Side Chick Era... Over

Loving Mom 124

Chapter 124

“What’s with all the noise?”

The low, cool voice halted mid-sentence the moment he saw Kelly, scalded and in tears. Carter strode forward, instinctively pushing Sharon aside.

“Kelly, are you okay?”

Sharon hadn’t slept all night. She hadn’t eaten a bite, her mind tied in knots over Theo. She was worn to the edge.

Carter’s shove came too fast-she lost her footing, stumbling back. Her lower back slammed into the edge of the table behind her. Only then did she manage to steady herself.

Kelly’s hand was already blistering from the burn, angry welts rising beneath her skin. 1

This time, she didn’t need to fake it. The pain pulled tears straight from her eyes.

“Carter,” she said, her voice trembling, “I don’t even know what I did to upset Sharon. She just threw the porridge at me…”

It was only then that Carter seemed to notice Sharon, pale-faced from the blow, her expression exhausted and drawn from the night.

He froze for a moment-just one beat-and then his face turned cold.

“Sharon, what kind of madness is this now?”

Sharon’s back throbbed where it had hit the table, a wave of dizziness washing over her. The pain was sharp enough that words got stuck in her throat.

and breaking. “Maybe… maybe Sharon still blames me for yesterday… I’m

in it,” she whispered. “I thought… since Sharon wouldn’t touch anything Theo couldn’t eat… I

she started

if you must. I’ll

her, stopping

what are you doing?” His voice was

it’s not your fault! We didn’t know

over his words. “We ordered the same dessert Mom had. Kelly didn’t pick it on purpose! If Mom hadn’t chosen the nut cake, I wouldn’t

just started to ease when

like that, her heart-already brittle and

stared at the child she had worried over, stayed up all night for, barely

of concern and care. Every bit of his attention was for

to Carter. He was looking at Kelly, brows knit,

if she was hurt. No one

1/2

i

a silent, bitter laugh. Her eyes began to redden

She really was

eyes. When she opened them again, tears still clung to her lashes, but her

at any of them again.

hand caught

came