Chapter 121
“Madeline, I’m not your punching bag. I’m not here for you to vent your frustrations on.”
Sharon’s voice was calm, but it carried weight.
“Today, I let Carter take those two slaps for you-out of respect for your age. But lay a hand on me again, and I won’t hesitate to return the favor in full.”
Madeline’s lips trembled with fury. “You ungrateful bitch! You’d actually hit me?”
Sharon’s eyes were cold. “Try me.”
Madeline’s pupils contracted sharply. It was clear-Sharon wasn’t bluffing. She meant every word.
The tension in the room tightened, like a string pulled taut and on the verge of snapping.
Carter’s expression darkened, his voice low. “Sharon, that’s enough.”
Sharon turned to him, her tone laced with disdain. “You’re the last person who has the right to say that.”
Kelly couldn’t hold back any longer. “Sharon, no matter what, Madeline is still your elder. How can you talk to her like this?”
Sharon glanced at her. “Since you enjoy being humiliated so much, why don’t you slap yourself a few times and save us all the trouble?”
Kelly fell silent, not daring to utter another word.
Just then, the operating room doors opened, and a doctor stepped out.
“Which of you is the patient’s family?”
Madeline hurried over. “I am. How’s the child?”
“He’s had his stomach pumped. He’s stable now-no major issues,” the doctor replied.
But his tone shifted, edged with reprimand. “The child has a weak digestive system. There are many things he shouldn’t be eating. You need to be much more careful with his diet, especially when it comes to outside food.”
He paused, frowning. “And don’t you know he’s allergic to nuts? What kind of guardians are you?”
Madeline’s face stiffened. She turned and shot Sharon a cold glare, but thinking of what had just happened, said nothing.
The next morning, Theo slowly opened his eyes.
The first thing he saw was Sharon, asleep at his bedside. Her head rested on the edge of the bed, her breathing soft and even. Dark bruises had formed under her eyes-clearly, she hadn’t slept well.
So… she had stayed with him all night. She still cared.
A strange warmth spread through Theo’s chest, tinged with a faint ache.
It felt like something lost had quietly returned.
He had never felt this way before.
He used to fall ill all the time, and his mother had always been there for him. He thought it was only natural.
Who else would she take care of, if not him?
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But one day, she suddenly withdrew all that warmth. Took it all back without warning.
He hadn’t known how to handle it. He missed it more than he expected.
He didn’t understand why he felt this way. He only knew-he didn’t like it.
As if sensing something, Sharon stirred and slowly opened her eyes.
When she saw he was awake, her face lit up with surprise and joy.
“Theo, you’re awake!”
“Yeah.” His voice was hoarse. “I’m thirsty.”
Sharon quickly poured him a cup of warm water and held it to his lips.
After drinking, Theo looked much better.
He glanced around and noticed that the room was empty-only Sharon was there.
“Mom,” he asked hesitantly, “where’s Daddy? And Kelly?”
Sharon’s smile faded.
She met his eyes and, after a moment, asked quietly, “Theo, tell me, why did you eat something you’re allergic to? And… what happened to the emergency spray in your pocket?”
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Chapter 122
Theo’s gaze flickered, refusing to meet Sharon’s eyes.
“I… I didn’t know there were nuts in the cake.”
Sharon pressed on. “Even if you didn’t know about the nuts, don’t you know you’re lactose intolerant? You shouldn’t be eating
cake at all.”
Theo’s face twisted into a frown. “It was just one little bite.”
“That one little bite nearly cost you your life,” Sharon said quietly.
The warmth Theo had felt earlier toward his mother began to twist into irritation, frustration simmering beneath his skin.
“You and Matty get to eat whatever you want. Why can’t I? It’s only because you’re always telling me what I can’t eat, what I shouldn’t touch, that I get curious. That’s why I want to eat those things even more!”
Sharon’s brow furrowed. “I’m only thinking of your health-”
1
Theo cut her off sharply. “No, you’re just using that as an excuse. Pretending it’s out of love so you can control me! Every day it’s ‘I’m doing this for you,’ but you never actually see me. You don’t respect what I want. Not even once!”
Sharon stared at him, stunned. “Who taught you to say that? Or… is that really how you feel?”
Theo’s breath caught.
Kelly had told him: everyone deserves freedom and respect. That it didn’t matter if someone was older, or even a parent.
But his mom never respected him.
Every time he wanted something, she said no. Said it was for his own good.
But that wasn’t it-she just wanted to shape him into some obedient little “mama’s boy.” Someone who’d listen to her every word. Someone she could use to steal back his dad’s attention.
Theo tried to sound calm. “That’s how I feel. It’s what I think.”
It was like someone had poured cold water over her.
The anxiety, the guilt, the stubborn tenderness Sharon had clung to through the long night vanished in an instant.
She looked at him and asked, quietly, “Then tell me, Theo. What is it that you want?”
Theo didn’t hesitate. Words poured out of him.
“I want you to support whatever I do, unconditionally. No more forcing me or interfering with what I choose. I want freedom and respect. I don’t want to be treated like a little kid anymore. And just because you gave birth to me doesn’t mean you get to use that to guilt me all the time. You can give me advice, sure. But you don’t get to make my decisions. And…” 1
He was still going when he noticed Sharon staring at him, unblinking.
Her eyes were cool, distant, as still as water. Nothing of the gentle, worried mother from before remained.
Theo faltered. His voice grew smaller. Suddenly, he felt unsure.
Sharon asked, “And what else?”
“I… that’s it for now,” he mumbled, looking away.
She nodded slowly. “I can do what you’ve asked.”
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Theo’s eyes lit up, his head snapping up to look at her.
Kelly really knew what she was talking about-just a few words and his mom had backed down!
But Sharon wasn’t finished.
“I can give you the freedom and respect you want,” she said calmly, “as long as you take full responsibility for your choices. For example, when you get into fights at school, you don’t get to call me to deal with it.
“If you get sick or end up in the hospital, you don’t need my care or company. If you want to eat something, make it yourself. You’ll cover all your own expenses and manage your daily life on your own.
“If you can do all that, I won’t interfere with you again. I’ll respect every choice you make.”
Theo stared at her, mouth half-open, completely speechless.
Kelly had only talked about freedom, equality, and respect-but she hadn’t told him how to respond to this.
Just as he struggled to think of something-anything to say-a soft knock came at the door.
ཕ ཇ བ
Then, Kelly stepped inside, carrying a thermos.
Chapter 123
“Theo, are you feeling better? Just wanted to check in on you.”
The moment Kelly appeared, Theo looked as if he’d just spotted a lifeline. “Kelly, you’re finally here!”
Seeing the pout on his face, Kelly’s expression softened with concern. “Theo, what’s wrong? Did someone upset you?”
Sharon let out a faint, cold smile. “That’s a funny question, Kelly. There’s no one else in this room except me. Who do you think could’ve bullied him, if not me?”
Kelly hurried to explain. “Sharon, you misunderstood. I was just worried about Theo, that’s all… nothing else.”
“Whether it’s a misunderstanding or not, we both know the answer.” Sharon’s voice was cool, almost detached. “You can drop the act. It’s nauseating to watch.”
Theo immediately jumped to her defense. “Mom, how could you say that about Kelly?”
Sharon looked at him. “Am I wrong?”
“Of course you are!” Theo blurted out, still too young to understand the deeper currents beneath the conversation. “Kelly’s just worried about me. You’re being too controlling, Mom. You won’t even let others care about me.”
Sharon’s eyes lingered on him for a moment. “Then I suppose I can go be someone else’s mom. Be nice to some other kid.”
The thought of Matty made Theo freeze, panic flashing across his face.
“No! You can’t be Matty’s mom!”
“Why not?” Sharon asked.
“Because… because you’re my mom! You belong to me!”
“But didn’t you just say I shouldn’t be so controlling?”
Theo faltered. “That… that’s different…”
Kelly stepped in, trying to smooth things over. “Sharon, there’s no need to argue with a child. Theo’s still young. What’s the harm in letting him have his way once in a while?”
Sharon’s voice remained cool. “Just now, he was preaching freedom, equality, and respect. But it seems that doesn’t apply when it’s inconvenient for him. If we’re all equal, why should I be the one to back down? He wants others to indulge him, while still claiming to seek equality. Is this what you’ve been teaching him, Kelly?”
There was no way a five-year-old could’ve come up with those lines on his own. Someone had clearly been coaching him, and it wasn’t hard to guess who.
Kelly flushed-her face going red, then pale.
After a few seconds, she forced a smile. “Sharon, you were up all night caring for Theo. Why don’t you go home and rest? I’ll stay with him during the day.”
Everyone knew nights were harder than days.
Last night, right after Theo was wheeled out, Kelly had claimed she felt faint, and Carter had immediately taken her home.
Madeline, too, had left after Denise’s quiet persuasion.
They had left Sharon to face it all, alone in the hospital. Now, suddenly, no one seemed to worry she couldn’t handle Theo.
The irony was sharp.
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Chapter
Sharon didn’t respond to Kelly. Instead, she looked down at Theo.
“What do you want to eat? I’ll go get it for you.”
“No need,” Kelly said quickly. “I made porridge for Theo.”
She opened the thermos, her voice gentle. “Theo, I cooked this myself. Want to try my cooking?”
Theo hesitated. He’d had her food before. He knew it didn’t come close to what his mom made.
But thinking of how Mom had just scolded Kelly, he felt a twinge of guilt. After a pause, he gave a small nod.
“Okay.”
“I’ll feed you,” Kelly offered, lifting a spoonful and gently blowing on it.
But before the spoon reached his lips, Sharon stepped forward. The moment she caught the scent of the porridge, her expression shifted-and with a sudden motion, she slapped the spoon right out of Kelly’s hand.
The hot porridge splashed across Kelly’s body.
She shrieked in pain. “Ah!”
At that moment, the door to the hospital room swung open.
A tall, lean figure stepped inside.
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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.
Kelly’s tears streamed down, her voice soft and breaking. “Maybe… maybe Sharon still blames me for yesterday… I’m sorry. It’s my fault. I nearly hurt Theo…”
“I didn’t know the cake had nuts in it,” she whispered. “I thought… since Sharon wouldn’t touch anything Theo couldn’t eat… I never imagined…”
Then, without warning, she started to kneel before Sharon.
“Sharon, please hit me if you must. I’ll accept whatever punishment.”
Carter caught her, stopping her from going down.
“Kelly, what are you doing?” His voice was sharp.
Theo’s voice piped up too, alarmed. “Kelly, it’s not your fault! We didn’t know the cake had nuts either!”
He spoke quickly, tripping 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 have eaten it by accident and had an allergic reaction!”
The dull pain in Sharon’s back had only just started to ease when she heard her son’s voice.
And just like that, her heart-already brittle and cold-cracked.
She stared at the child she had worried over, stayed up all night for, barely daring to sleep in case something went wrong.
Theo was staring at Kelly with anxious eyes, full of concern and care. Every bit of his attention was for her.
Then she turned to Carter. He was looking at Kelly, brows knit, lips pressed in a hard line.
No one asked if she was hurt. No one spared her a word.
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i
Sharon gave a silent, bitter laugh. Her eyes began to redden for no reason she could name.
Pathetic. She really was pathetic.
She closed her eyes. When she opened them again, tears still clung to her lashes, but her gaze was clear.
She didn’t look at any of them again. Without a word, she walked toward the door.
A hand caught her wrist.
Carter’s voice came from behind.
“Sharon, where are you going? Kelly didn’t mean to yesterday. Do you really have to keep going after her?”
“Let go,” she said, her voice colder than ice.
“She didn’t know,” he insisted. “She didn’t know what was on your table when she ordered.”
Theo chimed in too, his voice stubborn and small. “If someone has to be blamed… Mom, you knew I couldn’t eat nuts,
still ordered the cake. You’re the one who made the mistake.”
and
you
Sharon stopped walking. Slowly, she turned to face him.
“So,” she asked quietly, “you had an allergic reaction yesterday… and that was my fault?”
Theo’s eyes flickered. He hesitated, his voice a murmur.
“Anyway… it wasn’t Kelly’s fault.”
Sharon looked at Carter next.
“You think so too?”
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Chapter 125
Carter was silent for a few seconds.
“With all the cakes available, why did you have to choose the one with nuts?”
Sharon met his eyes without flinching. “So what are you saying? That I deliberately tried to harm Theo?”
“You wouldn’t have picked that cake,” Carter said, gaze unwavering. “If I’m not mistaken, that piece was ordered by Matty, wasn’t it?”
Sharon blinked, then understood exactly what he meant.
She didn’t get angry. She laughed instead. “Yesterday, Matty saved your son. And today, you’re accusing him of trying to trigger Theo’s allergy? Carter, do you even hear yourself?”
Carter’s brows drew together. “You can know someone’s face, but not their heart. He’s picked on Theo more than once behind our backs. Theo’s suffered plenty because of him.” (1)
A quiet, liquid trace of sarcasm flickered in Sharon’s eyes.
“So let me get this straight. Kelly didn’t mean any harm, she’s innocent. But a five-year-old child-he’s the one with the scheming mind, craftier than a twenty-something adult. Is that what you’re saying?”
She stared at him. Her voice was sharp with contempt. “Would you dare say something that absurd in front of a stranger?”
Carter didn’t answer.
Sharon let out a humorless laugh.
Of course, he wouldn’t. They only dared say things like this to her.
With disgust, she yanked her hand free from his grip.
“As for why I lashed out at Kelly just now, maybe you should ask your beloved Kelly. She knew Theo was still recovering, that he just had his stomach pumped yesterday, and yet she still made him seafood porridge.”
Seafood porridge?
Carter glanced down at the mess on the floor.
The spilled porridge looked plain-just simple white porridge, nothing unusual.
“Sharon… are you sure?”
She hated this-this familiar rhythm of being doubted, then forced to prove herself all over again.
Her voice was icy. “I cook every day. My sense of smell is sharp. The seafood in this is faint, but it’s there. My nose doesn’t miss things like that. If you don’t believe me, get it tested. See if there’s any trace of seafood in that bowl.”
Kelly’s face turned pale.
“Carter… I’m sorry,” she whispered. “There really was… some seafood in it…”
Carter stared at her, stunned. “You actually added seafood?”
Kelly hadn’t meant to admit it, but she knew-if Sharon really pushed this and the porridge was tested, she’d be caught. Her intentions would be laid bare.
Better to admit it now and try to spin it.
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Chapter 125
+25 BONUS
Her eyes reddened as she spoke. “I looked up a few porridge recipes online yesterday… Some said adding seafood would bring out more flavor, so I thought… I added just a little. I’m sorry, I didn’t know better…”
Sharon’s expression curled into something cold and mocking.
“Ignorant? Even elementary school kids know patients can’t eat seafood, or anything cold or irritating. Are you saying you know less than a child, Kelly?”
Kelly bowed her head, tears falling again. “I thought… just a little would be okay…” 1
Sharon laughed scornfully.
“First, you knew Theo was lactose intolerant, and you still let him try ‘just a little.’ Now, his stomach is weak, and you feed him seafood porridge-again, ‘just a little.’ Theo has a sweet tooth. If he begged for sweets, I could believe you gave in. But he doesn’t even like seafood.”
She paused here, her tone tightening, sharpness cutting through the air.
“So tell me, Kelly, what exactly were you trying to do, sneaking seafood into his meal?”
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Chapter 126
Kelly tried to explain herself. “I didn’t mean to… I don’t cook often, I really didn’t know… I just thought it would add flavor, that it wouldn’t be a big deal…”
Sharon couldn’t be bothered to look at her. Instead, she turned her eyes on Carter. “And you? Got anything left to say?”
Carter’s lips moved slightly. “Maybe Kelly really didn’t understand…”
Sharon let out a soft, disbelieving laugh, then turned to Theo. “And you?”
Theo spoke in a small voice. “Maybe Kelly didn’t do it on purpose…’
Sharon nodded. “Alright then. If that’s what you all believe, then fine.”
