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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