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.

maybe Sharon still

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

started to kneel before

please hit me if you

caught her, stopping

are you doing?” His

your

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

pain in Sharon’s back had only just started to

just like that, her heart-already brittle

stared at the child she had worried over, stayed up all night for, barely daring to sleep in case something

anxious eyes, full of concern

looking at Kelly, brows knit, lips pressed in a hard

if she was hurt.

1/2

i

a silent, bitter laugh. Her eyes began to redden for no reason

She really was

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

any of them again. Without a word, she walked toward the

caught her

came from