Side Chick Era Over (Sharon and Carter) novel Chapter 333

Chapter 333

The moment his fingers brushed Matty’s hand, the cup slipped.

Crash!

It hit the floor, shattering into pieces.

For a second, no one moved. Silence gripped the room.

Only Xavier, seated lazily in h

chair, had a flicker of something dark cross his eyes.

Then, snapping out of his daze, Matty gasped. “I’m sorry! Theo, I’m so sorry… It’s all my fault. I wasn’t careful enough…” His voice trembled, eyes rimmed with tears, like he was seconds away from crying.

Theo stared down at the broken pieces of the cup–his cup. The one he’d made with his own hands.

All the hours he’d spent shaping it. Firing it. Failing over and over just to finally get one that wasn’t cracked or crooked.

Gone.

Shattered.

Something snapped inside him. Fury surged, drowning out every rational thought. He pointed straight at Matty, hand shaking. “You did that on purpose!” His voice cracked. “You did it on purpose! You broke Mom’s birthday present on purpose!” Matty flinched, then bit his lip, tears pooling. “I… I really didn’t… you’re wrong, Theo… I didn’t mean to…”

He knelt down quickly, hands scrambling to pick up the shards.

“Agh!” A sharp cry escaped his lips as hand.

jagged piece sliced across his fingertip. Blood welled instantly, trickling down his small

“Matty!” Sharon’s face paled. She rushed

vel,

pulling him up into her arms without thinking.

Matty hung his head, guilt written all over his face. “I’m sorry, Sharon… I broke the cup that Theo gave you…”

“It’s fine. My birthday was a long time ago.” Sharon checked his bleeding hand. “It’s just a cup.”

Those words hit Theo like a punch to the chest. His eyes widened, stunned.

Just… a cup?

Since when?

For as long as he could remember, anything he gave Mom–whether it was a silly drawing, a pebble, even a piece of candy–she treated it like treasure.

Once, when Kelly accidentally ate the candy he’d given his mom, Sharon–who never raised her voice–actually got angry.

Furious, even.

She’d always cherished everything from him. Always.

But now…

She didn’t even look at the broken pieces. All her attention was on Matty’s bleeding hand.

“Wendy,” Sharon said, “can you ask the restaurant for a first aid kit? His hand needs to be cleaned and bandaged.”

“It’s not bad,” Matty whispered, shrinking back a little. “I’m fine. His head hung even lower, voice It’s all my fault… I’m so clumsy. I couldn’t even hold a cup properly.”

“It’s not your fault,” Sharon said gently, already reaching for his injured hand.

with self–blame.”

1/2

But her words barely left her mouth before Theo exploded.

+20 BONUS

“Mom!” His voice trembled with rage. “He broke the cup I made for you! That’s the one I worked so hard on! The one I made for you!”

Sharon finally turned to him, her brows pulling together. “Theo, what you should be worried about right now is Matty’s hand. Not some cup.”

Her tone sliced right through him.

It wasn’t just anger that filled Theo now–it was something deeper A sharp, aching wound of betrayal.

“He did it on purpose! He’s always like this! Always pretending to be pitiful! How many times does this have to happen before you finally see it, Mom?”

“I don’t see it,” Sharon said coldly, meeting his glare. “All I see Is you constantly targeting Matty. Theo, when did you become so… childish?”

His pupils shrank, breath caught in his throat.

Those words.

Those exact words.

They dragged him back to a night burned into his memory.

A fight. His parents were shouting. His father’s voice was sharp, full of disappointment.

“Sharon, why do you always have to go after someone who’s already dying? When did you become so…

childish?”