She thought to herself, ‘Respect others’ choices. Let go of the need to save anyone.’
Without another word, she turned to leave.
Carter frowned. “Sharon, where are you going?”
Her tone was cool and detached. “I was up all night. I’m going back to rest. Or did you really think I was some kind of workhorse -supposed to be on duty around the clock?”
Carter’s expression softened a little. “Okay. Go home and rest for now. Theo will need to stay in the hospital for about a week. You can come back at night.”
Sharon’s voice remained distant. “He seems to prefer Kelly’s care anyway. Let her stay and take care of him.”
Carter’s face darkened. “You’re his mother. You’re just going to leave and let someone else take care of him?”
“And you’re his father,” Sharon fired back. “Why aren’t you the one staying? Don’t pull the ‘mother’ card just when it suits you. When something goes wrong with the kid, suddenly everyone comes running to blame me – people who’ve never changed a single diaper questioning the one who’s been there 24/7. The fucking audacity.”
Her icy stare landed on Theo and Kelly.
“If Kelly’s so perfect, let her take care of you. Let’s see if she’s willing to stay up every night for you.”
“And Kelly?” Sharon’s voice turned lethal. “Put up or shut up. Since you love Theo so damn much, you won’t mind handling his hospital stay, will you? Honestly? I hope you three make a perfect little family. Stay in your toxic triangle forever, stop ruining
other people’s lives.” 1
With that, she turned and walked out without a backward glance.
“Sharon, what the hell does that mean?” Carter called after her, his face darkening as he followed her out.
Once the footsteps faded, only Kelly and Theo were left in the hospital room.
Theo stared blankly in the direction Sharon had gone, his face pale.
When the hallway was quiet again, Kelly leaned in and spoke softly. “Theo, when did you wake up? What did your mom ask you?
”
Theo blinked, coming back to himself. “I just woke up not long ago. Mom asked me how the allergy happened… and she asked what happened to the spray in my pocket.”
Kelly watched his face carefully. “And what did you say?”
“I didn’t get the chance to answer. Kelly, you came in right after.”
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Kelly exhaled quietly, a subtle sigh of relief slipping out.
Her expression quickly turned somber. “Theo, I’m sorry. I gave you too many things you shouldn’t have eaten. Your mom said… I nearly killed you. From now on, don’t eat those things anymore, okay?”
Theo, still very much a child with a sweet tooth, panicked a little when he heard that.
“Kelly, don’t listen to Mom. Didn’t you say before that when she was pregnant with me, she ate a bunch of stuff she wasn’t supposed to? That’s why I’m unhealthy now… She’s the cause of all my problems!”
Chapter 127
Kelly said softly, “Theo, you have no idea how scary your mom was yesterday. After your allergic reaction, there was a doctor on site ready to give you emergency treatment, but your mom stopped him. She insisted on using that spray you carry.”
“The spray?” Theo blinked in confusion. “But I didn’t have it on me anymore.”
Kelly nodded. “I know. But your mom didn’t believe that. She was desperate to find it…”
Her gaze fell on the boy. She feigned guilt, and her eyes were brimming with unshed tears. “Theo, I’m so sorry. I broke the spray
It was an accident. But if your mom finds out, she’s going to hate me. She might not even let me see you again.”
Theo said, “Then I’ll make sure she doesn’t find out, ever. Don’t worry, Kelly. I won’t tell her.”
Kelly’s face lit up with a smile through her tears. “Great. This will be our little secret, okay?”
Theo got to thinking, ‘Just the two of us? So even Dad can’t know? Well, sometimes Dad doesn’t let me eat certain things either. If Dad ever finds out, he might get angry with Kelly too-and then she wouldn’t be able to bring me tasty treats anymore.’
Theo nodded. “Okay.”
Kelly held out her pinky. “Then let’s pinky swear. Whoever tells is a snitch.”
Theo raised his small finger to hook hers. “Whoever tells is a snitch.” (1
After they linked fingers, he asked, “Kelly, what you said earlier… about Mom stopping the doctor… what really happened?”
He hadn’t forgotten.
Kelly hesitated, her expression unsure. “Theo… do you really want to know?”
Theo looked at her seriously. “I do. I want to know.”
She seemed troubled. “Maybe it’s better if we just leave it… It’s all over now anyway.”
But the more she held back, the more curious he became.
“Kelly, please. Just tell me. I won’t say anything.”
She glanced toward the door. Theo caught the look.
“Don’t worry,” he said, lowering his voice. “I won’t tell Mom or Dad.”
Kelly sighed as if worn down. “Alright.”
She pulled out her phone and played a video for him-a clipped version, carefully edited. All the parts that made her look bad had been cut. Only the moments showing Sharon stopping the doctor were left.
The video lasted barely a minute.
By the time it ended, Theo’s eyes were red.
As she studied his reaction, Kelly said, “I heard your mom’s been trying to divorce your dad. And she’s been getting close to that awful kid who bullied you.”
She lowered her voice even more. “Do you think maybe… maybe she doesn’t want you anymore? Maybe she wants that other boy to be her son?”
“Bad mommy!” Theo burst out, his voice sharp and angry. Tears welled in his eyes. “If she doesn’t want me, then I don’t want her either!”
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Kelly looked at his flushed little face, contorted in anger, and the corners of her lips lifted ever so slightly.
Outside the hospital, Carter finally caught up to Sharon. His voice was tight, barely masking his irritation.
“Sharon, how long are you going to keep this up?”
She stopped in her tracks and turned to face him.
“Carter, don’t tell me after everything, you still think I’m just playing games with you.”
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Chapter 128
Carter’s eyes darkened.
Fights between him, Sharon, and their son-those had always been within the bounds of their fractured little family of three. But now, things had escalated-Sharon was at war with his mother, too.
That morning, he’d gotten a call from his mother.
Madeline hadn’t minced words: if he didn’t divorce Sharon, then he might as well cut ties with her altogether.
And Sharon-well, she had made her position painfully clear when she slapped him across the face right in front of his mother. She hadn’t left even a sliver of room for retreat.
“Sharon, what’s going on with you lately?” he asked, trying to keep his voice even. “You weren’t like this before.”
She looked at him coldly. “You think I’ve changed? That’s only because you’re used to having the upper hand-and now, you don’t. And me? What have I gotten out of this marriage? A cheating husband. A child who doesn’t respect me. And your mother’s endless humiliation. What else is there?”
Carter stood silent for a few seconds before he spoke again. “Still, she’s your elder. You shouldn’t have—”
He didn’t get to finish.
Sharon cut him off with a laugh. “What, you liked those two slaps last night? Want me to give you a couple more-really make your day?”
His expression darkened instantly.
“Sharon!”
She didn’t flinch. “Oh? It only hurts when the slap lands on you? Where were you when your mom hit me? Did you say a single word in my defense?”
She held his gaze, each word measured and sharp. “Do you know why she dares to treat me however she wants, every time?”
Carter’s silence stretched again.
“It’s because she knows, no matter what she does to me, you’ll never take my side. You’ll never stand up for me.”
For a moment, his eyes lost focus, his composure faltering.
But Sharon didn’t care whether her words got through to him or not. Her voice was calm, almost detached. “I sent the divorce papers. You should’ve received them. Sign them while Kelly is still alive. After all, there’s still the mandatory cooling-off period.
41
She turned to go, but Carter’s voice stopped her. “Sharon, do you know why I married you?”
She looked back, her expression unreadable. “Because I was pregnant.”
11
“That’s right.” His voice was quiet, almost expressionless. “I wanted to give Theo a complete family.”
ཁྭ་ཆ་ཇ་ཇན་ང
The Biggs family, on the surface, wasn’t complicated. Madeline had only two children-Carter and Denise. But beneath that simplicity was a tangle of shadows.
Carter was six years older than Denise, and they were half-siblings-same mother, different fathers.
Over the years of marriage, Sharon had come to learn pieces of the Biggs family story.
Madeline had given birth to Carter out of wedlock. To this day, no one knew who his father was.
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Back then, society was far less forgiving. Even with a respectable family background, Madeline had faced relentless judgment and scorn for raising a child with no known father. And Carter had been dragged through it right along with her.
Her parents, already frail, had passed away early-some said out of shame, some out of heartbreak-leaving her alone with a tottering Biggs Group to run.
She had been fierce in her youth, unyielding. After her parents’ deaths, she’d taken over the company by herself.
The old hands at Biggs Group had never truly accepted her authority. They’d tried to edge her out with every dirty trick in the book.
As her only son, Madeline pinned all her hopes on Carter. Her expectations were sky-high, and her discipline was brutal. If he came home complaining of being bullied, she wouldn’t comfort him-she’d hit him, harder than anyone else ever could, for being weak.
But even a strong woman couldn’t fight forever. Over time, the power she held at Biggs Group began to slip through her fingers, shaken loose by the schemes of those same old men she’d fought so hard against.
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Chapter 129
When Madeline realized she was on the verge of being pushed out of the Biggs Group, she decided there was no point in holding back anymore. In one last bid to secure her position, she opted for a marriage alliance.
But fate never did favor Madeline. A few years into the marriage, Denise’s father died in a car accident.
What followed was a public and brutal battle over his inheritance. Madeline went head-to-head with her in-laws, a conflict that quickly became the talk of their social circle.
In the end, she lost.
Denise’s grandparents had never been fond of her-she was just a girl, after all. And after the spectacle Madeline made of things, they simply cut ties with her altogether.
Furious, Madeline stripped Denise of her father’s name and gave her her own surname instead.
Meanwhile, Carter had grown up. And he hadn’t disappointed her.
In just a year, he cemented his place in the company. Then came the turning point-one brilliant, decisive victory that made his name known across all of Zachemaine.
Young, handsome, and fiercely capable, Carter attracted a sea of women-debutantes and heiresses lining up like fish in a river. Even the most elite families had their eyes on him.
Madeline had already started grooming a daughter-in-law from a fitting family.
But then Carter went and got involved with Kelly—a girl from a modest background, with no power and no name to speak of.
Madeline was livid. She used every method she could think of, and eventually, she succeeded in tearing them apart.
After breaking up with Kelly, Carter stayed single. No matter how many women his mother introduced, he didn’t look at a single one. He poured all his focus into his work.
Madeline wasn’t particularly worried. He was still young. When his value rose even higher, he’d have his pick of the best.
What she hadn’t expected was Sharon-suddenly appearing, already pregnant.
As soon as Madeline found out, her first instinct was to have the pregnancy terminated. She sent people to pressure Sharon, offering bribes, making threats-anything to make it go away.
At that point, Sharon and Carter barely knew each other. Their relationship had been nothing but a mistake. And since Madeline was clearly against it, Sharon didn’t see any reason to insist. She agreed to the abortion.
But on the day of the surgery, Carter burst into the clinic. He stopped the procedure, right there in the operating room. And he made her a solemn promise-he would take responsibility.
To keep that promise, he fought against his mother for a long time. He protected Sharon fiercely.
And it was during that time that Sharon fell in love with him.
Now, as Sharon looked at him, a sudden thought slipped through her mind.
“Back then, when you protected me like your life depended on it-when you stood up to your family for me-it wasn’t just because of Theo, was it? It was… because you were trying to make up for something.”
Carter’s eyes were dark and unreadable, still as deep water.
But Sharon knew she was right.
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She gave a faint, mocking smile. “When you were with Kelly, you didn’t have the power to protect her. All you could do was stand by while your mother took her away, threatened her, until the two of you had no choice but to break up. And me–I was just like her. Another woman your mother disapproved of. Another repeat of the same story.
“So your rebellion, your fight to keep me and the baby-it wasn’t just for me. You saw her in me. You used me as a stand-in, trying to rewrite the ending you never got with her. Isn’t that right?”
She looked him straight in the eye. Her gaze was clear, almost crystalline-like a mirror reflecting everything inside him, exposing even the shadows he’d tried to hide.
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Time passed in silence until Carter spoke again.
“Whatever the case, whatever happened between me and Kelly is in the past now. She doesn’t have much time left. There’s no point in talking about this anymore. Don’t you want Theo to have a complete family?”
He didn’t deny it-that was admission enough.
Sharon hadn’t expected it, not like this. In the end, she’d still become Kelly’s replacement, just by another name.
How pathetic, she thought. On all those sleepless nights-nights when Carter had ignored her, forgotten her-she’d still clung to memories of how he had once protected her, stood up for her, been kind to her.
She’d comforted herself, told herself lies to get through it. She had convinced herself that he had, at some point, truly cared.
But now even those fragments of warmth felt like a joke.
She said, “Because Kelly doesn’t have long to live, because she can’t be Theo’s mom forever or your wife forever, that’s why you haven’t brought up divorce yet, isn’t it?”
If Kelly had a long life ahead of her, she knew exactly what would’ve happened-this father and son would’ve tossed her aside without hesitation.
She was nothing more than a fallback. A second-best option.
Carter’s patience snapped. “Sharon, can you stop being so unreasonable?”
“If you think I’m unreasonable,” she replied coolly, “then just divorce me.”
It was hard to believe that just a month ago, she had been agonizing over him and Kelly, losing sleep every night.
Even when she saw them hold that “mock wedding” in the name of making up for past regrets, she’d endured it.
She believed she couldn’t live without Carter-the man who had once given her a sense of home-and she couldn’t live without Theo, the child she had nearly died bringing into the world.
She had even convinced herself that it didn’t matter whether he loved her or not. At least being with him would give Theo the
best life, the best education.
For their child, she was willing to sacrifice anything, even her pride.
She’d once stooped low enough to count the days, secretly wishing-viciously-that Kelly would die sooner.
She had convinced herself that if Kelly was gone, everything would return to the way it was.
But now?
Now, she felt nothing. Nothing but disgust.
Sharon let out a soft laugh. Her delicate features were touched with a trace of icy arrogance.
“You all think I’ve been bullying Kelly, don’t you?” Her voice was light, almost amused. “If you won’t divorce me, then she’s in for a real miserable time.”
Carter froze, just slightly.
He had never seen this side of her.
Suddenly, she felt like a stranger..
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They’d been married for five years. Their child was no longer little. But when he thought about it, he didn’t feel like he really knew her at all.
Beyond her beauty and gentleness, beyond being a good wife and mother, she had always been-well, bland. Like a glass of warm water. Colorless. Predictable.
Aside from her family background, she checked all the boxes he needed in a wife. Not that he ever needed someone from an influential family to secure his standing.
ཡར་འཌ་ཕ་ཆ
Even when Kelly had first come back, Sharon’s grace and composure had satisfied him.
But lately, she had become more and more… unlike herself.
He was beginning to realize he had never truly understood Sharon.
Carter said, his tone still carrying that same unshakable authority, “I won’t agree to a divorce. You can forget about it.”
Sharon responded casually, “Doesn’t Kelly still have six months left to live? But if I keep bullying her like this… maybe she’ll
have far less time than that.”
A thin layer of frost settled over Carter’s already cold features.
“Sharon,” he said, his voice dangerously low, “I know you’ve been wronged by a lot of things that happened in the past. So everything you’ve done recently, I’ve let them slide.”
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“You’re Theo’s mother,” Carter said, his voice dropping dangerously. “I don’t want to play dirty with you. But if you keep pushing, don’t expect me to honor our marriage vows anymore.”
Sharon didn’t flinch at Carter’s threatening glare. Instead, her lips curved into a smile.
“Interesting how just mentioning Kelly’s name makes you react like this. You can’t have your cake and eat it too, Carter. If you want to stay married? Fine. But from today onward, you cut all ties with Kelly-completely. No contact. No seeing her. Not even if she’s lying on her deathbed.”
A glacial darkness settled in Carter’s eyes, his jaw tightening.
“You’re really determined to go to war with me over this?”
Sharon’s response came cool and measured. “Seems we’re at an impasse. Let’s see who blinks first.”
She turned around and walked away.
