Chapter 17

Shannon looked at Christopher, who seemed to have grown taller. She couldn't help but shake her head. She'd raised him with her own hands, full of patience and love. Yet, he'd hurt her time and again with his words and actions. Shannon watched Christopher grow from a baby to a toddler learning how to walk, then to a child starting kindergarten, only to see him give away the gold bars she had gifted him yearly. He always assumed the worst about her, but showered Laura with love and affection. While Shannon's love for Christopher was real, so was her disappointment in him. Perhaps in a child's world, a simple apology could fix everything. Unfortunately, she was an adult now, and apologies didn't solve anything in a grown-up's world. Shannon looked at Christopher and said seriously, "Apologies are the least effective way to solve things, Christopher. Also, don't call me 'Mommy' anymore. I stopped being your mother the moment my agreement expired a year ago." Although Christopher co