Side Chick Era... Over

Loving Mom 72

Chapter 72

The righteous indignation that had filled the room came to a sudden halt, all eyes turning toward Xavier.

A faint, careless curve played at the corner of Xavier’s lips.

“Is that how it works?” he said. “You believe anything someone says? If I told you this young lady here has made a habit of

wrecking other people’s relationships, that she’s not sick at all and only playing the sympathy card-would you believe that too?

”

People looked at one another, suddenly unsure, silence creeping into the space where their outrage had been.

Xavier continued, unhurried, “If you don’t know the full story, maybe don’t echo what everyone else is saying. Just because someone looks weak, doesn’t mean they’re right. And the ones you see as weak… might not be so weak after all.”

A faint smile tugged at his lips, ambiguous and unreadable. “Funny, isn’t it? I’ve never seen someone so ‘helpless’ stir up a crowd with just a few tearful sentences.”

was immediate. Expressions changed.

stepped forward. “Mr. Cooper, you’ve misunderstood. I wasn’t trying

reach his eyes. “No rush, Kelly. I was only giving an example.

never said she had the

of stock. Maybe there’s some other reason. All this crying…” He raised his brows slightly. “If someone heard without context, they’d think you were pleading for

slightly. Whispers

I thought she was refusing to give it

explain, and that girl started crying like

her. It’s that woman’s mother-in-law. Why’s she so worked up?

brows furrowed slightly. His dark, unreadable gaze slowly

her expression

“Carter, I didn’t mean anything bad. I just wanted to help you. I know

at her lips. “You should talk to

slender frame moving away with quiet resolve. There was something about her back-small, lonely-that tugged

noticed when the rain outside had

beat against the restaurant’s