Side Chick Era... Over

Loving Mom 337

Theo’s voice faltered, his mind flashing back to that recent talent how competition the one where his mom, together with that awful Matty he hated, had taken first place.

Matty’s words pierced something in him and not just him. Kelly simile flickered, her lips tightening ever so slightly as a cold glint briefly crossed her eyes.

Losing to Sharon had always been her greatest humiliation.

But soon enough, Kelly pulled her smile back into place like slipping on a mask.

“Well, since it’s a parent–child event,” she said lightly, “If Sharon wants to accompany Theo, I’m happy to step aside.” respond, Theo huffed, lips curling in disain. “Kelly, there’s no way Mom knows any foreign

Before Sharon could even w

languages!”

Wendy couldn’t hold back anymore. “Theo, who told you your mom doesn’t speak any foreign languages? Her skills are actually excellent.”

A Bell University student, after all, had to be. It was an international conservatory filled with musicians from every corner of the world, with every language imaginable floating through its halls. If you couldn’t handle foreign languages, you couldn’t even survive your courses, let alone excel.

and Sharon, with her exceptional musical talent, had spent years attending global masterclasses and exchange programs. Mastering multiple languages–mainstream and obscure- was as routine to her as

her and Wendy, it wasn’t even worth boasting about. It was simply…

for Mom. She never even went to college. How could

blinked. “Says who she didn’t

“Grandma said so.”

temples, visibly exasperated. “Theo, you shouldn’t believe everything

laugh, as if she couldn’t hold

I get wanting a child to admire his mother–to paint her as strong, brilliant, admirable. A little exaggeration here

gaze sweeping Kelly from head to toe, laced with undisguised scorn. “Jealous of you? Honey,

like someone who’d already seen the

gentle again. “Theo, how about this? Let Sharon accompany you to the

how cold his mom had been

want to

get the cup back from Kelly to give it to his mom, and she had