This time, Carter didn’t stop her.
Sharon stopped paying attention to Theo’s hospitalization, and Carter stopped calling.
About a week later, when Matty came home from school, he told Sharon, “Sharon, Theo came to school today. Theo’s daddy and that bad lady brought him.”
Sharon was cooking in the kitchen, and at those words, her movements faltered slightly.
Before, she had occasionally tried to surprise Theo by suggesting to Carter that they pick up and drop off Theo together. Each time, Carter brushed her off with, “I’m busy. Go alone.”
Since Theo started kindergarten, Carter had never gone with her even once. Yet now, he went so often with Kelly.
Sure enough, it wasn’t that he was too busy. She just wasn’t the one he wanted to spend his time with.
Lately, Sharon had stopped taking Matty to and from school, simply because she didn’t want to see Carter, Theo, and Kelly
together.
Worried Matty might be upset, she cautiously asked if it was okay not to take him for a while.
Matty didn’t complain at all, simply agreed.
And even more thoughtfully said, “Sharon, I can just have the driver take me. You still have violin practice and taking care of me
-you must be exhausted. You need your rest.”
Matty’s thoughtfulness often made Sharon silently wish he were her biological son.
“Sharon,” Matty suddenly came to her side, hesitating but hopeful, “There’s a talent showcase at kindergarten this weekend… Dad’s still away on business, so he probably can’t make it… Would you come with me?”
Sharon looked down at him. “What kind of showcase is it?”
“The teacher said kids team up with their parents to play instruments, sing, or dance,” Matty said eagerly. “I didn’t join last time because there was no scoring for parent-child activities. But if I don’t join this time…”
His head drooped in disappointment. “I’ll definitely be ranked last for the semester.”
This elite kindergarten wasn’t like ordinary ones where kids just played all day and had a happy childhood.
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These children were heirs of wealthy families-expected to excel from the cradle. Their curriculum was rigorous.
The kindergarten frequently held competitive events to foster excellence, and as a recent transfer, Matty was already playing catch-up.
If he skipped this, he’d definitely be at the bottom.
No child wanted to be last.
Sharon looked at the discouraged boy and gently patted his head, her voice soft. “Then we’re definitely going.”
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Matty could hardly believe his ears. He jerked his head up excitedly.
“Sharon, what did you say? You’re going with me?”
Sharon smiled and nodded. “Yeah, this time, I’ll go with you.”
Matty threw his arms around her leg, his face full of gratitude.
“Sharon, you’re the best!”
Watching Matty bounce around so happy, a complicated feeling stirred deep in Sharon’s heart.
Theo found her embarrassing-he didn’t even tell her about the kindergarten’s parent-child event.
But Matty had carefully asked for her opinion, and after she said yes, he was this joyful.
The contrast between the two boys was striking.
Sharon hesitated for a moment before asking, “Matty, are you sure you want me to come with you?”
Matty’s face instantly fell. “Sharon, don’t you want to go?”
“No,” Sharon’s voice faltered. “Don’t you think I’d be embarrassing?”
Matty immediately shook his head. “Sharon, you’re so pretty. Why would I be embarrassed?”
“But what if I don’t do well…” Sharon started.
Matty cut her off, serious and earnest. “As long as you come with me, I’ll be happy.”
Then his expression darkened a little. “I don’t have a mom. Dad’s always busy. Nobody ever came with me to kindergarten events before… Every time there was an event, I’d pretend to be sick to skip.
“I often think, if only I had a mom… I’d listen to her, never make her angry. On weekends, we’d go to the park or the playground. She’d help me with stickers and drawing, and tell me bedtime stories every night. And she’d always come to the kindergarten
events with me.
“She doesn’t have to be beautiful or perfect-she can have lots of flaws. But as long as she’s there, I’d be happy. But…”
Matty’s eyes reddened. “Some kids have really good moms, but don’t appreciate them. They don’t know their moms. The ones they complain about are the ones I dream of having.”
A sudden sharp ache hit Sharon’s heart. Without meaning to, Matty had spoken right to the core of her own pain. The scenes he longed for were exactly what she wanted too.
He never had them. She had them, but couldn’t hold on.
She didn’t know who was more miserable.
Sharon wrapped her arms gently around Matty, her voice full of tenderness. “It’s okay. I will always be here for you.”
Matty looked up at her and said earnestly, “I’ll always be here for you too.”
Sharon smiled. “Alright. Let’s win first place together at the talent showcase, okay?”
Matty’s eyes lit up. “Okay!”
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+25 BONUS
At the kindergarten, the moment Theo heard about the event, his mind immediately went to Kelly.
Kelly played the violin. She was an amazing violinist.
He was confident that if Kelly led the team, they’d definitely win first place.
He had seen her play before.
Though he didn’t understand music, when Kelly wore that white dress and played the violin, she looked like a fairy.
Since then, his impression of Kelly had completely changed.
But during his hospital stay, Kelly had left him feeling a little disappointed. She came every day to see him but never stayed long, never spent the night.
And every day, she left with a different excuse.
“Theo, I’m sorry. I’m not feeling well today. I have to go rest. I’ll come see you again tomorrow.”
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“Theo, I’m sorry,” Kelly said another time. “I have a full-body check-up later, so I can’t stay with you today. I’ll come back
tomorrow.”
“Theo,” she said another time, with a soft sigh, “I’m not trying to avoid staying the night with you. It’s just… your mom has such a deep bias against me. If she saw me here, she’d be even less willing to come visit you…”
His grandmother and aunt had stayed with him for two days, but they complained about the hospital-said they couldn’t sleep well-and once they left, they never came back.
Dad was too busy with work, then suddenly went on a business trip. There was no way he could stay.
In the end, it was the housekeepers from home who took turns looking after him at the hospital.
After that day, Mom didn’t come again either.
Not even a phone call.
Kelly told him it was because Mom hated her, and since he kept spending time with her, Mom didn’t want to see him anymore.
But Theo knew deep down that wasn’t the real reason.
Mom was angry because he ate something he wasn’t supposed to. But he’d only had a little. Why was she being so petty?
So what if he had an allergic reaction? It was just an accident.
Her coldness, her sudden change, made Theo angry. Really angry.
Then the voice of the kindergarten teacher broke through his thoughts.
“Has everyone finished filling out their performance sheets?”
A chorus of tiny voices answered, “We’re done!”
“Good,” the teacher said. “I will collect them now. If there are any changes, let us know by Friday.”
Each child had to discuss their performance with their family, then fill it in on the form.
Based on that, the teachers would invite professional judges to score the acts live.
Live scoring-pretty brutal for kids this young.
But this wasn’t the kind of kindergarten where you just played and had fun. It was a place meant to shape futures.
This talent showcase was about developing each child’s artistic potential.
After class, Theo strutted over to Matty with his usual smugness.
“Hmph. You again? I bet you’re skipping the event, like always. Just making excuses because nobody wants you.”
Theo had always hated Matty.
His mom had been “taken” by Matty, after all.
And Matty always pretended to be sweet while mocking him behind his back.
Theo was sick of it.
Ever since Kelly told him Matty had tried to mess with the doctors during his emergency, on purpose, he couldn’t stand him.
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when no one was looking-he had to be the
he’d started picking on Matty whenever he had the chance.
Every time, Matty stayed quiet.
Theo figured it was guilt. What else could it be?
Matty was coloring when Theo came over. He paused for just a second at the sound of those words.
“You didn’t see the form our teacher collected?” he said softly. “Sharon already agreed. She’s going to perform with me this time.”
Theo froze, then snapped, “No way! She wouldn’t! That’s impossible!”
Matty set down his crayon, a quiet smile playing on his lips.
“Maybe Sharon sees me as her own son,” he said. “That’s why she’s willing.”
He leaned in close, lowering his voice just enough-his tone carrying a smug edge, just a touch of challenge. “Starting today, I’m her son. You’re the one nobody wants. Theo, Sharon doesn’t want you anymore.”
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Theo lost it.
Right then and there, he snapped-face flushed, eyes burning red. He pointed at Matty and shouted, “What did you say?! Say it again!”
Matty blinked, startled. “Theo… w-what’s wrong?”
Theo grabbed a fistful of Matty’s sleeve, completely unhinged. “Mom would never-never-abandon me! You’re the one nobody wants! You’re the bastard!”
His outburst caught the attention of the other kids around them.
Voices hushed. Heads turned.
The teachers, hearing the noise, rushed over.
“What’s going on? What happened?”
Matty’s eyes went red in an instant. Tears welled up, and he said softly, “Yeah… I know. I am the bastard no one wants. Theo, I know I don’t have a mom. And my dad’s always too busy with work to be around. That’s why I asked Sharon to do the performance with me.”
Theo’s voice broke into a near scream. “No! I won’t allow it! She’s my mom-mine! Give her back to me!”
The teachers rushed to separate the two before they could come to blows again. Theo and Matty were already flagged as high- priority kids at the kindergarten. The staff had barely turned away to organize the signup forms, and the two were already at it again.
Even in a kindergarten like this-a top-tier private academy-the teachers had never seen children go at each other like this.
They could only sigh and reach for their phones. Again.
It was time to call the parents.
Carter had just landed when he got the call.
He turned to Simon, who was driving. “Head to the kindergarten.”
Simon adjusted the wheel, taking the next turn smoothly. From the rearview mirror, he glanced at Carter’s reflection, choosing his words carefully. “Sir… did something happen again with Theo?”
Carter leaned back in his seat, fatigue etched into his face. After several days of intense work and a sleepless flight, his weariness showed.
“He got into another fight. With a classmate,” he said, rubbing his temple. His tone was tight with frustration. “Why is he becoming such a handful?”
Simon offered gently, “Mr. Biggs, kids at this age go through a lot. My sister’s boy is just a year older-she’s constantly running to school.”
Carter’s voice was cold. “He didn’t used to be like this.”
Simon coughed lightly, lowering his voice. “That’s because Mrs. Biggs always handled everything. She never let it trouble you.”
It was only about six months ago that Theo’s health had stabilized enough for him to enroll in this kindergarten.
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Before that, he’d fallen sick constantly.
There were a few close calls-serious ones.
When Carter’s phone couldn’t be reached, Sharon would call Simon directly. Just from her voice alone, Simon could sense her desperation, her panic spiraling into chaos.
Theo was Carter’s son. Simon never dared take the calls lightly.
If Carter was in the air and unreachable, Simon would immediately mobilize the medical team and start emergency care for the
boy.
By the time Carter called back, Theo had usually pulled through.
As for minor issues-disputes with classmates, parent-teacher meetings-Sharon never bothered Carter with those.
Carter had been raising his child like a cloud-owner raises a pet-remotely, with no real effort-and had come to believe that parenting was simple, that children were easy.
Now, with work still unfinished, he was being pulled out again-this time, for the third time in just a few days-over calls from the school.
A dull frustration began to settle in his chest.
He picked up his phone and dialed Sharon.
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The call was cut off. Just like that.
Carter tried dialing again. Then again. But Sharon still didn’t pick up.
His hand tightened around the phone. He had let too much slide before. He’d been too lenient with Sharon. That softness had blurred her understanding of her place-made her forget who she was, made her bolder than she had any right to be.
It seemed it was time to teach her a lesson.
When Sharon arrived at the kindergarten, she wasn’t surprised to find Carter and Kelly already there.
Kelly was cradling Theo in her arms, whispering comfort into his ear.
Meanwhile, Matty stood off to the side, completely alone. Small and silent, he looked heartbreakingly out of place.
Sharon stepped inside. “Sorry I’m late.”
She had been rehearsing the violin with John on the other side of town, far from the kindergarten. Naturally, she was the last to
arrive.
Carter’s face darkened the moment he saw her.
“Sharon, why didn’t you answer your phone?”
Her expression was calm and detached. “Didn’t feel like it. Isn’t that reason enough?”
His eyes narrowed, voice dropping with quiet fury. “Sharon, you’re Theo’s mother. Something happened, and you couldn’t even pick up your phone?”
Kelly chimed in, her tone dripping concern edged with blame. “That’s right, Sharon. Did you even consider that if something urgent had happened to Theo, your silence could have put him in serious danger?”
A flicker of cold amusement crossed Sharon’s face.
“And as Theo’s father, how many calls did Carter answer back when Theo was in the hospital? If missing a single call from me means I’ve endangered him, then based on the number of times Carter didn’t answer, shouldn’t Theo already be dead by now?”
Carter’s eyes turned dark, something perilous flickering deep in them.
“You’re cursing your own child now, Sharon?”
“Carter,” she said flatly, “are you blind, heartless, and deaf now too?”
She didn’t hold back. “It was your precious Kelly who said Theo was doomed-not me. But I guess it’s easier to pin that on me, isn’t it? There’s a talent show at the kindergarten in a few days, right? Maybe you and Kelly should team up-call yourselves the
Forever-Innocent Duo.”
She turned, eyes softening as they landed on Matty.
“Matty,” she said gently, “can you tell me what happened?”
Matty took a step forward, then hesitated. His gaze flicked toward Theo. Whatever he saw there made him freeze in place.
Sharon’s expression darkened slightly. She took the step for him, closing the distance.
“Matty, it’s okay. Tell me what happened. This time, I promise-I’ll make it right.”
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“I… I’m fine,” Matty said quietly, glancing once more at Theo. “Sharon, about the talent show this weekend… maybe we shouldn’t join after all.”
Before Sharon could respond, Kelly spoke, a note of reprimand in her voice.
“Sharon, you’re Theo’s mother. Instead of performing with your own child, you’re choosing to accompany someone else’s. Isn’t that… a bit much?”
Sharon raised a brow. “Oh? So Theo’s pulling out of the show?”
Kelly smiled faintly. “Since you won’t accompany him, he… had no choice but to turn to me.”
Sharon let out a soft, surprised laugh. “Did Theo tell you that himself? Or is that just something you imagined?”
Kelly hesitated, lips parting to deflect-when Theo suddenly spoke. “I asked Kelly to team up with me!”
He lifted his chin proudly, eyes gleaming with accusation.
“This is a talent show. You don’t know anything! What’s the point of having you there? You’ll just embarrass me! You’ll make me a joke!”
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Carter’s face darkened. “Theo, be quiet.”
Theo flinched, shrinking instinctively behind Kelly.
She stepped in quickly, voice gentle, as if to shield him. “Carter, he’s just a child. Don’t be so harsh with him. Besides, you’ve always expected a lot from Theo, and he’s never disappointed you. He’s always at the top of his class. Isn’t it understandable he wants to be the best at everything?”
She glanced at Sharon, her tone soft but laced with meaning. “With a son as outstanding as Theo, Sharon should really work on improving herself, too. As parents, we shouldn’t be the ones holding our children back.”
Carter’s expression wavered slightly. The light in his eyes dimmed. He said nothing.
But Matty stepped forward, his voice clear. “Sharon would never hold anyone back! She’s amazing!”
Theo let out a scornful laugh. “She’s my mom. Don’t you think I’d know if she was amazing? Matty, if you’re smart, find someone else to perform with. Otherwise, when you get laughed at and end up crying, don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
Matty’s eyes blazed. He pointed at Theo, his voice sharp and firm in a way that was completely unlike his usual quiet self.
“Sharon’s nothing like what you said! You’re the one who’ll cry! Grades aren’t the only way to measure how good someone is. If you can’t even respect your own mom, what’s the point of being smart at all? The ones who get laughed at aren’t the ones who come in last. It’s the kids like you-mean, ungrateful, and always siding with outsiders!”
The words hit hard. Theo took a small step back, visibly rattled.
Kelly frowned. “Sharon, I understand you may not be happy with me visiting Theo. But Matty’s still a child. Was it really necessary to teach him to say things like that—just to attack your own son? If you’re willing to come back and take care of Theo properly, I can promise I won’t visit him anymore.”
Sharon nearly applauded. Really, it was masterful.
