Leo took the bottle and started drinking. After he finished the entire bottle in one gulp, the retching stopped, and he obediently ate a little bit of his al.
Catherine then threw the bottle into the trash bag.
After finishing his al, Leo went to Serena’s side, making a goofy face at her on purpose.
I worried that Leo might try to cause trouble for Selena and Brandon, so I decided to keep an eye out.
"Ugh!" Leo glared at as soon as he saw , his disdain and dislike for apparent. I didn’t mind, though. I wasn’t about to get into a spat with a kid.
As long as that kid didn’t cross any lines.
"We’re almost there, you should go sit with your mom and not wander around," I told Leo.
Leo was pretty close to at that mont, and he leaned in to look at Serena and Brandon.
Perhaps he was full from eating earlier, but he let out a burp, and I could sll a faint scent of coke.
I was puzzled for a mont. When did he have coke?
"Leo, co here, we’re about to land. Stay close to mommy," Catherine called out to Leo, who obediently went over to sit down. I was still lost in my confusion.
When we finally landed, Catherine and Leo were leading the way while Lisa graciously carried Serena and let Damon carry Brandon. I was the only one empty-handed. As we passed the spot where Leo had eaten earlier, I picked up the discarded bottle and stuffed it into my bag.
After disembarking, a driver was waiting to take us to a booked hotel. We would head out to Heavenly Mountain the next morning.
I thought three rooms would be enough: one for and the twins, one for Lisa, and one for Damon,Catherine, and Leo. But to my surprise, Damon was staying in a room of his own.
Despite Catherine’s grim expression, she kept her emotions under control.
The four rooms were all VIP suites, quite comfortable. But taking care of the twins alone was a challenge. Although they were well-behaved, they sotis demanded to be held, and I couldn’t hold both at the sa ti.
Just as I finished preparing their milk, the doorbell rang.
I glanced at the peephole and saw Lisa standing outside.
"Lisa, what brings you here?" I asked as I opened the door.
"I thought you might need so help with the twins," Lisa kindly responded. She imdiately went over to Brandon, gave him a peck on his cheek, and said, "I don’t know why, but I just adore these two."
I stayed silent, unsure of how to respond.
That’s when Serena needed a diaper change. As I was getting the diapers and wipes from my bag, I subconsciously pulled out that annoying bottle. It was the sa one Catherine had given Leo on the
plane.
Lisa spotted the bottle and paused. "Why’s that bottle in your bag?"
Before I could co up with an explanation, she had already unscrewed the sniffed it. Her expression suddenly changed.
"What’s wrong?" I asked, my heart suddenly pounding.
"That Catherine!" Lisa’s tone was filled with anger, "This isn’t a nutrition shake, it’s coke!"
I had suspected as much, but hadn’t found an opportunity to confirm it. I was baffled by Catherine’s actions. As a parent, she should want the best for her child, not harm him.
Lisa was already upset with Catherine, and now her patience had run out. She stord off with the bottle.
After changing Serena’s diaper and putting the twins to sleep, I hurried after Lisa.
By the ti I reached Catherine’s room, the tension was palpable. The empty bottle lay on the floor. Lisa was furious, holding Leo close to her, as if protecting him from Catherine.
Leo, on the other hand, was scared witless, his little face pale.
"Why would you do this?" Damon questioned, his expression as cold as ice.
Although Leo didn’t grow up in front of Damon, he was Damon’s son after all. Damon naturally harbored genuine affection for Leo, his only son.
Catherine’s actions were harmful to the child.
Seeing Damon’s reaction, Catherine turned to look at . There was a flash of resentnt in her eyes, quickly replaced by a look of self-reproach. "I’m sorry, it’s my fault. I’m a doctor, I know better. But I..."
She trailed off, tears welling up in her eyes. This was a rare mont of vulnerability for her.
"But what? What could possibly justify poisoning your own child?" Lisa cut in, her voice harsh.
Catherine glanced at Damon, hoping he would co to her defense. But his gaze was even colder than Lisa’s.
Realizing she was cornered, Catherine wiped away her tears and began recounting her struggles raising Leo alone abroad. She admitted to resorting to snacks, drinks, and gas to pacify Leo, which resulted in his bad habits.
"I know you don’t like , Lisa," Catherine said, her voice choked with emotion. "But we’re both won, both mothers. You should understand where I’m coming from. If I were truly heartless, I wouldn’t have
insisted on raising Leo myself. And I have been trying to correct his habits."
Her words left Lisa speechless. It was hard to argue with her reasoning. To continue berating her would seem petty.
"If you think I’m not raising Leo right, then you can take over his upbringing from now on. But I have one request, don’t ever separate from my child." Catherine’s voice started to waver, choked with tears.
She turned away, wiping her eyes. Suddenly, she looked like a wronged housewife, and we felt like the villains who had wronged her.
Lisa glanced back at , her eyes filled with unease.
I decided to step in, trying to ease the tension. ’Lisa, Dr. Catherine does have a point. Raising a child in a foreign country is tough. We can gradually work on correcting Leo’s bad habits."
"Damon, what do you think?" Lisa suddenly called out to Damon, "You were supposed to make a decision.
Didn’t you tell her about our previous conversation?"
Damon seed taken aback, as if he had forgotten sothing important. All the while, Catherine was staring at him, waiting for his response.
Reviews
All reviews (0)