Chapter 5

Laura couldn't hide the smug look on her face when Christopher yelled loudly, "Daddy and Aunt Laura are the best! Unlike mean Mommy, who wouldn't even let me buy ice cream!" His words caught the attention of passersby. Everyone started looking at Shannon judgmentally. Her heart sank. This was her son, whom she had raised with care for four years. Meanwhile, Thomas simply allowed Christopher to yell, making no effort to stop him at all. In the end, it was Laura who stepped in with a pretentious show of concern. Only then did the entire fiasco finally come to an end. … After their trip to the supermarket, they suggested going to a foreign cuisine restaurant. Shannon was never really given the option to say no. Thomas ordered a full spread. Apart from the omelette for Christopher, nearly everything else was spicy. No one asked what Shannon wanted, and the menu was returned after ordering. "I'm surprised you still remember all my favorite dishes even after all this time, Thomas." Laura brushed her hand flirtatiously against Thomas' own. A faint blush rose on his cheeks. Once all the dishes were served, he started piling food onto her plate. Meanwhile, Shannon merely kept her head down as she ate her plain pasta, leaving the other dishes untouched. Perplexed, Thomas asked, "Why aren't you touching the other dishes?" Shannon calmly replied, "I don't do well with spice." Thomas was taken aback. Every meal she had cooked was on the spicier side, so he'd assumed she liked spicy food too. In reality, he'd never paid attention to her tastes. A wave of unease settled in his chest. He picked up the menu and said, "I'll order a few more dishes for you, so just tell me what you like." "No need. You guys can continue eating," Shannon replied. Before Thomas could continue, a passerby, Gina Denver, pointed at Laura and gasped. "Are you Laura Zimmerman? And y-you're Mr. Thomas Ford, aren't you?" Laura nodded slightly, and Gina exclaimed excitedly, "I'm a hardcore shipper of both of you! That online article was just too sweet. It was like something straight out of a rom-com! Please indulge me—did you two really get back together?" Thomas glanced over at Shannon before meeting Laura's expectant gaze. He then nodded at Gina while humming softly in agreement. Gina squealed excitedly, "After five years of ups and downs, both of you still ended up together! Tell me, what's this if not true love?" Laura smiled and said, "I didn't know how to cherish what I had before, but I'll treasure Thomas with all my heart from now on." Thomas looked at her affectionately. When Gina left, Christopher excitedly said, "Daddy, now that you've gotten together with Aunt Laura, does that mean I can change my mommy now?" Thomas hurriedly covered Christopher's mouth, gesturing for him to stop talking. He then glanced at Shannon and said, "Chris is still a child—please don't take what he says to heart." Seeing how she didn't respond, Thomas explained further, "What I said earlier was all for the sake of Laura's career." Shannon nodded. "I understand. You don't have to explain it to me." Staring at her calm expression, Thomas couldn't help but feel a strange sensation stirring within him. Beside him, Laura gently took his hand and said, "You better start eating soon, Thomas, or the dishes will turn cold." Thomas smiled sweetly at her words, quickly getting swept up in her tenderness. He hardly noticed Shannon at all. … After finishing their meal, they headed toward the parking lot across the street. A small car suddenly sped out from the intersection. Thomas noticed it just in time and instinctively pulled Laura and Christopher to the curb. He completely forgot about Shannon, who was still on the road. The car screeched to a halt, and she collapsed onto the pavement. Thomas was thrown into panic when he saw what happened. He quickly let go of Laura and rushed over to check on Shannon. She trembled violently, curling up as cold sweat beaded her forehead. Thomas' full attention was on Shannon. His voice shook with urgency. "Are you okay, Shannon? I'll send you to the hospital at once!" She tried to speak, but the pain left her with no energy to do so. She reached out to hold his hand, wanting to reassure him. However, Christopher started screaming at Thomas before Shannon could speak. "Daddy! Aunt Laura is about to faint! Come quickly!"