Chapter 197
Matty had always been afraid of water, but his dad had taken him to see many therapists. The fear had eased, bit by bit, until now it was almost gone.
He’d even been thinking, maybe in a little while, he could ask Sharon to teach him how to swim.
Theo stood by the shore, staring at him in a daze. The image flashed in his mind-Matty deliberately falling, deliberately hurting himself-and the way his mother had looked at him then, full of worry and pain.
With a scoff, Theo said, “Hmph. Faking weakness? Anyone can do that. You jump, I’ll jump too.”
Let’s see who Mom ends up taking care of.
Then, without another word, he leapt in after Matty.
He forgot, though. He could swim.
Now he just stood there awkwardly in the water, not sure what to do. The fury that had built up inside him fizzled out like a match drowned in a lake.
At that moment, Matty’s weak voice drew Sharon’s attention back.
“Sharon, I feel awful…”
She spoke gently, soothing him, “Hang in there, Matty. The ambulance is almost here.”
Matty clutched tightly at her sleeve, his grip desperate. “Don’t go, okay? I’m scared…”
Sharon wrapped her arms around him. “I won’t. I’ll stay right here with you.”
Matty’s face finally relaxed. And then-he fainted.
Sharon’s expression shifted instantly, panic flaring in her eyes.
Theo glared at Matty, unconscious in Sharon’s arms.
That guy was such a faker. Always playing the victim, always trying to win people’s sympathy.
It drove Theo mad. But the worst part? He couldn’t do a thing about it.
He watched Matty pretending and decided he wouldn’t lose.
Fine. If faking it was the game, he’d play too.
If Matty could pass out, so could he.
He collapsed.
Sharon was startled again. Theo might know how to swim, but he was still a child. What if he’d hit something when he went under?
With Matty in her arms and Theo suddenly limp in the water, she was pulled in two directions, flustered and overwhelmed.
Luckily, Xavier returned just then and took Matty from her arms.
Only then could Sharon rush over to check on Theo. She found he was mostly fine-just fainted, it seemed-and finally let herself breathe again.
Not long after, the ambulance arrived.
1/2
At the hospital, by the time Sharon stepped off the ambulance, Carter was already there, waiting.
He hadn’t come alone. Madeline and Denise stood beside him.
The moment Madeline saw her, her eyes reddened, her voice sharp with anger. “Sharon, how dare you try to steal my grandson away?! Do you want me to call the police on you?!”
Sharon barely lifted her eyelids. “Go ahead.”
“You think I won’t?!” Madeline’s hands trembled as she pulled out her phone, ready to dial. “Let’s see if a few days in jail make you come to your senses!”
Denise rushed to hold her mother back. “Mom, what are you doing? Maybe… maybe Sharon just missed Theo too much, that’s why she took him with her?”
Madeline’s face twisted with rage. “If I don’t teach her a lesson, who knows what she’ll do to my grandson next time?”
Sharon didn’t even look at her. She stepped down from the ambulance and followed the doctors, helping to get Theo and Matty checked in.
After running through all the procedures, confirming both boys were okay and stable, she finally allowed herself to exhale.
That’s when the police appeared before her.
“Sharon McKinzie,” one officer said, “we’ve received a report that you’re suspected of abducting a child. We’ll need you to come with us and assist in the investigation.”
