Chapter 8 She rubbed her eyes , trying to make sure she hadn't seen it wrong Beside her , Theo noticed Marie's odd behavior and couldn't help asking , " Marie , what's wrong ? " Cautiously , Matie handed her phone to Carter . " Sir , it's ... " Carter lowered his gaze / Sharon had left the group chat . His face darkened . The next moment , his phone rang . Kelly's choked sobs came through the receiver . " Carter ... what should we do ? Sharon seems really upset ... " Carter suddenly thought of Sharon . He rarely saw her cry . The only time she had , it was after she pushed Kelly into the water and landed her in the ICU - still , she stubbornly refused to admit fault . To punish her , he took Theo back to his parents ' home and told Sharon that if she didn't apologize , she'd never see Theo again . At the time , Theo was suffering from a relapse of his old illness and running a dangerously high fever . Sharon chased them to the estate , but he hadn't allowed anyone to let her in . That night , a torrential rainstorm swept in . Everyone had been too busy tending to Theo's fever to remember she was waiting outside . It wasn't until the butler quietly reminded him that he even remembered she was there . She was brought in , soaked to the bone . That was the first time he saw her cry . Kelly's weepy voice dragged him out of the memory . " I just saw ... Sharon left the group . Carter , maybe we should just let it go . If she doesn't want to make the medicinal meals for me , let's not trouble her ... " For some reason , an uneasy restlessness stirred in him . He said , " Alright . " Kelly went silent for a moment , seemingly caught off guard by his reaction . " I'll find a personal caretaker to prepare your meals and take care of you , " he said calmly , " Since the medicinal dishes help your condition , I'll have a specialist handle your health from now on . " Reflexively , Kelly tried to refuse . " Carter , that's not necessary ... " She wasn't joking - those medicinal dishes tasted awful . 11 She'd never eaten a single bite of the ones Sharon made . Every dish had gone straight down the drain . The menus she sent were just her way of making things difficult for Sharon . But Carter , unaware of her real motives , gave no room for argument . " It's settled . I have things to take care of . I'll hang up now . " Chapter 8 +25 BONUS The line went dead before she could say another word . Staring at the blank screen , Kelly sat stunned . A personal caretaker ? If she didn't eat those meals properly , and the staff reported back to him , wouldn't her lie be exposed ? Her jaw clenched . Damn Sharon . She must be behind this . Her resentment deepened . Meanwhile , Marie almost broke into celebration . She was finally free of this thankless job - if she could , she would've popped a confetti cannon . In a wealthy household , a wife occasionally cooking could be seen as a way to nurture bonds or cultivate inner peace . But cooking every single day ? What difference was there between that and being a maid ? No wonder the lady of the house got angry enough to walk out . After hanging up , Carter turned to his son . " Sit and eat . I'll take you to kindergarten after . " Theo rubbed his eyes and nodded obediently . He wasn't as healthy as other kids to begin with , and the recent string of late nights was starting to wear on his small body . Father and son sat facing each other , quietly eating breakfast . Sharon usually handled Theo's daily care and schooling . Carter , busy with work , rarely got involved . Now , in the silence , something hung heavy between them . Theo chewed on Marie's breakfast , but no matter how much he ate it didn't taste right . His taste buds had been spoiled by Sharon . He just couldn't get used to Marie's food . Then , from the other end of the table , his father's cool , clear voice broke the silence . " Those things you said yesterday - who taught you that ? " Theo paused ; startled , and looked up to find Carter staring straight at him , eyes sharp and unblinking . Before Theo could speak , Carter asked , " Was it your mom ? " Theo wasn't afraid of his mom , but he was always intimidated by his stern , distant father . He lowered his eyes . " ... No . Mommy didn't teach me that . " But to Carter , that very hesitation looked like guilt . So that's what she taught him at home ? A faint , mirthless chuckle escaped him . " If she can't even teach a child properly , maybe she should take some time to reflect . " Then he turned to Theo . Chapter 8 " You'll stay at Grandpa and Grandma's for the next few days . " Theo had wanted to say something , but the moment he heard those words , his eyes lit up . +25 BONUS He remembered what his aunt had once told him - how last time , after Mom pushed Kelly into the water and refused to apologize , Dad sent him to his grandparents ' house . Eventually , Mom broke down and cried , apologizing to both Dad and Kelly . Maybe ... if he went back to his grandparents ' house this time , Mommy would apologize again . In Sharon's apartment , Wendy stared wide - eyed as Sharon quit the group chat and blocked both Carter and Kelly . " Sharon , are you serious this time ? " Sharon didn't lift her head until everything was done . " Do I look like I'm joking ? " Wendy let out a long sigh . " You said the same thing last time when Kelly fell into the water - you were dead set on not backing down . But then Theo got sick ... I'm worried Carter might use the boy to get to you again . " Women were soft - hearted by nature . For their children , they could endure almost anything . 1 That's probably why people say men always assume that once there's a child , they've got the upper hand . And more often than not , they're right . Eighty percent of women cave once a child is involved . 1 But Sharon's voice was calm . " Don't worry . Not this time . " Wendy still looked skeptical . " Really ? " Sharon gave a faint smile . " Yeah . I used to think that giving everything to Theo made me some kind of a great mother . But in the end , the only one who was moved by all that ... was me . " " Well then ... " Wendy grinned , mischief lighting up her eyes . " Tonight , I'm treating . We're going out - and I'm gonna take care of you properly . " Wendy was single and proud of it . She loved bars , clubs , and everything that came with them . Sharon waved it off quickly . " No , no ... I'm good . " " Good ? What do you mean good ?" Wendy cut her off . " Back at Bell University , you were the campus queen , remember ? Do you know how many guys fell for you during prom night , after that dance performance of yours ? " Wendy pouted dramatically . " Our Sharon plays the violin , dances beautifully , and is drop - dead gorgeous . You were every guy's dream - and you ended up with that clueless jerk Carter who didn't even know how lucky he was . There are tons of good men in this world besides Carter . Just come with me tonight , for fun . Loosen up a little . " In the face of Wendy's relentless persuasion , Sharon finally gave in At 8 p.m. , Sharon and Wendy stepped into the bar . It wasn't the wild scene Sharon had imagined . In fact , the place had a more refined air than most bars . Wendy raised an eyebrow at her . " This place just opened . The eye candy here ? Top tier . I promise you won't regret coming . " Since she was already here , Sharon didn't hold back . She smiled . " Alright . " Just as the word left her mouth , a voice rang out behind her - familiar , and unmistakably mocking . " Well , well , if it isn't Carter's little shadow . What - here to sniff him out again ? " Chapter 9 Discover our latest featured short drama reel. Watch now and enjoy the story!