The Reclaimed Rose (Annalise and Steven)

Chapter 8

At the school gate, my own son repeatedly denied that I was his mother in front of so many parents. Zachary emphasized time and again that Jessica was his mother. Even though my heart was already shattered and bleeding, I still tried to convince myself that he was just a child and didn't understand the consequences of his words. "Zachary, I'll give you one more chance to choose! Take a good look at me, calm down, and think carefully. Who are you choosing between her and me?"

Everyone's eyes were on Zachary. He hid behind Jessica, pressing his forehead against her back. "I choose my mommy, of course!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Jessica cast a strange glance at me, then tried to carry Zachary away. "What a lunatic!"

I certainly couldn't let her leave. I hurried after them to block their way. But someone stood in front of me.

I lost control. "I need to go after my son! You can't stop me!"

A flurry of voices chimed in, all expressing their disdain for me.

"Has the trick of human traffickers evolved to this point?"

"Yeah, look at how anxious she is. If we didn't know better, we'd think she was the kid's mother."

"Exactly!"

"We need to be more careful in the future!"

Their disdainful gazes fell upon me, but I didn't have the energy to respond. I desperately wanted to catch up with Zachary. But no matter how I ran, someone would always block my way. When the police arrived, Jessica had vanished without a trace. Only then did the crowd part in front of me.

Well-meaning bystanders rushed to the police. "Officer, you wouldn't believe how rampant human traffickers have become.

"She came to the kindergarten, trying to snatch the child from his mother. His mother ran away with the kid, and she still tried to go after them. If we hadn't stopped her, she might've really succeeded!" I never imagined that Zachary would actually leave with Jessica right in front of me, especially after I had come to the kindergarten to pick him up.

I stood frozen, dumbfounded.

"Someone reported you as a human trafficker.

catch up, I had

...

officers verified my identity and quickly found out that Steven was my husband and

clearly hadn't anticipated this outcome and immediately

fault." As I talked, tears streamed down my face

child I had poured my heart and soul into raising, had just called

of the officers tried to comfort me. "Kids just

that. They had seen many misbehaving kids, but one like Zachary, who wouldn't even acknowledge his

completely lost and wanted to

stepped forward. "Do

"It's fine. Thank you."

to ask him why didn't the teachers at the kindergarten recognize me but knew Jessica. Steven's company

address, then sat quietly in the back, gazing out

would be enough to help me calm down, but the more I thought, the worse I

had fought so hard to stop began to

that much? So much so that

didn't linger but headed straight to his

as I was about to push the door

like an old hag. Besides having a good temper and loving you,

at Jessica. She's the same age but dresses like a young lady in

day, only thinking about chores. She's so boring and dull. But Jessica is completely different. She's lively and full of energy!

such a worthless person in the eyes

lean closer to Steven, asking, "What do you really think, dude? If

filled with eager anticipation, making it clear that even if Jessica were divorced with a child, she still had her