First, she implied Sharon had coached Matty to lash out at her own child. Then, she subtly suggested Matty was just a pawn— used and discarded. And finally, she painted Sharon as a neglectful mother who still had the nerve to keep others from stepping
A perfect display of weaponized language.
Carter looked at Sharon, eyes full of quiet disappointment. “Sharon, have you really fallen so far that you’re willing to use a
child?”
Sharon tilted her head slightly. “Kelly, would you do me a favor?”
The sudden shift threw Kelly off. “…What kind of favor?”
“Could you turn to Carter and say, ‘Carter, actually, Sharon is your daddy?”
Kelly froze.
No-everyone froze.
Carter’s face turned so dark it looked like a storm about to break.
“Sharon!”
&
“Sorry, just joking,” she said, though her tone lacked even a trace of apology. Her eyes sparkled faintly with mischief. “Maybe that was a bit much to ask. Let’s try something easier. How about you say… ‘Carter, the sun now rises in the west, pigs have wings, and they can climb trees.””
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Matty looked up at her, bright-eyed, immediately playing along. “Sharon, I’m five years old and even I know the sun rises in the east. Pigs don’t have wings. And they definitely can’t climb trees.”
Sharon smiled. “You see Kelly over there? Whatever she says, someone out there will believe it. If she claims pigs can climb trees, someone will probably nod and agree.”
Matty tilted his head. “Really? Are there people that dumb?”
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Sharon glanced at Carter and Kelly, both visibly unsettled, and chuckled.
“Too bad I don’t have a special ability like that,” she said, her voice light. “Otherwise, I’d show you how to twist truths, just like that.”
“It’s okay,” Matty tilted his head toward Kelly. “Didn’t you say that Kelly does have that kind of power? Watching her perform works just as well.”
Their exchange, casual and effortless, was sharp enough that even Theo, also five years old, caught the meaning. They were mocking him and his father. Saying they were gullible. That they believed anything Kelly said without question.
Sharon knew trying to explain would be pointless. No matter what she said, they wouldn’t believe her. And frankly, she had no interest in wasting her breath.
She turned to Matty and said gently, “Don’t worry, Matty. I already promised to join you for the talent showcase. I’ll keep that promise.”
Matty looked up, hesitant. “But… Theo won’t be happy…”
“Really?” Sharon turned to Theo. “You’re not happy?”
Theo hadn’t expected her to speak to him directly. Thinking she was backing down, he lifted his chin, a smug look creeping across his face. “That’s right. I won’t let you compete with Matty!”
Sharon replied calmly, “Then… do you want me to compete with you instead?”
Matty instinctively gripped her hand tighter.
She gently patted his shoulder in reassurance.
Theo hesitated. His eyes flickered with conflict. Having his mom compete with him meant he’d probably come in dead last. He’d already bragged in front of his classmates-if he placed last, the teasing would be unbearable.
Kelly noticed his struggle and stepped in with a smile.
“Sharon, there’s no need to pressure a child like this. His results in this competition are really important to him. If you’re interested in participating, why not wait until the next one?”
She added with a gracious air, “Don’t worry, Sharon. Next time, I’ll be sure to talk to Theo about it properly.”
At that, Theo visibly relaxed.
He nodded quickly. “Right, let’s wait till next time. I already promised Kelly, and I have to keep my word.”
Sharon looked directly at him. “What if I asked you to choose between me and Kelly?”
His lips parted slightly, but no words came out. Instead, his eyes flicked instinctively to Carter, silently pleading.
Carter’s tone was icy. “Sharon, are you seriously enjoying putting a child on the spot?”
She let out a quiet laugh. “Asking him to choose between his mother and his daddy’s friend—is that really so cruel? Since when did the two even belong in the same category?”
Carter had no answer. It took him a long moment before he finally said, “Maybe if you’d taken better care of Theo, he wouldn’t have grown so attached to someone else.”
Sharon’s expression shifted as if she’d suddenly understood something.
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“I see. So Kelly takes great care of Theo. She knows he’s lactose intolerant and still gives him all kinds of sweets. She lets him eat nuts even though he’s allergic, so allergic he had to be hospitalized. And while he was in the hospital, she lovingly cooked seafood porridge for him.”
She looked at Carter, expression unreadable but her words razor-sharp. “Is that what you call proper care?”
Carter was silent.
And then, suddenly, Theo spoke up. “She’s still better than you!”
His gaze toward Sharon held something darker than defiance-something close to resentment.
“At least when I got sick, Kelly tried to save me. You and Matty didn’t help me at all. You probably wanted me dead.”
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“I wanted you dead?” Sharon repeated, her voice calm but puzzled. “Who told you that? Was it Kelly?”
Carter’s voice cut in, low and firm. “Sharon, don’t pin everything on Kelly.”
Her tone was lazy, almost bored. “Carter, you get so defensive the moment her name comes up. One might think you’re desperate to hide something… indecent.”
“Sharon, watch what you’re saying!”
“Watch what I’m saying? Everything I said has a basis. When Theo had his allergic reaction, only a few of us were there. So tell me, how did he get the idea that Matty and I didn’t save him? That we wanted him dead?”
She lifted a brow. “Unless… you’re the one who told him that? Or was it Kelly again?”
Carter’s brow twitched. His eyes shifted to Theo. “Theo, how did you come to think that?”
Kelly’s heart seized. She had told Theo-more than once-not to mention where he got that idea.
And yet here he was, standing in the middle of it all, about to open his mouth.
Kids couldn’t keep secrets. This was it.
Last time, after Sharon exposed her, Carter’s attitude had already changed. He no longer trusted her like before. If he found out she was behind this too… there’d be no going back.
“I figured it out on my own!” Theo snapped. “I wasn’t fully passed out that day. I could still hear things. I heard it with my own ears!”
Kelly’s tightly wound nerves finally eased.
Good. He hadn’t sold her out.
Theo turned his glare back to Sharon. “Don’t change the subject. Just answer me- was what I heard true or not?!”
Sharon didn’t miss the flicker of guilt in Kelly’s eyes, or the subtle relief that followed. Her gaze grew deeper, colder. So it was
her.
“It’s not true!” Matty stepped forward, voice clear and firm. “Sharon used the spray to save you. Everyone saw it!”
“You’re lying!” Theo shot back. “That spray didn’t even work. I threw it away a long time ago! A doctor saved me, not her!”
Sharon looked at Theo, but the disappointment she expected never came. Instead, her heart felt strangely numb-cold and still.
Theo was beyond saving. It was better to cut losses now. 1
She turned to Carter. “Matty saved your son’s life. And now your son’s accusing his savior of wanting him dead. Don’t you think you should say something?”
Carter’s voice was low. “Theo wasn’t in a good state. It’s natural he misinterpreted things.”
Sharon’s gaze was like still water. “A misunderstanding at the time—I can accept that. But he’s been discharged for a while now. And he still hasn’t let it go. You still think that’s normal?”
Carter didn’t respond. Instead, he looked away from her and turned to Theo.
And when his eyes met Theo’s, he saw it-just for a second. Hatred.
Why would a child look at his own mother like that?
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Sharon hadn’t been perfect lately. She’a veen dvsem, o
have survived at all.
Theo looked at her again.
But Sharon no longer met his gaze. She looked through him like he was a stranger.
It was only when she glanced down at Matty that her expression softened.
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Chapter 139
Theo stood closely by Kelly’s side, his posture full of trust, of dependence.
Carter suddenly realized something unsettling-his wife and son, somewhere along the way, had turned into strangers. No, worse than strangers-opposing forces, like oil and fire.
Sharon was showing affection to someone else’s child, while his own son placed his full trust in another woman.
Where had it all gone wrong?
Things used to be fine.
“Theo,” Carter finally said, his voice level. “You weren’t fully conscious at the time. You didn’t see clearly what was happening. But the truth is, it was your mother and that boy who saved you.”
Theo blinked, stunned. “No way. That’s impossible. They couldn’t have saved me!”
Sharon’s gaze shifted lightly. “If you don’t believe it, why don’t you ask Kelly?”
Theo immediately turned to Kelly. “But Kelly, didn’t you say-”
“Theo!” Kelly cut in sharply, eyes flashing as she shot him a warning glance. “It’s true. Your mom and that boy saved you…”
Sharon caught every bit of Kelly’s panic. “Kelly, what was Theo about to say just now? Why not let him finish?” 1
Matty chimed in, tilting his head innocently. “Sharon, is there something wrong with Kelly’s eye? She keeps blinking and winking. We have great eye drops at home. Should I recommend her some?”
Even Carter, no matter how slow he was to pick up on things, couldn’t ignore what was happening now.
Still, with so many people around, he couldn’t ask directly. Instead, he gave Kelly a long, unreadable look, then turned toward the kindergarten teachers.
“What exactly happened this time?”
The teachers, who had been quietly enjoying the drama unfold, now stepped in. After witnessing enough of these interactions, they had begun piecing together the bigger picture, and there was no small amount of curiosity still lingering.
“Well,” one of them began, “it wasn’t anything too serious. Just… a quarrel between the two children…”
She paused, glancing between Carter and Sharon.
“Would you both mind stepping aside to talk privately?”
There was more than one teacher per class. Two of them guided Carter and Sharon into separate offices for a one-on-one
conversation.
Theo and Matty had been either fighting or arguing far too often. It was beginning to affect the other children. After a discussion with the principal, the staff was even considering whether one of them needed to be asked to leave.
While the teachers spoke with Carter and Sharon, Kelly seized the chance. Hurried and uneasy, she pulled Theo aside into a quiet corner of the school.
“Theo,” she said quickly, crouching down in front of him, “didn’t you promise me you wouldn’t tell anyone I was the one who told you that?”
“I’m sorry, Kelly. I didn’t mean to mess up. It’s just…” Theo looked at her, confusion furrowing his small face. “Didn’t you say Mommy and that bad kid Matty stopped the doctor from saving me? But Daddy says they’re the ones who saved me…”
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Kelly leaned in, her voice low and coaxing. “Silly boy. Your dad just didn’t want to hurt your feelings. He and your mom aren’t getting along, so he told you that on purpose…”
Before she could finish, a soft, clear voice rang out behind them.
“You’re lying.”
Both of them jumped and turned at the same time.
Matty stood a few feet away, his eyes calm and clear, watching them steadily.
“I was wondering why you two slipped away like that. So it was to whisper secrets in the corner.”
Kelly stared at Matty like she’d just seen a ghost. “You…”
Gone was the pitiful, naive expression Matty had worn earlier. In its place, sharp intelligence gleamed in his eyes-cunning, cool, and far too knowing for a child his age.
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Chapter 140
Kelly took a deep breath and forced a gentle smile onto her face.
“Your name’s Matty, right? When did you get here?”
Matty answered plainly, “A while ago. I heard everything you said. So it was you who told Theo that we didn’t let the doctor save him? And that Theo’s daddy was lying to him? I guess I’ll have to ask Theo’s dad why he would lie.”
“No, wait!” Kelly reached out quickly, blocking Matty’s path. “Matty, you misheard. I didn’t say that.”
Matty tilted his head, studying her, then glanced at Theo.
“She didn’t say that? Then what did she say to you? Didn’t she tell you that Sharon and I were trying to save you, and that she was the one who kept stopping us and almost got you killed?”
Kelly’s face tightened. She opened her mouth to speak, but Theo interrupted, his voice bursting with fury.
“You’re lying! You two were the ones who stopped the doctors! You didn’t let them save me!”
Matty replied calmly, “So the sun really rises in the west now? Pigs have grown wings and learned to climb trees, huh?”
Theo was stunned.
Then Matty, as if a thought had suddenly struck him, looked at him with a cheerful smile.
“Is Sharon really your daddy’s daddy?”
Theo’s face flushed red with anger. “You two-faced liar!”
Matty laughed. “That’s right, I’m a bad kid. What are you gonna do about it? Bite me?”
Kelly stared at Matty, momentarily speechless.
This kid- this wasn’t the same pitiful, sweet child from before. He… he was a cunning little schemer.
Theo’s rage boiled over. Eyes red, he lunged forward.
Kelly grabbed him in time. “Theo, calm down. He’s trying to provoke you on purpose.”
Theo blinked. “On purpose?”
“Yes…” Kelly had just begun to explain when Matty spoke again, slowly and deliberately.
“That’s right. I’m provoking you on purpose-so Sharon will feel bad for me, take my side, and make you apologize to me.”
Theo stared at him, stunned. “You…”
Even Kelly’s expression flickered for a moment.
As someone well-versed in this kind of manipulation, she recognized the tactic instantly.
But why… why say it out loud?
Was it because he was still a child, unable to hide things the way adults do?
At that thought, Kelly relaxed a little.
Then Matty added, “Theo, you saw it just now, didn’t you? Sharon felt really sorry when she thought I was sad. But you? She didn’t even look at you.”
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He didn’t hide his intentions. He looked straight into Theo’s eyes with a hint of smugness in his expression.
“You’re right. I am trying to steal your mom. I want Sharon to be my mom now. And guess what? She’s already starting to dislike you and like me. To her, you’re nothing now.”
If Kelly hadn’t been holding him back, Theo would have lunged at him again.
Matty was begging for a beating
Theo’s voice broke with frustration, tears brimming in his eyes. “Kelly, let me go! I’m gonna hit him!”
Kelly turned to Matty, frowning, “Matty, aren’t you afraid I’ll tell Sharon and Theo’s father everything you just said?”
But Matty was unbothered, his face calm, “Go ahead. Let’s see if Sharon believes me or you. As for Theo’s dad…”
Chapter 141
Matty wore an expression of utter indifference. “It’s not like I want him to be my dad. Why would it matter to me whether he believes me or not?”
Matty’s few simple words left Kelly speechless.
Then, out of nowhere, Matty flashed her a sweet, innocent smile. “Kelly, you know how to do it. But guess what-I do too. And I’m even better at it.”
Before Kelly could make sense of what he meant, Matty suddenly pinched his own arm, hard.
His eyes turned red instantly, and his expression crumpled into something deeply pitiful.
“Kelly, I’m sorry,” he whispered, voice trembling. “I swear, I didn’t hear anything…”
Then, without warning, he dropped to the floor, curling himself into a ball, shaking like a leaf.
“Please,” he whimpered, “don’t pinch me again. Please don’t…”
Kelly froze where she stood.
Even Theo, standing nearby, couldn’t react fast enough.
The hallway fell into silence, so quiet that Matty’s small, frightened voice echoed down its length, ringing clear as a bell.
Instinctively, Kelly moved forward, as if to help the boy off the ground.
But a sharp voice rang out from down the hall.
“Kelly, what are you doing to Matty?!”
Sharon appeared out of nowhere and shoved Kelly aside. “Matty, are you okay?”
In her rush to check on Matty, Sharon’s hand was a bit too forceful.
Kelly gave a shriek and stumbled back, landing hard on the floor.
Just then, Carter stepped out of the teacher’s office. His eyes narrowed the moment he took in the scene.
He walked straight over and helped Kelly to her feet, his face dark.
“Sharon, that was too much.”
Sharon shot him a cold look. “Piss off.”
The kindergarten teachers rushed over and surrounded Matty. One of them bent down, concerned. “Matty, what happened?”
Matty sniffled. “I saw Kelly take Theo to a corner where there aren’t any cameras… I got worried, so I followed. Then I heard Kelly whispering to him…”
Sharon’s eyes darkened. “What did they say?”
Matty lifted his sleeve and wiped his eyes, revealing the mark where he’d pinched himself.
“I… I didn’t hear anything.”
He glanced over at Kelly as he said it, his face full of fear.
“Kelly, I swear I didn’t hear anything…”
1/2
When Shaton saw the bruise on Matty’s arm, her gaze went cold.
“Matty, you don’t have to be scared. I’m here now. No one can hurt you. Just tell me everything you heard, okay? Don’t leave anything out.”
Encouraged by her words, Matty drew in a breath and summoned his courage.
