Chapter 12
“Britney, can you make us something to eat?” Noah asked.
Britney didn’t even move from the bed. “It’s already so late. Didn’t Regina make you breakfast? Can’t you just wait until morning?”
“But we’re really hungry, Britney. Do you even care about us? If you don’t, we’re going to tell Dad!” Simon whined, gripping Noah’s shirt.
The boys only wanted Britney to cook for them, but her face darkened instantly. She stood and strode
toward them.
Simon thought maybe his words had worked and tried to smile, but Britney raised her hand and slapped
him hard across the face.
Noah jumped back in shock and shouted, “Britney, why’d you hit him?”
Before he could react, Britney turned and slapped Noah, too.
Both kids’ cheeks quickly turned red and swollen. Their skin was delicate. Even though Britney was a woman, her slaps left visible welts.
Tears filled their eyes, but Britney just stared at them coldly. “If you two ever run your mouths to Calvin,
not having dinner will be the least of your problems. Got it?”
At that moment, Britney looked like a terrifying monster to Noah and Simon. They were too scared to talk back, so they just nodded, agreeing to whatever she said.
Just then, a voice called up from downstairs.
“Britney, Noah, Simon, I’m home,” Calvin called as he opened the front door.
Britney froze, panic flashing in her eyes, then glared at the boys with a warning. “Remember what I said. Not a word to your dad.”
Noah and Simon nodded and followed her out of the room.
They desperately hoped Calvin would notice something was wrong, but Calvin’s eyes were locked on Britney the whole time. He didn’t even glance at the boys or notice their swollen faces.
When Calvin went to his study, all hope drained from the boys. They shuffled back to their room, but neither of them was willing to just let it go.
Noah, still pouting, said, “Let’s go into the study and tell Dad the truth. He’ll believe us for sure!”
Simon agreed. “We need to do it when Britney’s not around. She’s not our mom. She’s just awful!”
“Exactly. We’ll wait until she’s not around.”
Chapter 12
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The boys watched and waited until Calvin was alone, then hurried over and closed the door behind them.
“Dad!” Noah burst into tears as soon as the door shut.
Finally, Calvin noticed their red, swollen faces. His expression turned serious as he asked, “What happened to your faces? Did someone at school hurt you?”
Simon shook his head. “No, it wasn’t at school. It was Britney! She’s mean! She threatened us so we
wouldn’t tell you!”
Calvin stared at them in disbelief. “That’s impossible. Britney would never lay a hand on you. She’s always
so good to you.”
Noah and Simon quickly told him everything. After the first few days, Britney stopped picking them up from school, stopped cooking for them, and sometimes only let them eat leftovers when Calvin wasn’t
home.
As they spoke, tears streamed down their cheeks.
“Dad, I miss Mom. Britney isn’t a good mother at all. I want my mom back.”
No matter how busy Avery was, she always picked them up from school and made sure they had freshly cooked meals. Honestly, those healthy recipes weren’t that bad after all.
The more Calvin listened, the darker his expression grew. He didn’t believe two little boys could make up something like this, but he also couldn’t imagine Britney being so cruel.
He glanced toward the balcony, his voice low and cold. “Britney, can you come here and explain what’s going on?”
The curtains slid open. Britney, who had been out watering the plants, stood there, her face pale as a
sheet.
