Chapter 20
Zack’s sobs cut through the air, his small body shaking with heavy emotions.
Sylvia’s heart twisted, like it had been hit hard. She looked down at the boy and saw his face soaked with tears. She pressed her lips tight, trying to hold back her own waves of emotions inside.
“Zack, what’s going on? Don’t hold Sylvia up–she needs to get home!” someone yelled as she rushed out of the school building.
Joanna, just out of Zack’s parent–teacher conference, saw the scene and hurried over. She pulled Zack into her arms, her voice sharp with worry.
“Joanna, that horrible woman… She said she doesn’t want me!” Zack replied.
He buried his face in Joanna’s arms, crying harder, his words broken by hiccups as he let out his pain.
“She doesn’t want you, but I do,” Joanna said gently, wiping his tears with a soft hand. “Zack, your mom has a new family now, with her own daughter. Let’s leave her alone, okay?”
Zack’s body went stiff, his wide eyes locking on Sylvia, shock and hurt stabbing his chest like a blade.
“You awful woman–is that true?” he choked out, his voice thick with pain and disbelief.
Sylvia had felt a bit of sympathy for Zack moments ago, but seeing him buy into Joanna’s words, just like when he was younger, disappointment settled in her eyes.
“Zack, listen. I’ve cut off from you three years ago,” Sylvia said, taking a deep breath, her voice cold. “Yes, I have a daughter. She’s my only child.”
Zack stood frozen, staring at the distant woman in front of him.
She used to swear she loved only him, fussing over his every mood, worrying if he even frowned.
Now, she had another kid and called her the only one.
“Sylvia, look at you, making Zack cry again. You should stay away from him,” Joanna said, holding Zack tightly, her eyes shooting daggers at Sylvia. She’d never let them make up.
But then she noticed Sylvia had already walked off without looking back.
Joanna’s annoyance spiked. Back then, Zack was Sylvia’s soft spot–one tear, and Sylvia would cave.
Joanna could use Zack to get under her skin, especially since Sylvia had married the man Joanna wanted most.
But now, Sylvia seemed… different.
Sylvia left the school and drove to a medicinal herb farm.
She was working on a special medical patch, and the herbs it needed were hard to find.
If the patch hit the market, demand would shoot up, so she had to plan ahead.
Ruby had no clue Sylvia had stopped by the kindergarten earlier.
When the bell rang, she hurried on her little legs to the first–grade classroom–her favorite part of the day, visiting her “Little Knight.”
Zack sat slumped at his desk, lost in thought even as the after–school chaos swirled around him. His mind kept replaying the run–in with Sylvia.
“You okay?” a small and soft voice piped up. Ruby’s tiny hand tugged at Zack’s arm. “Are you sad?”
Zack looked at the sweet, big–eyed girl, and some of his anger faded.
“It’s nothing just some stuff that got me down,” he answered.
“What kind of stuff? You can tell me! Ruby tilted her head, her big, shiny eyes full of concern.
Zack paused, but his frustrations spilled out. “It’s that awful woman,” he grumbled. “She doesn’t deserve to be a mom!”
Ruby knew Zack’s mom wasn’t nice to him, but she wasn’t sure how to cheer him up.
After a second, she grinned. Hey, why don’t you come over for dinner tonight? My mom’s cooking is awesome–it’ll make you feel better
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4:12 PM
Chapter 20
Zack met Ruby’s hopeful eyes and, almost without thinking, nodded.
He’d show that awful woman that plenty of people cared about him, even if she didn’t.
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