“Kelly told Theo that you and I stopped the doctors from saving him… that we were hoping he’d die. She also told him not to tell anyone. But just now, he almost slipped up. And there’s more… She said Theo’s dad lied, too. That he only said we saved Theo because he was worried about your relationship with him.”
The hallway seemed to freeze in place.
Kelly scrambled to defend herself. “No, Carter, I didn’t push him-I didn’t do anything. He fell on purpose to frame me. If you don’t believe me, ask Theo!”
She yanked the dazed Theo forward.
“Theo, you saw what happened. Tell everyone the truth. Tell them I didn’t do anything. This brat is making it all up!”
“Making it up?” Sharon gave a cold laugh, turning to Theo. “Theo, say it right here, in front of everyone. Tell us, is Matty lying?”
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Chapter 142
At that moment, Theo’s mind was a complete mess.
Matty’s performance had been too abrupt, too well-timed–he didn’t even have a chance to react. He had never been in a
situation like this before. Some of what Matty said was true, some fabricated, but Theo had been raised to never lie. Now, faced with this chaos, he had no idea what to say.
The hesitation on his face, the flickering uncertainty, was impossible to miss.
Sharon knew Theo too well. One glance, and she could tell-Matty wasn’t lying.
She could no longer hold back. With a sudden swing, she slapped Kelly across the face.
The sound cracked through the corridor, Kelly staggered back and fell to the floor, her cheek swelling almost instantly.
Clutching her face, Kelly screamed. “You hit me?!”
Sharon’s eyes gleamed cold and sharp. Her voice was icy. “Damn right I did. Try laying a hand on a kid again.”
She’d always believed that if a man cheated, the fault lay with the man himself. The mistress was just a spark, not the fire. So, although she despised Kelly, she had never planned to truly go after her.
It was one thing to brainwash Theo or corrupt him with her nonsense. After all, Carter and Theo had always shared a weakness for that fragile, doe-eyed type.
But now-now she had dared to lay hands on an innocent child.
That, Sharon couldn’t accept.
Did Kelly really think she could push her around like some spineless pushover?
Kelly had been back in the country for some time now, carefully protected by Carter and Nate. She hadn’t suffered so much as a scratch. Now, slapped to the floor in front of everyone, she completely snapped.
Eyes wild, she lunged at Sharon, shrieking, “Sharon, I’ll kill you!”
Sharon gave a cold, dismissive laugh. She caught Kelly’s wrist mid-swing and raised her hand again, ready to return the favor with another slap.
But suddenly, her wrist was gripped tightly.
Carter’s voice cut through the moment. “Sharon. That’s enough.”
With Carter’s help, Kelly broke free of Sharon’s grasp and, without missing a beat, slapped her hard across the face.
Sharon, still restrained by Carter, couldn’t dodge. The slap landed with a sharp crack.
Carter’s expression shifted. “Kelly, stop.”
But Kelly, consumed by emotion, didn’t hear a word. She launched at Sharon in a fury, clawing, hitting, and screaming.
Sharon didn’t even try to dodge. She waited for the right moment and then grabbed a fistful of Kelly’s long hair, yanking hard.
“Aaah!!!”
The scream that tore from Kelly was raw and piercing.
She flailed, scratching desperately at Sharon’s hands. But Sharon, unfazed, held her grip firm. Her eyes were cold, her stance unshaken. One hand still tangled in Kelly’s hair, the other trapped by Carter, she could no longer strike, but that didn’t stop her.
1/2
With a swift motion, she raised her knee and drove it into Kelly’s leg.
Another shriek. Kelly lost balance and collapsed to the ground, knees buckling under her.
They weren’t in the same league. Without Carter’s intervention, Kelly wouldn’t have stood a chance.
Seeing the scene unfold, Carter’s gaze darkened. He moved to seize Sharon’s other hand, but just then, another hand appeared, blocking his.
A smooth, lazy male voice spoke up, low and magnetic, yet clearly audible.
“Mr. Biggs, it’s rather unseemly for a man to interfere in women’s disputes, don’t you think? Especially when you’re helping an outsider go after your own wife. Are you sure that’s a good look?”
Matty’s eyes lit up. “Daddy, you’re here!”
Xavier cast a glance-casual but cutting-toward the kindergarten teachers, then at Kelly.
“If I hadn’t shown up now, any random person could’ve stepped all over my son.”
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Chapter 143
Xavier’s voice faltered for a beat, then his expression turned cold. A quiet, crushing force seemed to radiate from him.
“You really think that just anyone can get away with bullying my son?”
The teachers froze, silence crashing over them like a wave.
They had seen Xavier in person no more than a handful of times. But everyone knew-no child was admitted to this kindergarten unless their family was either obscenely rich or dangerously powerful.
Still, in their minds, Carter had always been the dominant force in Amstern City-a man no one dared to cross. He’d come to the kindergarten more than once to support Theo. Inevitably, the balance of sympathy had tipped in his son’s favor.
In fact, just moments ago, they’d gently suggested to Sharon that she should consider switching Matty to another school to separate the two children, for the sake of peace.
But now, seeing Matty’s father standing here in person, they realized-this man wasn’t someone to take lightly either.
Xavier didn’t raise his voice. He didn’t even appear to use much strength, yet somehow, Sharon’s hand slipped effortlessly from Carter’s grip.
And in that instant of freedom, Sharon swung again-another sharp slap across Kelly’s face, then another, and another. Kelly screamed with each hit, the sound ragged and panicked.
Carter frowned, stepping forward to stop her, only to meet Xavier’s half-smile, one that didn’t quite reach his eyes.
That smile made him pause.
He froze in place.
Blocking Kelly with his own body, he finally shouted, “Sharon, that’s enough!” 1
Sharon dropped her hand, her fingers tingling from the repeated blows. She didn’t even look at Carter.
Her voice came out flat. “Kelly, apologize.”
Kelly looked like she was on the edge of losing her mind.
This was humiliation. Real, brutal humiliation.
In her entire life, she had never been treated like this.
“Carter! She hit me! She actually dared to hit me!” Kelly’s eyes were red, her face contorted into something ugly and unrecognizable. “Don’t let her get away with this! You can’t just let her walk away!” 1
Theo watched her melt down, and without thinking, he took a step back.
The Kelly he’d always known-gentle and kind like a fairy-suddenly seemed terrifying.
Carter’s voice was low. “Kelly, calm down.”
But Kelly clung tightly to his arm, refusing to let go. “Carter, you’re really not going to stand up for me?”
“That’s right, Mr. Biggs,” Matty said quietly. “Aren’t you going to stand up for Sharon too? Kelly twisted the story. She said Sharon and I tried to hurt Theo, but in reality, we were saving him. She said you didn’t want Theo to be close to Sharon, so you made up lies.”
“I think I finally understand why Theo never gets along with Sharon,” Matty added, turning to look at Kelly. “It’s because Kelly’s always feeding him lies.”
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Carter’s dark eyes turned colder, sharper-like a hawk locking onto prey. He looked down at Theo.
Theo lowered his head, unable to meet his father’s gaze.
Carter didn’t need an explanation. He knew.
He’d already suspected something was off when Theo had slipped earlier and almost let the truth out. But he hadn’t pressed the issue-not in front of the teachers. He hadn’t wanted to embarrass Kelly publicly.
He’d meant to question Theo privately.
But now that everything had come out into the open, there was no use pretending anymore.
After a few seconds of silence, he turned to Kelly.
“Kelly. Apologize.”
Kelly stared at him in disbelief. “Carter… what did you just say?”
His voice was cold. “Apologize to Matty and Sharon.”
“Carter?!”
Carter held her gaze, his tone flat and final. “I’ll say it one last time. Apologize to Matty and Sharon.”
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Chapter 144
Kelly’s frenzy broke-her senses snapping back with startling clarity.
She realized then: she’d lost control.
Back in the day, if Sharon had dared lay a hand on her, she could’ve shed a few tears, played the pitiful card, and both Carter and Theo would’ve leapt to her defense without question.
But this time, Matty’s sudden maneuver had caught her completely off guard. Then those slaps from Sharon-sharp, stinging, humiliating-had pushed her over the edge. In the rush of it all, she’d done something reckless, something she couldn’t take
back.
“My head… it hurts…” Kelly pressed her temples and blinked like someone just waking up. Her voice softened. “I’m sorry, Carter. I think I had another episode…”
Sharon let out a light laugh. “Kelly, you certainly have a lot of mysterious illnesses.”
Kelly, now fully composed, acted as if she hadn’t heard the biting sarcasm. She lowered her head and let a few tears slip silently
down her face.
“I’m sorry, Sharon. And Matty… I must’ve frightened you both.”
Xavier studied her, his tone laced with quiet amusement. “Kelly, don’t tell me you’ve forgotten what just happened?”
Kelly offered a strained smile. “No… I remember. It’s just… sometimes I lose control of my emotions.” 2
“Oh?” Xavier raised a brow, feigning surprise. “So in addition to your terminal illness, you’ve got emotional issues too? My, Kelly, to be burdened with such a list of ailments and still apologize to my son are you sure that’s appropriate?”
–
“No, I was wrong just now.” Kelly stepped toward Matty. “Matty, I’m sorry. 1 was unwell and couldn’t control my emotions. That’s why I pushed you. Will you forgive me?”
She knew this routine well. Better to admit fault than explain-any excuse would only make things worse.
Even if it left a bitter taste in her mouth.
Matty put on a gracious face. “Oh, so you’re sick. Then it’s okay. I forgive you.”
Sharon turned, her gaze falling on Theo. “And what about you, Theo?”
Theo hadn’t even begun to process everything with Kelly when Sharon called him out. He stiffened, turned his head sharply to the side, and refused to apologize.
Carter’s voice dropped, firm and low. “Theo.”
“I didn’t do anything wrong!” Theo’s eyes grew red with frustration. “He provoked me first! He said he was going to steal Mommy! He was trying to make me mad on purpose, and now I’m supposed to apologize to him?”
Sharon’s voice was flat. “He saved you, and you said he was trying to hurt you. Everyone saw what really happened, and you’re still lying. Theo, when did you become someone who twists the truth?”
‘So this is what happens,’ she thought. ‘Proximity to darkness stains even the brightest things.’
He’d been around Kelly too long. The Theo who never lied was starting to learn how.
His face crumpled. “You’re my mom. You don’t believe me, but you believe that bad kid instead?”
The accusation rippled through her, but the emotion passed quickly, settling back into calm.
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Chapter 144
“I only believe what’s true.”
She no longer looked at him. Her eyes shifted to Carter.
His gaze flickered, unreadable. Then his lips moved, quiet but resolute. “Theo. Apologize.”
Theo stood still, unwilling. But under his father’s steady, heavy stare, he finally dropped his head and muttered, barely audible,”
Sorry.”
Matty, ever composed, smiled gently. “It’s okay. Since you’re Sharon’s son, I won’t hold it against you.”
Theo clenched his fists, the image of Matty’s smug face from earlier flashing back in his mind.
But Xavier didn’t press the matter further. Instead, he turned to the teachers.
“Kids fight. That’s normal. My son isn’t that fragile. Next time something small like this happens, no need to keep calling the
parents.”
Chapter 145
“I’m paying for my kid to come to this kindergarten to learn, not to be summoned every time something happens just so I can sit here and be lectured,” Xavier said. “If your school can’t even handle basic conflicts between children, you may as well shut it down before you ruin more kids.” 1
The teachers stood in silence, not even daring to lift their heads.
The truth was, the children here were all too precious-no scolding, no harsh words, not even a stern look was allowed. That was why they had no choice but to call the parents every time.
But in front of Xavier, none of them dared make excuses. They could only force polite smiles.
“You’re absolutely right, Mr. Cooper. We’ll do better in the future.”
Xavier gave a slight nod, then handed a document envelope to Sharon.
“This is for you.”
She took it, opened it with a glance, and immediately understood what it was.
“Thank you.”
Xavier turned to look at Matty. “Sharon has something to take care of. You’ll come home with me today.”
Matty nodded obediently. “Sharon, I’ll go home with Dad today. We can practice violin again tomorrow.”
“Alright.” Sharon waved at him, saying goodbye.
Once Xavier and his son had left, the teachers dispersed quietly as well.
Sharon turned to Carter. “There’s something I’d like to talk to you about.”
He glanced back at her. “We’ll talk at home.”
This clearly wasn’t the place for a real conversation, so Sharon didn’t object.
After leaving the kindergarten, the group made their way to Carter’s car.
He glanced at Kelly’s red, swollen face. “I’ll take you home. Do you want to go straight there or stop by the hospital?”
Kelly quickly replied, “Carter, you and Sharon still have things to discuss. You don’t need to take me. I can get home on my own.
His voice dropped, low and steady. “I’ll say it again. Get in the car.”
She hesitated, wanting to play coy a bit longer, but when she saw the cold, stormy look on his face, the words caught in her throat and stayed there.
Thank goodness Sharon had something to talk to him about. That would give her some time to think-figure out how to spin the mess from earlier into something more forgivable.
She opened the front passenger door, about to slide in, when Carter’s voice came from behind.
“Sit in the back.”
She paused. A flicker of resentment flashed through her eyes, but she kept her tone soft, the smile on her lips still gentle.
“Alright.”
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She opened the back door instead and turned to Theo. “Theo, hop in.”
“Thank you, Ms. Walt,” he said politely.
Her fingers tensed around the door handle.
He only called her “Ms. Walt” when he was keeping his distance-when he didn’t trust her.
If it weren’t for Sharon, she would’ve had Theo wrapped around her finger by now.
But now, both father and son were starting to pull away, growing suspicious, pushing her further and further out.
The bitterness in her heart deepened.
Then Sharon opened the passenger door and got in.
Just as she reached for her seatbelt, she caught sight of something-a small sticker right in front of her that read: Reserved Seat.
She froze for a moment. A flicker of mockery passed through her eyes.
So this seat was Kelly’s special seat.
Back when Kelly hadn’t returned yet, Sharon had rarely gone anywhere with Carter. Even less often had she ridden in his car. And when she did, she usually sat in the back with Theo.
Her gaze swept over the interior, quiet and observant.
She spotted a hanging charm for safety, a small trinket clearly gifted by a woman-completely mismatched with Carter’s style. There were also cutesy-patterned floor mats under her feet.
And then there was the scent-faint but unmistakable. She’d smelled it before. It was Kelly’s perfume.
Suddenly, it hit her-this entire car reeked of Kelly.
It was suffocating and nauseating.
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Chapter 146
Carter noticed that after Sharon got in the car, she didn’t buckle her seatbelt. Instead, she just sat there, motionless, lost in thought.
“What is it?” he asked.
She didn’t respond. Her gaze was fixed, staring intently at something.
He followed her line of sight and saw the small sticker in front of her seat that read Reserved Seat. His eyes darkened slightly,
Without warning, he leaned in.
His tall frame loomed over her, and Sharon instinctively pulled back, her brows furrowing. But then, he reached out, only to draw the seatbelt from the side and fasten it for her.
She blinked, caught off guard.
His voice brushed against her ear. “Buckle up.” (1
From the back seat, Kelly’s expression twisted for the briefest second.
But she quickly covered it with a smile. “Sharon, even in the front seat, you should wear your seatbelt… See how considerate Carter is?”
Sharon laughed to herself, coldly.
Yes, Carter was considerate. So considerate he let another woman’s presence permeate everything-even down to the sticker in
front of her face.
She said evenly, “Fastening a seatbelt counts as considerate now? Kelly, your standards are embarrassingly low.”
Kelly smiled, the way a close girlfriend might, and chimed in lightly, “Then tell me, Sharon, what would you consider true thoughtfulness?”
Sharon’s voice was calm. “No matter what he’s doing, the moment I call, he’ll come to me. Even if I’ve made a mistake, he’ll instinctively make excuses for me. And if someone refuses to forgive me, he’ll guilt them for being unkind and accuse them of being petty.
