The Unwanted Wife and Her Secret Twins (Mia and Kyle) novel Chapter 340

Chapter 340 Being mean

Mia

+25 BONUS

I walked Kyle to the door, both of us moving quietly to avoid waking the children.

He nodded and stepped into the hallway, his footsteps echoing softly as he made his way to the elevator. I stood in my doorway until I heard the elevator doors close, until the building settled back into its late–night quiet.

I sat holding the butterfly keychain, thinking about the house that was apparently now mine. I could picture every room, every corner where memories lived like dust in the sunlight. The house where I’d been happy before I’d learned that happiness was something that could be taken away by adult

choices and adult failures.

The next afternoon arrived gray and cold, with the kind of dampness that seeped into your bones and made everything feel heavier. I stood outside Bright Beginnings Preschool with the other parents, my breath forming small clouds in the December air as I waited for dismissal. The key Kyle had given me sat in my pocket.

The school doors opened, and children began streaming out in their winter coats and backpacks, chattering about their day with the excitement that came from being released from classroom constraints. I spotted Alexander first, his red coat easy to pick out in the crowd, but instead of his usual enthusiastic wave, he seemed subdued. Ethan walked beside him, their heads bent together in quiet conversation.

Madison trailed behind the boys, her face pale and her eyes red–rimmed as if she’d been crying.

“Hey, guys,” I called out, crouching down to their level as they approached. “How was your day?”

Alexander shrugged. Ethan looked away. Madison said nothing, just pressed closer to my side when I put my arm around her.

“Okay,” I said carefully. “Let’s get to the car. We can talk about whatever’s bothering you once we’re

home.”

At home, I got them settled with snacks. Madison sat curled in a chair, her backpack still strapped to her shoulders like armor.

“Madison, sweetheart,” I said gently, settling beside her. “Can you tell me what’s wrong? You seem upset about something.”

Madison shook her head, not making eye contact.

“Is it something that happened at school? Did someone say something that hurt your feelings?”

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Chapter 340 Being mean

+25 BONUS

Another shake of the head, but this time accompanied by a small sob that she tried to muffle against her backpack.

“Hey,” I said, my voice softer now. “Remember what we talked about? About being family and taking care of each other? That means we can talk about things that are bothering us.‘

Alexander looked up from his untouched snack. “Someone at school was being mean,” he said quietly.

“What kind of mean?” I asked, dividing my attention between Alexander and Madison, who had begun crying in earnest now.

“They said things about Madison’s mom,” Ethan added, his voice barely above a whisper. “Mean things.”

My stomach tightened. “What kind of things?”

Madison finally looked up at me, her face streaked with tears. “They said my mom left because she didn’t like you,” she whispered. “They said she tried to hurt you and that’s why she’s gone and that’s why I can’t live with her anymore.”

“Madison,” I said, pulling her into my lap. “Who told you this?”

“I don’t know,” she said through her tears. “Some kids at lunch. They said their parents told them about my mom and about you and about how my mom was bad.”

“Madison,” I said, tilting her chin up so she could see my face. “Listen to me very carefully, okay? Your mother didn’t leave because she didn’t like me. Your mother is sick in a way that made it hard for her to take care of you properly. That’s not your fault, and it’s not because of anything I did or didn’t do.”

Madison considered this, her small face serious with concentration. “Will she get better? Like when I had the flu before.”

The question broke my heart. “I don’t know, sweetheart. Some kinds of sick are different from the flu. Some kinds take much longer to heal, and some kinds… sometimes people need lots of help from doctors and medicine and other people who know how to help.”

“But she might get better?”

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