Chapter 3

Ethan stormed over, shoving me hard. He glared at me, furious.

"Claire! You’ve crossed the line!"

"Vivian was just trying to be nice and give your son some water. If you didn't want it, fine, but you didn't have to throw boiling water all over my wife!"

Nice?

What kind of 'nice' person forces boiling water down a seven-year-old’s throat?

Besides, it was an accident. I had only pushed her away to keep the scalding water away from Leo. I had no idea how she managed to dump the entire thermos on herself.

I stumbled but caught my balance, keeping Leo firmly behind me.

Leo wrapped his little arms around my waist tightly. "Don't you bully my mommy!"

The school security guards rushed over, separating us.

The parents watching the drama unfold started whispering loudly.

"Wow, you never can tell. She looked so mild-mannered, but she’s insanely jealous. Is it a crime to live better than her?"

"I’ve been watching this whole thing. Apparently, she and that rich lady’s husband used to have a thing. He dumped her, and she just snapped. Throwing boiling water? She was trying to disfigure her! That’s evil."

"Who knows what goes on in people's heads. Tell your kids to stay away from her son. If he inherited her trashy genes, it’s only a matter of time before he hurts someone."

The rumors were getting more ridiculous by the second. I actually let out a dry laugh.

But the crazier they got, the more I needed to set the record straight.

"First of all, it was an accident. And second, who feeds boiling water to a seven-year-old?"

"As a mother, I didn't want my child drinking something from a stranger. Is that a crime?"

Vivian’s eyes welled up with fake tears.

"Claire, I genuinely wanted to be your friend. I genuinely thought your son was adorable. I saw his lips were dry, so I wanted to give him a sip of water. And you twist it into me trying to hurt him? It breaks my heart."

She looked up at Ethan.

"I think she’s just not over Ethan. Claire, you must be drowning in regret right now, aren't you?"

I looked flatly at her. "Regret what?"

Vivian lifted her chin haughtily. "With my father’s backing, Ethan has his own company now. He has money and status. You missed out on an incredible man. Of course you regret it."

"You’re joking," I said, feeling absolutely nothing. "I don't regret a single thing."

Ethan scoffed loudly, clearly not buying a word of it.

"Still as stubborn as ever. You see that my biological son is better than yours, you see that my life is infinitely better than yours. Is it really that hard to admit you regret it?"

He just kept flaunting his money, flaunting his "biological son," desperate to prove that this life was entirely different from his past one. To me, it was just pathetic.

That boy looked absolutely nothing like him, but he was too blind to see it.

I didn't want to waste another second on them.

"How much for the bag and the clothes? I’ll transfer the money right now."

"You? Pay me?" Vivian let out a sharp laugh that quickly spiraled into a mocking cackle. "Do you have any idea how much this outfit and this bag cost?"

She held the ruined bag up for the crowd to see.

"Just to be offered this exotic leather Hermès Birkin, you need a twenty-thousand-dollar purchase history! Twenty thousand dollars! You’re wearing a twelve-dollar Walmart clearance rack top and driving a piece of junk. Can you afford this?"

Why did they get such a thrill out of looking down on people? If I said I was going to pay, did they really think I couldn't?

I took a deep breath, pushing down my irritation.

"Yes, my clothes and my car are cheap. That doesn't mean I don't have the money to pay you. Give me your wire routing details."

Vivian refused to believe me. "Honestly, I wasn't trying to make things difficult for you."

She stared at Leo, her voice turning razor-sharp.

"I know that women who can't get pregnant treat it like a miracle when they finally manage to get a kid."

She shifted her gaze back to me.

"But you’re awfully generous, aren't you? Guarding a kid that isn't even your own seed this fiercely. It’s pathetic."

My eyes went dead cold. I raised my hand and slapped Vivian across the face with everything I had.

Smack!

"I’ve tolerated you long enough. Your son is the bastard!"

Chapter 3

Ethan stormed over, shoving me hard. He glared at me, furious.

"Claire! You’ve crossed the line!"

"Vivian was just trying to be nice and give your son some water. If you didn't want it, fine, but you didn't have to throw boiling water all over my wife!"

Nice?

What kind of 'nice' person forces boiling water down a seven-year-old’s throat?

Besides, it was an accident. I had only pushed her away to keep the scalding water away from Leo. I had no idea how she managed to dump the entire thermos on herself.

I stumbled but caught my balance, keeping Leo firmly behind me.

Leo wrapped his little arms around my waist tightly. "Don't you bully my mommy!"

The school security guards rushed over, separating us.

The parents watching the drama unfold started whispering loudly.

"Wow, you never can tell. She looked so mild-mannered, but she’s insanely jealous. Is it a crime to live better than her?"

"Who knows what goes on in people's heads. Tell your kids to stay away from her son. If he inherited her trashy genes, it’s only a matter of time before he hurts someone."

The rumors were getting more ridiculous by the second. I actually let out a dry laugh.

But the crazier they got, the more I needed to set the record straight.

"First of all, it was an accident. And second, who feeds boiling water to a seven-year-old?"

"As a mother, I didn't want my child drinking something from a stranger. Is that a crime?"

Vivian’s eyes welled up with fake tears.

She looked up at Ethan.

"I think she’s just not over Ethan. Claire, you must be drowning in regret right now, aren't you?"

I looked flatly at her. "Regret what?"

Vivian lifted her chin haughtily. "With my father’s backing, Ethan has his own company now. He has money and status. You missed out on an incredible man. Of course you regret it."

"You’re joking," I said, feeling absolutely nothing. "I don't regret a single thing."

Ethan scoffed loudly, clearly not buying a word of it.

"Still as stubborn as ever. You see that my biological son is better than yours, you see that my life is infinitely better than yours. Is it really that hard to admit you regret it?"

He just kept flaunting his money, flaunting his "biological son," desperate to prove that this life was entirely different from his past one. To me, it was just pathetic.

That boy looked absolutely nothing like him, but he was too blind to see it.

I didn't want to waste another second on them.

"How much for the bag and the clothes? I’ll transfer the money right now."

"You? Pay me?" Vivian let out a sharp laugh that quickly spiraled into a mocking cackle. "Do you have any idea how much this outfit and this bag cost?"

She held the ruined bag up for the crowd to see.

Why did they get such a thrill out of looking down on people? If I said I was going to pay, did they really think I couldn't?

I took a deep breath, pushing down my irritation.

"Yes, my clothes and my car are cheap. That doesn't mean I don't have the money to pay you. Give me your wire routing details."

Vivian refused to believe me. "Honestly, I wasn't trying to make things difficult for you."

She stared at Leo, her voice turning razor-sharp.

"I know that women who can't get pregnant treat it like a miracle when they finally manage to get a kid."

She shifted her gaze back to me.

"But you’re awfully generous, aren't you? Guarding a kid that isn't even your own seed this fiercely. It’s pathetic."

My eyes went dead cold. I raised my hand and slapped Vivian across the face with everything I had.

Smack!

"I’ve tolerated you long enough. Your son is the bastard!"