“If I take a liking to something-doesn’t matter if it’s mine or not, even if it belonged to someone who’s passed away—if I want it, he’ll make sure it ends up in my hands.
“All I need to do is shed a few tears, look pitiful enough, and he’ll lose all logic and take my side without question. And…” She turned slightly, offering Kelly a small, composed smile.
“If I get sick, he’ll make sure someone close to him personally prepares a healing tonic for me. Because otherwise, how would I know he actually cares?”
Kelly’s smile faltered. Her face stiffened, and the cheer in her voice began to sound forced.
Even she, as thick-skinned as she was, could hear the pointed edge in Sharon’s words.
In the back seat, Theo furrowed his brows. Something about what his mom said… felt strange.
It sounded eerily like that mean kid Matty.
The thought lingered in his mind, and finally he couldn’t help asking, “But… if someone pretends to be pitiful like that, why would people just believe them and take their side?”
Sharon looked at him and replied calmly, “Because some people are good at pretending. And because most people are biased,
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Chapter 146
+25 BONUS
they instinctively protect the ones they care about more. Even when they sense something’s off, they’ll pretend not to see it.”
The words lodged themselves in Theo’s chest like a stone.
So… Mom was already starting to side with Matty?
Why?
A wave of panic swept through him, a fear of something slipping away.
His face turned pale.
Carter’s voice broke the silence, “Sharon, don’t say things like that. You’ll influence Theo negatively.”
Sharon’s reply was cool and unhurried. “Exactly. I’ve influenced him so much he’s even learned how to lie.”
She used to be gentle, always agreeable, never once talked back. Now, her sharp tongue left him reeling.
After dropping Kelly off, Carter drove them toward the villa.
The scenery along the way was familiar—too familiar. And yet, Sharon, who hadn’t been back in a month, felt as if she were stepping into a place she no longer belonged. It felt like it had been years. 1
Once inside the living room, Carter turned to Theo. “Go upstairs first.”
Theo nodded obediently and was just about to head up when Sharon called out to stop him.
“Wait. There’s something he has the right to know.”
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Chapter 147
Theo saw the solemn expression on Sharon’s face and felt a flicker of unease.
Beside him, Carter’s face darkened, sensing something off.
“Sharon, what are you trying to do?”
She didn’t answer him. Her gaze stayed fixed on Theo.
“I haven’t been home lately. You must’ve noticed. I’ve already packed up all my things. I won’t be coming back. I want you to know that I’m divorcing your father. You’ll be living with him from now on. He’ll have custody.”
Theo stood frozen. “Divorce?”
He was five. Old enough to understand what that word meant.
Sharon nodded. She was about to continue when Carter’s voice cut through coldly, his expression tight with anger.
“Sharon, do you have to say this in front of Theo?”
She let out a quiet laugh. “Why not? He has a right to know. Not long ago, your son was all about freedom, equality, and respect. Or have you forgotten? And when you made me apologize to Kelly, when you humiliated me, you didn’t seem all that concerned about how it would affect him.”
Carter’s face darkened further. “It’s one thing to come at me. But holding on to a child’s words like this-Sharon, Theo isn’t just anyone. He’s your son.”
Sharon let out a cold, mirthless laugh. “Other than the fact that I gave birth to him, I don’t see how he resembles my son in any way. Theo spends all day siding with outsiders, trying to please someone who doesn’t even belong here.”
Carter said flatly, “If you can’t win Theo’s affection, maybe the problem lies with you. Sharon, stop blaming the world for your own shortcomings. Maybe it’s time to look inward.”
She stared at him, eyes clear and unwavering. “Then tell me-your constant bias toward an outsider, running around for her day and night… Is that also because I failed to win your affection?”
His mouth opened slightly, but no words came out.
Sharon had been a model wife. Even after Kelly came back, she never gave him a reason to complain.
“I’ve explained it to you over and over,” Carter said at last. “Kelly and I… It’s not what you think. Why do you keep holding a grudge against someone who’s already dying?
“Back when my career was just starting to take off, when the company was at a turning point, my mother did everything she could to break us apart. She kidnapped Kelly, threatened her, and bribed her. To avoid becoming my weakness, she left, despite the pain.
“In the years she was overseas, she fell into depression. The prolonged stress eventually led to a terminal illness. I owe her. You know that. I can’t just walk away from her now.” 1
Sharon clapped softly. “What a heart-wrenching story.”
Then her tone shifted, sharp and cold. “But tell me, what does what you owe Kelly have to do with me? Why should I have to be the one to suffer for your twisted, disgusting affair?” (1
There was no softness in her voice anymore. She locked eyes with him, not blinking.
“Carter, let me make it very clear-this divorce, I’m not backing down.”
1/2
He looked at her in silence, his eyes dark and unreadable. “You really want a divorce?”
She gave a short laugh. “What, you think this is some kind of ploy?”
“Isn’t it?”
Her eyelids lifted slightly. “Did Kelly give you that illusion too? Is that where you get this inflated sense of self-worth?”
His lips curled faintly. “If you truly wanted a divorce, you wouldn’t have said all this in front of Theo. You’re using him. You want him to hear it so he’ll try to stop us.”
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Chapter 148
Sharon let out a laugh, as if she’d just heard the punchline to a dark joke. “He likes Kelly so much, maybe he’s been hoping for this all along. Hoping we’d split up, so you could give him a new mom. You think… he’d try to stop us?”
Carter’s voice dropped low. “Sharon, can you not always let your imagination run wild?”
“Run wild?” Sharon’s lips curved faintly. She turned her gaze toward Theo. “Theo, tell your dad-between me and Kelly, who do you like more?”
The boy’s mind was already in chaos. Ever since she said the word divorce, everything blurred into noise.
Mom and Dad… were getting a divorce?
He had never even considered that possibility. He’d always believed, no matter what, his mom would stay with him, and with
Dad.
“Theo.” Sharon’s voice pulled him back.
He blinked up at her, dazed. The words between his parents barely registered.
Sharon repeated the question, this time slowly, clearly. “Between me and your Kelly, who do you like more?”
He was still small, but not that small. He knew what the right answer should be.
He should say: I like Mom more.
But when he looked into her eyes-so clear, so calm-the words caught in his throat and refused to come out.
“Hard to answer?” Sharon asked, her voice light but edged. “Why?”
Carter stepped in front of Theo, shielding him. “Sharon, what are you doing? Don’t put him in this position.”
“Oh, this is putting him in a position?” Her laugh was soft, almost gentle. “Fine. I won’t ask him. I’ll ask you instead. Carter, between me and Kelly, who do you love more?”
He pressed his lips into a line, about to answer when she cut him off.
“Don’t give me your usual deflections. Don’t say I’m being irrational, or that I’m making trouble for no reason. I’m tired of hearing that.”
She stood there, still as glass.
“If you’re a man, Carter, then answer me. Directly.”
The air seemed to hold its breath.
Theo looked up at his father, frozen. He didn’t know why, but a strong wave of fear rolled through him.
He liked Kelly-more than Mom. That much he knew.
Kelly was gentle. She was more capable than Mom. When she played the violin, she looked just like a fairy. And she always smelled nice.
Mom didn’t wear makeup. She always smelled like cooking oil or medicinal herbs. She scolded him. Always told him what he couldn’t eat. He stayed up late once, and she had nagged him for days.
༤ རྦ་ ཡེ །
But Kelly… Kelly gave him treats. Took him to play games Mom never let him try because of his weak health.
Even when he stayed up too late, Kelly only smiled at him and asked, “Are you sure you’ll be okay tomorrow?”
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Chapter
And when he fought with Matty at school, Mom never took his side. She made him apologize-even when he wasn’t wrong.
But Kelly? She stood by him, no matter what. Right or wrong didn’t matter.
With Kelly, he felt truly spoiled. He could mess up, act out, and never worry-because Kelly would always speak up for him.
Even if he got into a fight with someone like that awful Matty kid, he could fight back. Because as long as Kelly talked to Dad, Dad would let it go.
But Mom? She’d just stand there in silence when Dad scolded him, like she didn’t dare speak. She wouldn’t even breathe too loud, let alone defend him.
Kelly had so many good points. Of course, he liked her more than Mom. Wasn’t that normal?
But… if Dad liked Kelly more than Mom too-
Was that normal?
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Chapter 149
Theo couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off. He didn’t know what it was exactly-just that something in the air felt
wrong
But one thing he knew with certainty: he didn’t want his parents to get divorced.
He liked Kelly, sure. But that didn’t mean he wanted her to be his mom.
For some reason, his heart was suddenly suspended in his chest, like it had been lifted out of place.
And now, he didn’t dare hear the answer his dad was about to give.
After a long silence, Carter finally spoke. “There’s no need to compare you and Kelly.”
Still, he hadn’t answered the question. Not really.
Sharon didn’t press further. “Got it. That tells me everything.” 1
She turned to look at Theo. “Go back to your room. Your dad and I need to talk alone.”
Theo glanced at his father, uneasy, then climbed the stairs and disappeared from view.
Once he was gone, Sharon reached into the folder and pulled out a document.
“This is the new divorce agreement I drafted. If you don’t have any objections, sign it.”
Carter’s jaw tightened. “Sharon, I’ve already given you plenty of chances to back down. Keep pushing, and this will all backfire.”
“Backfire?” Sharon raised her brows in surprise. “That sounds great, actually.”
His eyes darkened. “Fine. You said it. Don’t regret it later.”
“You’ve said that many times,” she replied flatly. “Do I look like I’ve ever regretted anything?”
Carter didn’t say another word. He took the document from her and flipped through it.
A few minutes later, he looked up, a cold smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth.
“You really want half my assets? Sharon, you’ve got some nerve.”
Her expression was calm, steady, like still water.
“I gave birth to your child, raised him, spent my days like a live-in maid-cooking, cleaning, taking care of your mom. I even helped you with the nonsense you call filial piety. And now you’re telling me I don’t deserve half?”
Instead of getting angry, Carter actually laughed. “You’re the one calling yourself a maid. If you lower yourself like that, is it any wonder the kid’s not close to you?”
Sharon answered lazily, “Ah, right. I misspoke. I’m not a maid. I’m not even as good as a maid. At least the housekeepers earn thousands a month. Me? I do all that, serve you in bed, and don’t get a single cent. And still, your mother calls me a leech. Like I was starving before I married into this family.”
Carter stared at her with disappointment clouding his face.
“You say you gave birth for our family, like Theo isn’t your own son. For a mother to say something like that, honestly, it’s just pathetic.”
Sharon shot back, “If I didn’t give birth for your family, then who was it for? Myself? When I was in labor, nearly dying in the delivery room, where were you? I risked my life to bring him into this world. So tell me, why does he get your last name? You say he’s my son too? Fine. Then when we divorce, are you willing to let me have custody?”
1/2
Her words backed Carter into a corner. It took him a long moment before he could speak.
“No matter what, he’s still your child.”
“Exactly,” Sharon said. “He’s yours, and he’s mine. So give me custody.”
Carter looked at her like she’d gone mad.
“Theo is the future heir of the Biggs family. He’s not yours to take. And even if I wanted to hand him over, you couldn’t afford to
raise him.”
Chapter 150
Sharon looked at Carter. “If I could afford to raise him, would you give him to me?”
Carter didn’t hesitate. “Absolutely not.”
Her eyes lifted, gaze steady on his sharp, handsome features. “And if I insisted?”
His answer was cutting, almost cruel. “Sharon, if you try to take him from me, you don’t stand a chance.”
She let out a soft, bitter laugh. “That’s right. Even if it goes to court, I’m just a stay-at-home mom with no real income. No judge is going to hand him over to me.”
Her eyes locked onto his.
“See? I gave up my career to care for our child. Became a full-time wife and mother. In the end, that choice-my sacrifice- becomes the very reason I don’t get custody. Just another excuse for your side to attack me. The work of a stay-at-home mom? It counts for nothing. Tell me, Carter, do you still believe this child belongs to me, too?”
If she had any kind of background or standing, maybe she’d have a shot at keeping Theo. But she had no support, no influence. Madeline had never liked her.
After the divorce, her connection to the boy would fade, especially now that he was growing more distant, more warped. He might even come to feel ashamed of having her as a mother.
Of course, Sharon wasn’t really trying to fight for custody. She knew from the start that she wouldn’t win. The moment she decided to leave, she’d accepted she’d walk away with nothing.
The original divorce agreement she’d drafted? It didn’t ask for a single cent. If Carter had simply signed it, that would’ve been the end of it.
But he hadn’t. And Kelly had taken every opportunity to flaunt her presence in front of Sharon.
Even a clay statue has its breaking point.
They’d treated her like she wasn’t even human. So now, if they chose to be merciless, she could be, too.
Carter was silent for a long moment.
Faced with Sharon’s unrelenting stance, an unspoken irritation began to churn in him.
Something was slipping out of his control.
His voice came low and flat. “And what if I don’t agree to the divorce?”
Sharon’s expression didn’t shift. “Let’s end it peacefully, for Theo’s sake, if nothing else. I don’t want this to turn ugly. You don’t want the world to watch us tear each other apart, do you?”
Carter knew full well: with Xavier backing her now, she had the means to stir up trouble.
If it got out that they were fighting like this, the scandal could spread fast, maybe even shake the stock market.
And the damage to Theo? Unpredictable.
Carter’s eyes darkened. “Sharon, have you thought about what might happen if you push me too far?”
“I’m not afraid of anything,” she said. “I’ve already given up my son. What do you have left to threaten me with?”
He paused, then said quietly, “John and Wendy… They’re your friends, aren’t they?”
Sharon gave a faint smile. “At least they’re both strong and healthy, not the fragile type. They can handle whatever comes.”
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Chapter 150
“But Kelly…” Sharon tilted her head, as if casually recalling a fact. “If I remember right, she’s got five months left, doesn’t she?”
A beat passed. Then she added, “Oh, and wasn’t her last wish to hold a concert? I wonder if that’ll still happen.”
Carter caught the threat laced in her words. Of course he did.
His gaze turned ice-cold. “Sharon, if you so much as touch Kelly, I’ll make you pay.”
Sharon looked down at the divorce papers.
“Sign them,” she said. “Then you won’t have anything to worry about.”
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Chapter 151
Carter’s voice was icy. “And what if I refuse to sign?”
Sharon didn’t flinch. “Then whether Kelly gets to fulfill her dream… becomes a question mark.”
A sharp glint flashed in Carter’s eyes-cold and razor-edged, bright enough to cut through flesh.
“Sharon, are you trying to get yourself killed?”
Her lashes lifted slightly, her gaze meeting his without hesitation.
“Oh? So when you threaten me using the people I care about, it’s just business. But when I use your precious Kelly against you, suddenly I’m signing my own death warrant? Carter, I never wanted to drag anyone else into this. But Kelly kept shoving herself in my face, over and over. If she’d stayed out of my way, I wouldn’t have touched her. If you’ve got a problem with me, take it up with me directly. But if you lay a finger on any of my friends…”
Sharon leaned in slightly, her lips parting as she spoke with chilling precision.
“I have nothing left to lose. Push me, and I won’t just ruin Kelly-I’ll make sure your entire family pays for it.”
Something dangerous flickered in her eyes, something that made Carter freeze for a split second.
In that moment, he realized the woman standing before him-the one he’d once thought soft and pliant-wasn’t nearly as easy to control as he’d believed.
Push her too far, and she was capable of anything.
He gulped, jaw tightening. A few seconds passed.
Then he tossed the divorce agreement back at her.
“You want a divorce? Fine. But taking half my assets? Not happening.”
Sharon wasn’t surprised. “Then name your terms. I’m listening.”
He sank into the nearby couch. “You walk away with nothing. Then we have a deal.”
Leave with nothing. Of course.
Sharon didn’t even blink. There was no anger or pain in her face.
He had always been generous with Kelly, never expecting anything in return. But with her-every cent had to be measured.
She opened her mouth to speak, but Carter cut her off.
