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.

wrong. Why should

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

today, she

without thinking, “But I

Instead,

pushed her… does

you said

we shouldn’t bully others. But that doesn’t mean we should let others bully us. If someone keeps crossing the line, then—you shouldn’t hold

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

from the side. “Theo,

and Theo turned toward the sound, surprised. As if they had only now noticed John standing

Theo blinked. “Mr. Westin?”

“Why are you

someone Carter

told him that John had grown up without

he had lost even them,

time Sharon’s mother discovered his musical talent and took him under

Sharon three years to get through

yet, for reasons Carter couldn’t explain, he’d disliked this man from

meet your ex-girlfriend, but it’s strange that Sharon has a meal with someone who’s like family to

flat, but every word carried weight, each one slicing

stripped away Carter and Kelly’s

eyes darkened, and his face hardened. “Sharon, come

without emotion, “No.

“Sharon, I’ll say it one

knew this tone well — it meant he was furious. If she

action.

She had knelt at his feet, soaked and shivering, begging him with tears streaming down her face to return Theo to

cold and arrogant, and asked, “Do

had echoed against the ground like rain, and in the end, she could only agree to

way of forcing