Chapter 4

Thomas froze. The Shannon he knew rarely ever refused him. She would always try to fulfill his request, no matter how unreasonable it was. Hearing her refusal was something he could barely remember. After hearing that, Laura let out a bitter laugh. "I was out of line. I was already imposing just by staying here, so how could I possibly hope to try a hot meal prepared by Ms. Linsel?" She then got ready to leave. Christopher started crying and throwing a tantrum after that. He hit Shannon and yelled, "Mommy is so mean! You can't bully Aunt Laura!" Thomas anxiously pulled Laura back. He then turned to Shannon and scolded, "Are you still upset over what happened in the morning? I've told you—Laura came over to borrow a power bank. Why are you being so petty?" Shannon wore a mask of indifference as she replied, "I'm not feeling well now, so I can't cook." "Are you sick, Mommy?" Christopher looked surprised before he started covering his mouth in disgust. "Why didn't you say so earlier, Mommy? Aunt Laura's body is weak. What if you get her sick?" He then started tugging Thomas' sleeve. "That can't happen, Daddy! Let's get Aunt Laura some medicine, just to be safe." "There's no need for it, Chris. I'm fine," Laura replied. However, Thomas looked at her affectionately. "You should listen to Chris. Don't push yourself—remember how long it used to take you to recover when you got sick?" The three of them left the house hand-in-hand, leaving Shannon behind with the toasts that had gotten cold again. They'd lived together for years, yet her husband and biological son didn't show her any care. Instead, they went to buy medicine to protect Laura, who wasn't even sick. Shannon threw the remaining toasts out. Just as she was spacing out, she received a text from Thomas. His text read, "We're heading to the supermarket—drive over and pick us up." … By the time Shannon arrived, only Laura and Christopher were there. Christopher said, "I want ice cream, Aunt Laura!" Laura pinched his cheeks and replied, "Alright. I'll get you some if that's what you want, Chris." Shannon frowned before heading over to stop them. "Have you forgotten what the doctor said to you, Chris? Your stomach is sensitive, so you can't eat ice cream." Christopher's face fell instantly. "You should just buy him some if that's what he wants, Ms. Linsel. There's no need to be so anxious about this," Laura said. Shannon's face darkened. "This is a family matter—it's not your place to comment, Ms. Zimmerman." Thomas returned just as she finished speaking. Laura turned to him with an aggrieved look. "Thomas, I wanted to buy Chris some ice cream, but Ms. Linsel said no." Shannon calmly explained, "The doctor mentioned that we can get Chris some other snacks for now. Ice cream can wait until he's feeling better." Thomas couldn't bear to watch Laura feeling aggrieved. His expression turned cold as he said, "The more you act like this, the more Chris is going to hate you. Can't you just let him have a bite and eat the rest yourself? Besides, Laura was just being nice. You don't have to overreact." A sharp pain pierced Shannon's chest. She hadn't expected Thomas to take Laura's side at the expense of Christopher's health. He even mocked her over the very thing she cared most about. Shannon laughed bitterly, no longer arguing with him. That was because realization suddenly hit her—she had become a complete outsider ever since Laura's return. No matter how much she gave, she would never measure up to the version of Laura they held in their hearts.