Side Chick Era... Over

Loving Mom 5

Sharon turned her head and saw Theo standing behind Carter. Though he was speaking to her, his gaze remained fixed on Kelly, worry written plainly across his face.

Since forever, even the slightest sign of trouble from Kelly would send both Carter and Theo into a frenzy of concern.

There was a time when the four of them went to a park together. No one could tell if it was a heatstroke or some sudden onset of illness, but Kelly suddenly looked as if she were about to collapse. Both Carter and Theo rushed toward her at once.

In his panic, Carter even pushed Sharon to the ground. And yet, no one noticed.

The cruelest part? Later, when Carter saw her injured and bandaged hand, he actually asked her how she’d gotten hurt.

The memory shattered as Kelly’s fragile voice broke into her thoughts. “Theo, I just lost my balance. It had nothing to do with your mother.”

Kelly shook her head at Theo, tears sliding down her cheeks in pitiful silence. “It’s my body… it’s just too weak…”

Theo pouted, lips pushing forward. “But I saw it. I saw Mommy push you.”

He turned to Sharon then, his little face serious. “Mommy, you always told me that when someone makes a mistake, they should admit it and fix it. You’re a grown-up… you wouldn’t go back on your word, would you?”

Sharon had put everything into caring for Theo’s health. But when it came to his studies, she had hardly needed to lift a finger.

At only five years old, Theo was already fluent in three languages and possessed an extraordinary gift for speech. More than once, he had left grown adults speechless.

Carter’s mother often said the boy’s brilliance reminded her of Carter when he was young.

And now, this little boy was using that sharp mind… against her, for Kelly’s sake.

As his mother, as an adult, she knew she had to set the right example. If she couldn’t live by her own words, how could she ask a child to?

Sharon looked at her husband and son, both standing beside Kelly. In that moment, she felt that they looked more like a family than she ever had with them.

She had long since stopped hoping for anything from this father and son, but still, Theo’s words pricked at her heart.

Lowering her gaze to meet his eyes, Sharon said softly, “You’re right. I did tell you that if we do something wrong, we should apologize. But—”

She paused, her voice calm and deliberate.

do anything wrong. Why should I

the past, she would’ve yielded. She always did when

she

“But I saw you

argue. Instead, she

I pushed her… does that mean I

Mom, you said hitting people

that we shouldn’t bully others. But that doesn’t mean we should let others bully us. If someone keeps crossing

five. He hadn’t expected her to say something like that. For a moment, he

“Theo, that’s not how

Carter and Theo turned toward the sound, surprised. As if they had only now

Theo blinked. “Mr. Westin?”

“Why

childhood friend and senior schoolmate — was someone Carter had met many times. He’d heard about him from Sharon,

that John had grown up without parents, raised

had lost even them,

discovered his musical

ignored everyone around him. It took Sharon three

Carter couldn’t explain, he’d disliked this

ex-girlfriend, but it’s strange that Sharon has

weight, each one

Carter and Kelly’s

face

answered without emotion, “No. I’m

voice grew cold, laced with threat. “Sharon, I’ll say it one last time.

this tone well — it meant he was furious. If she didn’t yield now, it wouldn’t end with a

take action. He always

the sky and rain soaked her from head to toe. She had knelt at his feet, soaked and shivering, begging him with tears streaming down her face to

looked down at her, cold and arrogant,

sound of her tears had echoed against the ground like rain, and in the end, she could only agree to apologize

way of forcing