“Take your time. Go home and think it over before you decide. Even if you agree today, I’m busy. And that agreement-you’ll
need to rewrite it.”
“Got it.” Sharon’s voice was steady, her expression unreadable. “If that’s all, I’ll leave now.”
He didn’t respond.
She didn’t seem to care. She walked past him without another glance.
Then, as if remembering something, she stopped.
Carter’s gaze flicked up. “Something else?”
Sharon nodded, picking up the glass of water from the table.
1/2
“Yeah. Almost forgot.”
Carter watched, confused. After all that, was she just… thirsty?
Before the thought could fully form, she hurled the entire glass of water straight into his face.
Not a single drop missed.
Ice-cold water streamed down the sharp angles of his face, soaking into his immaculate suit.
Sharon said, “Earlier, you held me down and let Kelly slap me. Consider this payback.”
And without another word, she turned and walked out of the villa. She never looked back.
The weekend arrived before they knew it.
Today was the kindergarten’s talent show, and Sharon had come early with a violin case over her shoulder and little Matty by
her side.
“Sharon, I’m so nervous,” Matty admitted, taking deep breaths-once, twice-but the butterflies in his stomach wouldn’t go
away.
Sharon knelt to his level. “Don’t be. Just follow my lead during the performance. Take your time-you’ve got this.”
Just as Matty opened his mouth to reply, a gentle voice spoke up behind them.
“Sharon… are you playing violin too?”
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Chapter 152
Sharon turned around and saw Theo, Carter, and Kelly standing not far away. Nate stood beside them. He had come along to lend support.
In Nate’s hand were two violins: one belonging to Kelly, the other to Theo.
Kelly tilted her head, looking up at Carter with a face full of surprise. “Carter, Sharon plays the violin too? How come you and Theo never mentioned that before?”
Nate let out a short, mocking laugh. “She’s just copying Kelly, that’s all. Probably thought Kelly looked too beautiful playing the violin and decided to mimic her. Kelly was a renowned musical talent back at Bell University. No matter how hard Sharon tries, she won’t even come close to a tenth of what Kelly can do. And if she hadn’t purposely dressed like Kelly back then, Carter never would’ve mistaken her for-”
Before he could finish, Kelly quickly interrupted, “That’s enough, Nate. Theo’s right here. Don’t say such things.”
Nate clicked his tongue and fell silent, though his displeasure still hung thick in the air.
Theo, noticing how beautifully his mother was dressed-yet standing there beside Matty-felt a wave of jealousy burn in his
chest.
“You can copy Kelly all you want,” he shouted, eyes reddening, “but you’ll never be as good as her!”
Just then, a low, magnetic voice cut through the tension from behind the group. “Kid, you and your dad-your eyesight’s seriously off.”
Xavier stepped forward. His features were striking, his stance relaxed, and an effortless, almost playful smile tugged at his lips. The faint gleam in his dark eyes caught the light like a ripple on still water-calm, but impossible to ignore.
“Daddy,” Matty piped up, “where did you go just now?”
“Ran into an old acquaintance. Chatted for a bit,” Xavier replied.
He walked over to Theo, bent down slightly, and chuckled. “Tell me something, little man-don’t you think your mom looks way more beautiful than Kelly?”
Back when Sharon was raising Theo on her own, she rarely had time to dress up. In fact, ever since giving birth, she’d hardly worn skirts or touched makeup. She wasn’t sloppy, but she always went barefaced and kept her clothes simple and practical.
Even as a full-time housewife, her days were packed. Driving Theo to school, picking him up, cooking every meal, brewing herbal tonics when he wasn’t feeling well-each batch took three to four hours to prepare.
She’d visit Uriah for prescriptions and deliver medicine to Madeline. There was barely a minute she could call her own.
But today-today was different.
Because of the performance, she wore light, elegant makeup. Her long hair was swept into a perfect chignon. A white dress hugged her figure flawlessly, the clean lines accentuating her graceful silhouette. Her skin practically glowed under the sunlight.
Her eyes and brows were delicate, each feature drawn with quiet precision, like brushstrokes from a classical ink painting- refined, ethereal, untouched by the dust of the everyday world.
ཨེ་ཆ་ཋ༴་ཚཝ་ ལོ་༤ལ་ ཚལ
By coincidence-or perhaps not-she and Kelly were both dressed in white today.
Kelly, too, was beautiful. Her features were soft and delicate, her frame slender and fragile, giving off an air of vulnerable elegance that made people instinctively want to shield her.
Her white dress had been custom-made by someone Carter had hired especially for today’s performance. It matched her appearance and demeanor perfectly.
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TOYSE-
She clearly understood her strengths-her styling leaned into the gentle, delicate charm she wore so effortlessly.
But now, standing next to Sharon, the contrast was impossible to miss. Especially with both of them in white–the difference
stood out even more.
Kelly’s face stiffened at Xavier’s words. She bit her lower lip, tears welling in her eyes, looking utterly wronged-like she
wanted to explain herself but didn’t know how.
Seeing this, Nate’s anger instantly reignited.
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Chapter 153
“Sharon, you really have no shame,” Nate sneered. “Kelly plays the violin, so you start playing the violin. Kelly wears a white dress, and suddenly you’re in one too? Give it a rest. No matter how much you try to copy Kelly, you’ll always be a cheap knockoff who doesn’t belong on a real stage.”
Sharon raised her gaze, calm and steady. “Oh? So violins and white dresses belong to Kelly now? She’s the only one allowed to use them?”
Nate’s voice turned sharper, thick with scorn. “Showing up to a place like this just to imitate Kelly-could you be more obvious? No matter how hard a fake tries, it’s still a fake.”
Xavier let out a quiet chuckle. “If your vision’s really that bad, maybe it’s time you got your eyes checked. Anyone with half a brain can see who the original is and who’s the knockoff.”
Nate’s expression shifted as he opened his mouth to snap back-
But Xavier beat him to it, his tone light but razor sharp. “Not convinced? We can always grab a few passersby and see what they think.”
Nate froze. The words stuck in his throat.
He hated Sharon, sure-but even he had to admit, when it came to looks, she had Kelly beat by a mile. Her features were too polished, her bone structure too flawless. Even without a trace of makeup on her, Kelly couldn’t compete.
Anyone with a basic sense of aesthetics could see it plain as day.
After a long pause, Nate finally squeezed out a bitter sentence. “So what if she’s got the better face? Underneath all that, she’s still toxic.”
Xavier gave a faint smile. “Maybe she is, maybe she isn’t. But being better-looking than Kelly? That’s more than enough.”
Nate’s eyes widened in fury. “You-!”
“Sharon, Matty! There you are!” Just then, a bright, cheerful voice rang out.
Wendy jogged over to the group. “This kindergarten is huge! I’ve been searching everywhere for you two.”
She’d come today just to cheer Matty on.
Lately, she’d been hanging around Sharon’s place a lot, mostly for the free meals-and in the process, had gotten close to Matty.
Matty’s eyes lit up the moment he saw her. “Wendy! You came!”
Wendy held up the camera in her hand and gave it a playful shake. “Of course I did. I’m here to capture the moment you history and win first place!”
“Yay!” Matty clapped his hands excitedly. “Make sure you get a good shot of Sharon too!”
Wendy grinned. “What if I make Sharon look amazing but you end up looking goofy?”
Matty answered sweetly, “I’m a boy. I was born to highlight beauty. The prettier Sharon looks, the more credit I get!”
make
Wendy burst out laughing, her eyes crinkling. “No wonder Sharon spoils you so much. You little rascal-you really know how to talk. She didn’t dote on you for nothing.”
Then she threw a sideways glance at Theo. “Unlike a certain ungrateful mutt-no matter how well you treat them, they always end up siding with outsiders.” 1
Matty blinked. “Why do they do that?”
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Wendy gave a dramatic sigh. “Maybe they’re just… sick in the head. Always chasing after the ones who treat them like dirt. Oh wait-my bad. Maybe it’s some kind of masochistic tendency.”
Nate, fuming, couldn’t hold back any longer. “Wow, look at this-‘making history,’ huh? More like setting a record for dead last!
He gave an exaggerated laugh. “Did I hear that right? A housewife who spends all day worrying about groceries and chores thinks she can go up against Kelly-and even dreams of winning; first place? That’s hilarious.”
Wendy hadn’t even bothered looking, Nate’s way before-but now, hearing his words, her eyes narrowed as she fixed him with at cold stare. “Are you seriously okay? Do you even know what Sharon used to do before all this?”
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Chapter 154
“That’s the funniest thing I’ve heard all day!” Nate burst out laughing, nearly tearing up. “You’re seriously trying to say she’s some hidden violin prodigy? What is this, a fantasy novel? Have you completely lost your mind?”
Wendy looked ready to explode. She stepped forward, about to go off, but Sharon held her back. “Let it go, Wendy. The performance is about to start. He’s not worth it.”
Wendy fumed. “That guy’s seriously messed up in the head.”
Sharon replied calmly, “Maybe he picked up something from someone close to him-a terminal case of stupidity clouding his judgment.”
Wendy immediately switched to a mock-scared expression. “Then I better keep my distance. What if he trips in front of me and blames me for it? Come on, Sharon, Matty, let’s go.”
She knew Sharon and Matty were about to perform. Starting a fight now would just throw them off-not worth it at all.
Xavier’s lips curled into a faint smirk. “Well, I’ll be going too. And hey, don’t forget to grab a pair of glasses on your way home- clearly, you’re in desperate need.”
As the group walked away, Nate scoffed, “Tch. What a joke.”
Kelly, watching Sharon’s figure retreat, suddenly frowned. “Carter… are you sure Sharon doesn’t know how to play the violin?”
Carter shook his head. “I don’t know. I’ve never seen her play.”
Just then, Theo chimed in. “I saw Mom looking at sheet music at home once.”
Kelly turned toward him. “Sheet music? Did she say anything about the violin?”
Theo thought for a moment. “She said her mom used to be amazing at it.”
A flicker of recognition crossed Kelly’s eyes-the violin she’d seen recently in the music store. Shaluna. That’s what it was
called.
It had once belonged to Shayla McKinzie, a legend in the classical music world.
A true virtuoso, Shayla had swept through the scene like a storm, winning award after award and being crowned the Queen of the Violin. But at the height of her career, she’d died suddenly, leaving behind a legacy of sorrow and unfinished masterpieces.
Her compositions were timeless. Some were still used in today’s performance exams.
Back at the shop, Kelly hadn’t made the connection between Sharon and Shayla-at least not until Sharon mentioned the violin had belonged to her mother.
That had shaken Kelly more than she cared to admit.
But Nate just shrugged. “So what if her mom was good? That doesn’t mean she inherited it. Even Carter and Theo said they’ve never seen her practice. How good could she really be?”
Seeing Kelly still frowning, he added, trying to be reassuring, “Come on, Kelly. You’ve been practicing for years-sick or not, you never gave up. Sharon probably hasn’t touched a violin in forever. There’s no way she can outperform you. You’re overthinking this.”
Kelly considered it. He did have a point.
She turned to Carter. “Did Sharon agree to let me borrow that violin?”
“The violin?” Nate asked, confused. “What violin?”
1/2
Kelly gave him a quick rundown.
Carter had nearly forgotten about it himself. So much had happened lately-one chaos after another, all because of Sharon. It felt like his whole life had turned upside down.
And now, with things between him and Sharon so strained, asking her for that violin? That wouldn’t go over well.
After a long pause, he said quietly, “Kelly… pick a different violin.”
Kelly’s eyes widened in disbelief. Since she’d come back, Carter had never denied her anything. Not even the wedding he’d once promised Sharon-he gave it to her instead.
And now, he was refusing her a simple request for a violin?
There was only one explanation: something had changed. He didn’t trust her like he used to.
She’d tried to explain what happened last time. Tried to tell him that she just hadn’t had the chance to finish talking to Theo before Matty cut in. She’d managed to brush it off for now-but that excuse was starting to wear thin.
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Chapter 155
Kelly could feel it-clear as day. Carter was drifting away from her.
But it was Nate who spoke up first.
“That Shaluna violin sitting in Sharon’s hands is a total waste of a national treasure! Carter, just give it to Kelly already. What’s the holdup? You and Sharon are married-what’s hers is yours. And you know Kelly doesn’t have much time left. She’s admired Shayla her whole life. All she wants is to play one concert with that violin. Just one. It’s only a few days-we’re not asking to keep it forever. Does Sharon really need to be so stingy? She wants money, right? We’ll pay her. A woman who’d leave her own kid behind for cash? Toss her a hundred thousand and she’ll probably sprint over to hand us the violin herself.”
Carter’s eyes flickered. Sharon had mentioned money. More than once.
Maybe Nate was right. Maybe she was just waiting for a better offer.
In the backstage dressing room, Wendy looked around, eyes wide with wonder, awe practically leaking from her voice. “No wonder they call this place a royal kindergarten. Just the campus alone is bigger than most universities. And look at the environment-it’s better than the upscale neighborhood we live in. Even the performance hall feels like a professional venue.”
She glanced around the spacious private dressing room again, still marveling.
“Private rooms for every performer… even celebrities don’t always get that.”
Turning to Matty, she smiled. “Now, don’t laugh at me for being easily impressed.”
Matty giggled. “Wendy, once I grow up, I’ll show you even more of the world.”
Wendy let out a delighted squeal and hugged her tight. “Oh my gosh, you are the absolute sweetest! I adore you!”
She turned to Xavier next. “Seriously, Xavier-how did you raise your kid so well? I need tips. I want mine to turn out like that.”
Sharon looked over at Xavier too, curiosity in her eyes. She had poured everything into raising Theo. And yet… He felt distant. Detached. His values seemed to be slipping off course.
More than once, she’d asked herself-was it her fault? Had she raised him wrong?
Xavier gave a crooked, devil-may-care smile. “Maybe it’s in the genes. I’m usually swamped with work. Barely have time to check in, let alone parent full-time.”
Sharon and Wendy exchanged a silent look.
Genes. Terrifying things.
Wasn’t Theo practically a mirror of Carter? Even down to his blind devotion to Kelly?
Before long, a knock came at the dressing room door.
A teacher peeked in and said, “The performance is about to begin. Could the parent of Matty please come with me to draw the performance order?”
Sharon stood and nodded. “I’ll do it. You guys wait here for me.”
She hadn’t gone far down the hallway before she bumped into Kelly-there for the same reason.
Sharon gave her a glance, unreadable, and looked away without saying a word.
In the drawing room, several other parents were already gathered, chatting and making small talk. Sharon didn’t know any of
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them, so she found an empty seat in the comer and quietly sat down.
“Sharon,” Kelly’s voice came from beside her-soft, low, pointed. She took a seat, holding a cup of coffee in one hand. “No matter how hard you try to imitate me, Carter will never look your way again. Just a friendly heads-up-you’re only embarrassing yourself.”
Sharon turned her head, raising a brow. “Kelly, maybe take a good look in the mirror. What exactly do you have that’s even worth copying? Your face?”
A flash of venom passed through Kelly’s eyes, but her smile stayed sweet and innocent.
“Oh, don’t be like that,” she said breezily, holding out the cup. “Here, have some coffee, Sharon-”
Her hand slipped.
Whether by accident or design, the entire cup spilled straight onto Sharon’s white dress.
“Ahh!” Kelly gasped in mock horror.
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Chapter 156
Kelly’s face turned pale, her expression full of flustered panic. She frantically dug tissues out of her purse.
“Sharon, I’m so sorry… Let me clean it up for you.”
But the more she dabbed at the fabric, the more the coffee stain spread across the white dress.
Sharon grabbed her wrist mid-motion and pushed her hand away. “What are you doing?”
Thrown off balance, Kelly stumbled backward and fell to the carpet with a startled cry.
“Ah!”
The commotion drew attention-people turned to look, conversations came to a halt.
Sitting awkwardly on the plush carpet, Kelly looked up with teary eyes, her body trembling slightly.
