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,
1/2
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.”
2/2
