Chapter 6
Julian turned toward Tobias and said, “Wait for me here.”
Tobias knew Julian had to help Susan first, so he complied with a nod.
Not long after Julian left, murmurs rose from the table beside Tobias.
“Darren, look.” A woman’s voice rang out. “He’s much younger than you, but he’s perfectly capable of protecting his mother—even driving the mistress away for her.
“If you see that evil witch next time, you’ll have to learn from him, okay? Don’t be afraid.”
Tobias swerved around and saw a woman in her 30s with a boy who looked to be around seven or eight years old.
The boy named Darren nodded solemnly. Sensing Tobias’ gaze, he slid off his chair and approached Tobias. “Hey, you’re amazing. Can you teach me how to chase the mistress away?”
Tobias was stunned. “Mistress?”
Assuming that Tobias didn’t know what a mistress meant, Darren explained, “A mistress is a person who gets in between your parents. They’ll make your parents file for divorce and also make your mom suffer. Such women are evil!”
Darren continued, his eyes burning with fury, “Lately, a bad woman has been clinging to my dad, but…”
His voice trailed off as disappointment flickered across his face.
“But I don’t know how to make the mistress leave and protect my mom.” He then glanced up at Tobias, his eyes gleaming with admiration. “You were amazing just now! To think you chased the mistress away with just a few words and made your parents reconcile again. Can you teach me your ways?”
Still baffled, Tobias repeated, “Make my parents reconcile?”
Didn’t Estelle leave on her own?
Darren gaped at him. “Didn’t that mistress flee after you taunted her? And didn’t your dad just carry your mom away?”
His mom?
It finally dawned on Tobias that Darren had mistaken Susan for his mother.
Just then, Darren’s mother approached them. She stroked Tobias’ head and said dotingly, “Kiddo, you did a great job. You stood firmly by your mom’s side—unlike my son, who was easily swayed by that awful woman after she gave him a piece of candy.”
Scratching his head sheepishly, Darren muttered, “You never let me eat candy, so I just couldn’t resist…”
“I don’t let you eat candy because I don’t want your teeth to rot,” his mother chided. “Once you’re an adult, you can eat as much as you want. I won’t stop you.”
Darren clung to his mother’s arm and whined, “I’m sorry! I know you did it for my own good. Don’t be mad at me anymore, okay?”
“You only realize your mother is the best after that woman almost hurt you, huh?”
“Well, better late than never.” Darren grinned.
His mother might be chastising him, but the affection and tenderness in her eyes were unmistakable.
About half an hour later, Julian and Susan returned.
“Jules, I’m really fine.” Susan sighed. “My blood sugar is just a little low, so there’s no need to go to the hospital.”
“You’ve been fainting a lot more than before,” Julian responded solemnly. “It’s better to get checked, just in case your condition is worsening.”
Susan’s expression stiffened. Lately, she had been calling Julian over more often than before—all to teach Estelle a lesson.
“I’ll be fine,” Susan reassured him. “It’s getting late, and Tobias still hasn’t eaten yet. Let’s eat first. I can go to the hospital tomorrow.”
As they spoke, they drew closer to Tobias.
He sat alone at a dining table, staring out of the window with a dazed expression. However, Julian didn’t notice his unusual behavior. He went up to Tobias and said, “Susan isn’t feeling well, so I’m taking her to the hospital first. We’ll have dinner after that.”
Julian’s tone was calm, but every word carried an unmistakable air of authority. His assertiveness belied his otherwise aloof personality, and once he made up his mind, he never wavered.
Usually, Tobias would’ve obeyed his orders right away. But today, for some reason, he suddenly thought of Estelle.
She had always prepared his meals on time for him. He had a weak stomach, and having his meals on time was crucial. Sometimes, when he went out with the adults and it was mealtime, she would insist that he eat some snacks to hold him over.
Because of his health condition, Estelle had personally made all those snacks for him. While she was a great cook, eating the same things over and over again eventually bored him.
With the large variety of food out there, Tobias began to lose interest in her cooking.
Just then, Susan’s gentle voice snapped him out of his thoughts.
“Jules, Tobias has a weak stomach. He should eat something first.”
“Your health matters more than him,” Julian replied coolly.
Blushing, Susan gave in. She glanced down at Tobias and asked, “How about we buy a strawberry cake for you to eat on the way?”
It was Tobias’ favorite. Normally, he would’ve been thrilled, but he only gave her a slight nod today.
“Sure.”
Susan thought he was acting a little odd, but she didn’t dwell on it. After having the server pack one serving of strawberry cake, she took his hand and left the restaurant.
On the way to the hospital, she kept turning around from the front passenger seat to remind Tobias to be careful while eating his cake.
“If only I didn’t get carsick, I’d sit in the back with Tobias to take care of him,” she said, her voice tinged with regret.
Even when Estelle was around, she would sit in the front because she claimed that sitting there helped with her motion sickness.
Staring at the cake in his hands, Tobias suddenly remembered that Darren’s mother had mentioned not letting Darren eat anything sweet for his own good.
“Ms. Lynch, are you my dad’s mistress?” he blurted out.
Susan froze. Assuming that she had misheard, she asked, “What did you say?”
Tobias met her gaze and repeated sullenly, “Ms. Lynch, are you my dad’s mistress?”
Susan never expected him to ask such a thing. This question itself was a deadly insult, after all. Her expression hardened as she fell silent.
The silence in the car stretched on until Julian snapped, “Tobias! Do you even know what you’re saying? Where did all your manners go?”
Jolted back to reality, Susan quickly chimed in, “Jules, don’t blame Tobias. He’s still a child. He’s utterly clueless.”
She paused for a while, then continued bitterly, “I know Ms. Summer despises me. But no matter how much she hates me, she shouldn’t have said something like that to Tobias. We should never involve children in our conflicts. He’s innocent, after all. He’s just a child…”
