Side Chick Era Over (Sharon and Carter) novel Chapter 332

What was so great about Matty anyway? He was just a little drama ing who only knew how to play the victim.

Jealousy burned in Theo’s chest. He wanted so badly to tip off Matty’s fake task and expose him right here, right now–to make his mom see that this kid was nowhere near as innocent as she thought.

But after sucking in a sharp breath, he held back.

He’d fallen for Matty’s tricks too many times before. He knew better now. Without proof, no one would believe him.

And besides… that wasn’t why he

Theo had more important things

here today.

do

His sudden appearance forced Wendy to swallow back the things she’d been itching to say about Carter. The conversation drifted into empty small talk to fill the silence.

Throughout the meal, Matty chattered nonstop, sharing stories and little jokes. For someone so young, he had a sharp tongue, witty enough to keep everyone laughing.

Sharon never once looked at Theo, But Wendy didn’t ignore him. She occasionally asked how school was going, whether anything interesting had happened lately.

Theo, for his part, wore the polished manners of a child raised under strict discipline–polite, well–spoken, perfectly put together for anyone outside the family.

Wendy looked at that face, the carbon copy of Carter’s, and sighed quietly.

No one understood better than her how much Sharon had loved Theo.

If not for Theo… Sharon would’ve never endured Kelly for so long, wouldn’t have stooped to cooking her medicinal meals like some kind of servant.

As the meal wound down, Wendy finally asked what had been on her mind. “So, Theo… you came all this way to find your mom. What’s the big reason?”

Theo instinctively tightened his grip on his backpack, voice lowering. “I… I have something for her.”

At that, Sharon finally lifted her gaze to him.

Wendy leaned forward, suddenly curious. “Oh?

What

A flicker of hesitation crossed Theo’s face. He looked up, and for the first time since arriving, his eyes met his mother’s.

Something trembled deep in his chest.

Kelly was right. Mom still cared. She still looked at him.

If he just apologized… if he lowered his head just a little… she would forgive him. She would come back.

The thought gave him a fragile, desperate kind of courage.

Fumbling with the zipper, he opened his backpack and pulled out a cup. His voice grew stiff, awkward. “This… was supposed to be your birthday present. I… I got it back from Kelly…‘

It felt unbearably strange–this act of lowering himself, of trying to make amends. Shame twisted in his chest, but he forced the words out anyway.

He held the cup out to her, his voice getting smaller. “I… I made it myself. I hope you like it…”

This–this was his version of surrender. His way of saying sorry without actually saying the word.

1/2

Chapter 332

420 BONUS

In the past, even the smallest soft word from him would be enough Mom would immediately scoop him up into her arms and forget everything else.

But not this time.

Sharon stared at the cup in his hands. Seconds dragged out, then tonutes. She didn’t move.

She didn’t reach for it.

Theo hadn’t expected this.

Panic gripped him, draining the color from his small face.

Why wasn’t she taking it?

Mom was supposed to be easy to coax. She always had been.

The air grew heavy and suffocating.

Xavier leaned lazily against the back of his chair, his

eyes

unreadable.

Wendy glanced between mother and son, something tangled and unspeakable flickering in her eyes. Words caught in her throat, but none came out.

Sharon just stared at the cup in his hands like she couldn’t decide what it meant.

The confidence Theo had walked in with–the certainty that things could be fixed–began to fray at the edges. His hand trembled harder, the cup wobbling dangerously,

Then-

“Is that a birthday present for Sharon? It’s so pretty!” Matty’s voice cut through the tension, bright and innocent as ever.

He walked over, smiling. “Here, I’ll help you give it to her.”

Before Theo could react, Matty’s hand darted out and snatched the cup.

For a split second, Theo froze.

Then instinct surged. He lunged forward, reaching out to yank it back.