Side Chick Era... Over

Loving Mom 332

What was so great about Matty anyway? He was just a little drama ing who only knew how to play the victim.

Jealousy burned in Theo’s chest. He wanted so badly to tip off Matty’s fake task and expose him right here, right now–to make his mom see that this kid was nowhere near as innocent as she thought.

But after sucking in a sharp breath, he held back.

He’d fallen for Matty’s tricks too many times before. He knew better now. Without proof, no one would believe him.

And besides… that wasn’t why he

Theo had more important things

here today.

do

His sudden appearance forced Wendy to swallow back the things she’d been itching to say about Carter. The conversation drifted into empty small talk to fill the silence.

Throughout the meal, Matty chattered nonstop, sharing stories and little jokes. For someone so young, he had a sharp tongue, witty enough to keep everyone laughing.

Sharon never once looked at Theo, But Wendy didn’t ignore him. She occasionally asked how school was going, whether anything interesting had happened lately.

Theo, for his part, wore the polished manners of a child raised under strict discipline–polite, well–spoken, perfectly put together for anyone outside the family.

Wendy looked at that face, the carbon copy of Carter’s, and sighed quietly.

No one understood better than her how much Sharon had loved Theo.

Sharon would’ve never endured Kelly for so long, wouldn’t

mind. “So,

his grip on his backpack, voice lowering. “I… I

finally lifted her

forward,

What

Theo’s face. He looked up, and for the first time since arriving, his eyes met

deep

cared. She still looked

if he lowered his head just a little… she

gave him a fragile, desperate

backpack and pulled out a cup. His voice grew stiff, awkward. “This… was supposed to be your birthday present. I… I

act of lowering himself, of trying to make amends. Shame twisted in his chest, but he

smaller. “I… I made

version of surrender. His way of saying sorry without

1/2

Chapter 332

420 BONUS

enough

But not this time.

at the cup in his hands. Seconds dragged out, then tonutes. She didn’t

reach for

Theo hadn’t expected this.

him, draining the color from