Yes.”

“Sharon hasn’t come back yet, has she?”

He paused for a moment. “Why?”

“I think I just saw her…” Kelly’s voice hesitated. “She was having dinner with a young man. They seemed… close.”

She fell silent for a beat, then carefully asked, “Is it because of what happened earlier today? Did something upset her again? Carter, maybe you should explain things to her properly.”

A chill slipped into Carter’s eyes.

Sharon didn’t come home to cook—because she was out on a date?

His voice turned colder without him realizing it. “Where is she?”

Kelly gave him an address.

“I got it,” he said, and hung up.

…

In the restaurant, John Westin looked at Sharon steadily.

“Have you really made up your mind?”

She nodded. “Shaluna was something my mother custom made just for me… and I gave it up for my family, for five whole years.”

Her voice trailed off as she let out a quiet sigh. A hint of wistfulness flickered across her face.

low. “If you return, you’ll have to perform regularly. It’ll be exhausting. You won’t have much time left—for your husband,

trace of irony flashed in her eyes. “Besides, he doesn’t need

John asked. “Will

mention of Carter, her gaze

his permission.

“But

don’t need

as she recalled how she’d once distanced herself from John—just because of something Carter had

murmured,

to me. It’s me who should be sorry. I promised your mother I’d protect you. But I didn’t have the strength to keep that

had studied violin together under her mother since childhood. Now, John was one

classical music world,

couldn’t compare to someone

Sharon said

get to

from behind. “Sharon, what a surprise to see

see Kelly, dressed in a

she disliked—twice in one day—what rotten

turned cold. “What’s

be upset, Sharon. I just found it strange—Carter rarely goes home, and yet you’re

tone was light, face gentle—an image of innocence

suddenly seemed sharp, callous,

the taunt beneath Kelly’s

lifted her eyes—and saw the flicker of smugness

Isn’t it because his time is

spread across Kelly’s face. She grabbed Sharon’s hand,

wait, I didn’t mean it

away. “If you’re not pretending, then you really don’t know your place. And women with

Suddenly, Kelly let out a

a tall figure caught

“Kelly, are you okay?”

was, her eyes immediately brimmed with tears, as if she had suffered some

Sharon didn’t mean to. Please don’t be mad at her,

gaze flicked, finally locking on

drew together, voice

“Sharon, apologize to Kelly.”