“Sharon, I’m really sorry… I didn’t mean for that to happen.”
Sharon glanced down at her dress, now marred with dark brown stains, and let out a quiet, biting laugh. “Right. Not on purpose -you mean completely intentional.”
“No, really, it’s a misunderstanding,” Kelly said, lowering her head, voice soft and pitiful. “I was just handing you the coffee… I know you’ve always disliked me. You never wanted me to come to this talent showcase with Theo. But…”
She looked up, eyes glistening, her voice almost pleading. “This competition affects Theo’s final exam grade. Please, Sharon… I’m begging you-just think of him, okay?”
Here we go again.
The same routine, every single time. Sharon was sick of it.
Her voice turned icy. “You ruined my dress. What does that have to do with Theo? Kelly, your habit of deflecting and twisting the truth isn’t as clever as you think it is.”
Just then, the teacher managing the performance draw came over. “What’s going on here?”
Sharon answered calmly, “This woman spilled coffee on my dress. I can’t go on stage like this.”
The teacher looked down and took in the obvious damage-the large, dark stain spreading across the front of Sharon’s white
dress.
“Did you bring a backup outfit?” the teacher asked.
Sharon shook her head.
The teacher sighed. “That’s going to be tricky.”
All the outfits were tailored to match the performance pieces. Finding a substitute on short notice would be hard—maybe even
enough to affect the results.
From the corner of her eye, Sharon caught the brief twitch at the corner of Kelly’s lips-the kind of smile that slips out when someone thinks they’ve won.
But Sharon turned to her, eyes clear and unshaken. “Since Kelly ruined my dress, I think she should take responsibility.”
Kelly straightened up quickly. “How much was the dress? I’ll pay you for it.”
It didn’t matter. In the end, Carter would cover the cost. Whatever Sharon asked, she’d pay it.
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would settle everything.”
Kelly’s expression froze. Her first instinctive response slipped out before she could catch it. “If I give you my dress, how am I supposed to perform later?”
“And if you’ve ruined my dress,” Sharon countered coolly, “how am I supposed to perform later?”
Kelly fell silent, struggling for words. It took her a while to find her voice again. “Sharon, I already explained. It wasn’t intentional…”
Sharon cut her off. “Plenty of people have ‘accidentally’ hit someone with a car. Should we just let them off because they didn’t mean it? Kelly, you’re an adult. Intent doesn’t erase consequences. You’re responsible for your actions.”
Tears welled up in Kelly’s eyes again. She kept playing the part of the tragic victim. “It’s not that I don’t want to give you the dress, but this competition means a lot to Theo. He’s your son. Do you really want to see him heartbroken if he doesn’t get a good score?”
Sharon’s expression didn’t waver. Her voice remained cold. “This competition matters to Theo. But does that mean it doesn’t matter to every other kid here?”
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Chapter 157
“Kelly, stop using Theo like he’s your get-out-of-jail-free card. If you really care about him, then start setting a good example -instead of standing here making excuses and dodging responsibility,”
The crowd, having seen it all, wasn’t swayed by Kelly’s tears or her helpless expression. Not a trace of sympathy showed on their faces. If anything, people exchanged glances filled with quiet disdain and whispered among themselves.
They thought about it from their own point of view: if someone ruined their carefully prepared performance outfit right before a major competition, they’d be furious too.
Sure, it made sense to care about your own child’s competition results. But did that give anyone the right to ruin someone else’s? Were other people’s children any less important?
A simple “I didn’t mean to” didn’t magically undo the damage. What kind of fantasy world did she think she was living in? Did she really believe the world was full of saints?
Seeing the shift in atmosphere, Kelly began to panic. This wasn’t like before. No one was rushing to defend her from some moral high ground. Instead, every eye on her was laced with suspicion or disdain.
What was happening? Why wasn’t anyone taking her side?
Meanwhile, Madeline and Denise arrived at Theo’s waiting room.
Theo’s face lit up the moment he saw them. “Grandma! Auntie! What are you doing here?”
Denise smiled warmly. “Today’s a big day, right? We came to cheer you on. You’ve got to go for the top spot!”
Theo raised his chin proudly. “Kelly’s amazing. We’re definitely winning first place!”
Madeline’s expression immediately darkened. “Her again?”
Standing beside her, Nate greeted Madeline with a polite smile before jumping in to explain. “Madeline, I know Kelly doesn’t come from a prestigious background, but she’s a graduate of Bell University. And lately, she’s built a decent name for herself in the music world. If she had more time to grow, with her talent and experience, she might’ve ended up the next Shayla McKinzie.
Shayla McKinzie had once been a breakout sensation-her name known far beyond classical music circles. Even before the internet took off, her fame had reached high society. Madeline had heard of her too.
In elite circles, people loved to put on airs of culture. And music? That was one of the easiest ways to fake sophistication.
Madeline herself had never cared much about it. But back when she needed to attract investors and boost the Biggs family’s standing, she’d put in the effort to learn an instrument. Her choice? The violin.
Nate continued, “Madeline, you know how many influential families were invited to attend today’s performance. Carter’s too busy with work, and he’s not exactly the artistic type. As for Sharon…” 1
His tone faltered for a beat, but the disdain was clear in his expression. “Letting a housewife with no skills accompany Theo? That would’ve been humiliating for the Biggs family. I know you’ve got your doubts about Kelly, but this competition is too important. Having her by Theo’s side makes him shine.
“Let the jealous ones see for themselves-Carter Biggs isn’t just brilliant. Even his son is gifted. The rest can dream about catching up to the Biggs family in their next life.”
Madeline seemed to soften under Nate’s steady reasoning. “Fine. Let Kelly do her best then. Just make sure she doesn’t embarrass the Biggs name.”
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Nate let out a breath of relief and subtly flashed Carter an “OK” hand signal.
Just then, there was a knock at the door. A teacher burst in, out of breath and clearly anxious.
“Kelly’s in trouble!”
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Chapter 158
In Matty’s waiting room, Xavier and Matty had already gotten the news. Along with Wendy, they were now huddled around
Sharon.
Wendy scowled at the coffee stain on Sharon’s dress, her voice rising with anger.
“Kelly is seriously disgusting. She’s jealous of Sharon’s looks, so she dumped coffee all over her. When you’ve got no talent, I guess cheap tricks are your only move. She’s that scared Sharon’s going to steal the spotlight…”
Before she could finish, a voice cut in from behind, thick with sarcasm. It was Nate.
“Oh please, overshadowed by a housewife? That’s rich. Kelly graduated from Bell University Conservatory of Music, and you’re seriously saying she’s not talented?”
Wendy rolled her eyes-she’d heard that same line from Nate too many times to count. “So what if she graduated from Bell? So did I.”
Bell University-one of the top five arts schools in the world. A prestigious conservatory in Marcentine, known for producing true musicians and artists-not performers.
They didn’t even offer performance-based majors, because their goal wasn’t to churn out pop stars. They trained serious artists.
Wendy had loved music since she was little, and she had decent pitch too. But next to prodigies like Sharon or John, she may as well have been invisible.
Still, she was a strong student. It had taken everything she had to get into Bell. But her major wasn’t in performance or composition-it was arts management, a far less glamorous track. With her grades, she never would’ve gotten into the performance program.
For musicians around the world, Bell was the ultimate dream. And for many, that dream shattered fast. Once inside, you realized your “talent” didn’t mean much surrounded by global prodigies.
Wendy had lived that reality. Her first semester, she was overwhelmed by the sheer level of talent around her-there was always someone better, someone more brilliant.
If just getting into Bell made you a genius, then Sharon was the kind of genius who made the rest look average.
Not many people knew Sharon’s background, but Wendy had been her classmate-she knew exactly how gifted she was. If Sharon had stayed in Marcentine to build her career, she would’ve matched her mother’s legacy by now.
Even John, a renowned name in the music world, couldn’t quite catch up to her.
They say success is 99% hard work and 1% talent. With Sharon, it was almost flipped. Her talent was maxed out. Even the smallest bit of effort took her farther than most people could ever hope to go.
Life wasn’t fair. Talent and effort were never on equal footing.
But the scariest kind of person wasn’t just talented-
It was someone who had both talent and drive.
And Sharon was exactly that.
By the end of her first semester, she’d already been inducted into Bell’s Hall of Fame.
Nate’s snide laugh snapped Wendy out of her thoughts. “You? A Bell alum? Then I must be a Hall of Famer too, huh? Who isn’t bragging these days?”
Wendy’s face turned icy. “Are you delusional or just naturally stupid? Who’s bragging?”
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Nate turned to Kelly. “Kelly, have you ever seen her at Bell?”
Kelly shook her head. “No.”
Nate’s face lit up, smug like he’d just exposed a liar. “See, Miss Clueless? Stop faking it. Kelly’s never even seen you at Bell.”
Wendy rolled her eyes so hard it practically echoed.
“And you, Mr. Bootlicker, might just be the dumbest man I’ve ever met. Just because Kelly didn’t see me doesn’t mean I wasn’t there. Who the hell does she think she is? Also, how do you even know if we were in the same class? You’re out here talking nonsense with zero facts. Enough already-take your circus act somewhere else.” (1
Kelly hesitated before speaking. “Wendy, I’m only a year younger than Sharon… but I never heard of either of you when I was there.”
The implication was clear: even if they weren’t in the same year, they were still close enough in age-and all from the same country-so crossing paths should’ve been likely.
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Chapter 159
“You’ve never heard of me? Well, I’ve never heard of you either,” Wendy said coolly, shooting Kelly a glance. “You think Sharon’s as average as you? Please. She skipped grades. By the time you were even at Bell University, she might’ve already graduated.”
Nate doubled over laughing. “Oh wow, keep it coming! Brag all you want-lying’s not a crime, right? In that case, I was the King of England in a past life. You buying that?”
Wendy bristled, ready to fire back, but Sharon gently reached out and pulled her by the arm.
“Matty’s performance is more important,” Sharon said softly.
That pulled Wendy back. She exhaled and nodded. “Fine. I don’t have time to argue with you people. Whether she graduated from Bell or not doesn’t change the fact that she ruined Sharon’s dress. But we’ve already figured out a solution. Kelly and Sharon are about the same size. Kelly can take off her dress so Sharon can—”
Before she could finish, Nate suddenly lit up like he’d solved a major mystery. He pointed accusingly, voice rising with drama.
“I get it now! This was your plan all along, wasn’t it? You framed Kelly on purpose just so she couldn’t perform! Sharon, you’re seriously twisted! Scared you’d lose to Kelly, so you pull a stunt like this to get her disqualified! You really think she’s just going to walk away? Dream on!”
At that exact moment, Madeline walked in with Theo and caught the end of Nate’s outburst. Her expression twisted with rage. “Sharon, you ungrateful wretch! Helping someone else’s kid sabotage my grandson? Have you lost your mind? If you dare ruin Theo’s performance, I swear, I won’t let you off the hook!”
Theo looked completely blindsided. Hurt flashed across his face. “Mom… why would you do something like this?”
Nate scoffed. “Why else? She’s afraid of losing, that’s why! Can’t stand the idea of being outshined, so she pulls a cheap trick like this!”
The shouting grated on Sharon’s nerves. She raised her hand to massage her temple, then muttered flatly, “What kind of rabid dog is this? Did someone forget to leash it before letting it loose?”
Before Nate could shoot back, Madeline stormed forward, her face twisted with fury.
“Watch your mouth, you insolent girl! No respect, no manners! Did you just call me a dog? Carter, if you don’t teach her a lesson right now, I swear-I’ll cut ties with you!”
Sharon raised her eyebrows, feigning surprise. “Madeline, did anyone say your name? Funny how you assumed that was about you. Oh-and didn’t you just tell Carter to ‘teach me a lesson’?”
She turned to Wendy with a faint smirk.
“Wendy, quick-get your phone out. Let’s make sure we catch the whole scene of Carter assaulting me on video.”
Wendy snapped out of her shock and instantly pulled out her phone, raising it toward the group. Without missing a beat, she started filming, voice loud and dramatic like a TV announcer.
“Step right up, folks! Don’t miss today’s hottest drama-an exclusive live soap opera starring your favorite high-society elites! We’ve got cheating! Mistresses! Family feuds! No scripts, no actors-this is 100% unscripted chaos, brought to you by real-life dysfunction!”
Her voice carried across the room, drawing the attention of other parents nearby.
They were all from the same social circles, and it didn’t take long before murmurs started spreading through the crowd as people began to recognize Madeline and Carter.
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“Wait a minute… isn’t that Carter Biggs?”
“Yeah, and that’s Madeline, right? She’s here too?”
“Madeline? Are you sure? I always heard she was the picture of class and poise. But the way she just yelled-it was like watching a street fight!”
“What do you expect? That whole polished image? It’s all fake. Behind closed doors, who knows what kind of mess they really
are.”
The whispers grew louder. Fingers pointed. Curious eyes watched.
Madeline’s face turned bright red-then drained pale. Her body trembled as she stood there, visibly shaking, crumbling under the weight of public judgment. 1
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Chapter 160
Just thinking about how Sharon had pushed her to this level of humiliation made Madeline want to slap her-hard, fast, and more than once.
But with everyone watching, she had no choice but to choke it down.
She’d weathered worse. Drawing in several deep breaths, Madeline forced herself to stay calm. At this point, composure was the only armor she had left. She knew full well: if word of this scene spread, the carefully polished image she’d spent years building would go up in flames.
All because of Sharon. That infuriating troublemaker. 1
Finally, she spoke.
“Sharon, Theo has been preparing for this showcase for a long time. Just because you weren’t asked to accompany him onstage doesn’t mean you had to sabotage it. And let’s be real here-you’ve got no family background, no impressive education, and not a single real skill. What did you expect us to do? Parade you up there with Theo and make fools of ourselves?”
Every word hit like a dart. In just a few sentences, she laid Sharon bare-her lack of status, her thin résumé-and did it without a trace of mercy.
In their world, image was everything.
In high society, the rules weren’t written down, but they were carved in stone. If you didn’t have the family name, you needed the degrees. At the very least, you had to be someone-an actress, a model, a public figure.
But Sharon? She had none of it. She sat at the very bottom of that invisible ladder, the kind of person people ignored without even realizing it.
And the crowd picked up on it. The mood shifted-subtle, but undeniable. The looks changed. Some sneered.
So she’s just a pretty face?
How did she even end up in the Biggs family?
Didn’t someone say it was a shotgun wedding?
Maybe she schemed her way in… but even so, shouldn’t she have something going for her?
Whispers turned into full-blown mental soap operas.
But Sharon’s face remained unreadable.
“Madeline, you must be joking,” she said quietly, voice calm. “I’m not out to ruin Theo’s performance. Kelly did this. She spilled coffee on my dress, and I can’t go onstage like this. All I am asking is for her to swap it with another. That’s fair, isn’t it? And who told you I don’t have an education, or any talent?”
Madeline’s anger surged again-that tone, that confidence, as if Sharon didn’t know her place. But with so many eyes on her, she had no choice but to clench her fists and swallow the fury.
“You want her to give you a replacement? Fine. But why her dress? You know damn well if she takes it off, she can’t go onstage. If Kelly can’t perform, what happens to Theo? Are you really willing to risk his performance over a dress? What kind of mother are you?”
Once, those words might have worked. Guilt would’ve crept in, softening Sharon’s resolve. But now, they didn’t stir anything in
her.
“Let me remind you of something,” Sharon said. “She spilled coffee on my dress. I didn’t ruin hers. And sure, Theo’s performance is important-but isn’t everyone’s? If Kelly can’t perform in a stained dress, why should I be forced to?”
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Madeline was left stunned. She pointed her finger at Sharon, but no words came out.
Then Nate cut in, his voice dripping with contempt. “Not like you’re gonna win anything anyway. You going onstage would just waste everyone’s time-and probably end in a total disaster. And when it all blows up? Guess who has to clean up the mess?
Carter,”
