Chapter 100
Instead of blaming Theo for his outburst, everyone turned sympathetic eyes toward him.
Their gazes shifted to Sharon-cooler now, more complicated.
Even your own son won’t choose you. That kind of rejection didn’t need to be spoken aloud-it was written in every look.
Clearly, this mother must’ve failed in more ways than one. Clearly, she hadn’t been good to the boy at all.
The teacher assigned specifically to Theo let out a quiet sigh.
“When Theo transferred to our class this semester, I thought…”
She glanced at Sharon, her voice faltering.
Though Theo had listed his mother’s contact number on his file, the woman herself had never once shown up.
The teacher’s eyes shifted to Kelly.
It had been Kelly who handled the enrollment paperwork. She’d attended the parent-child activity days. She’d even come to pick Theo up several times.
The teacher had assumed, naturally, that this was the boy’s mother.
Now, thinking back on Sharon’s indifference, her absence-she seemed exactly like the type of woman who married into wealth only to spend her days shopping, playing poker, and getting facials, too busy enjoying herself to spare a glance for her own child.
Sharon hadn’t said a word, but already the accusations were piling up, pressing in from every corner of the room.
From the side, a flicker of triumph passed through Kelly’s eyes.
Then, all at once, Matty’s voice broke the tension.
“Sharon… you came.”
Sharon lowered her gaze, her cool eyes softening when they landed on Matty, half-hidden behind the crowd.
She crouched down until she was eye-level with him and spoke gently, “Matty, are you okay?”
The moment Matty saw her, his eyes turned red.
“I’m okay, Sharon.” He dropped his head, like a child who knew he’d done something wrong. “I’m sorry. I… I hit Theo.”
He reached up and wiped the corner of his eye.
As he lifted his arm, his sleeve slipped down slightly, revealing several long, dried scratch marks on his forearm.
Sharon’s eyes darkened. Her hand shot out, gently but firmly gripping his arm.
“Matty, what happened to your arm?”
A flash of panic crossed Matty’s face. He instinctively pulled his arm behind his back, eyes darting.
“It’s nothing, Sharon… I just scratched myself by accident.”
Sharon’s expression turned serious. “Matty, let me see.”
He hesitated. But when he saw she wouldn’t back down, he finally stretched his arm out again.
1/2
Sharon rolled up his sleeve.
His small arm was crisscrossed with old, crusted-over scratches-startling, angry marks that stood stark against his skin.
A collective gasp rippled through the teachers.
If Matty had been injured at the kindergarten, they would all be held accountable unless the cause was made clear.
After examining him carefully, Sharon asked quietly, “How did this happen?”
Matty couldn’t meet her eyes. “I… I hurt myself by accident.”
“Matty,” her voice was calm, but firm, “tell the truth.”
His lips moved, as if forming words, but then he lowered his head again.
Sharon’s tone softened. “Don’t you trust me, Matty?”
Her voice, low and steady, gave him something to hold on to. Slowly, he lifted his head.
He took a long breath, then turned his gaze toward Theo.
“Theo did it.”
The room fell into stunned silence.
Theo’s eyes flew wide. He turned red with rage. “That’s a lie! I didn’t do it! You hit me just now-everyone saw it! All the kids did!
