The sun was blazing when Noelle Quinn came home with a bag full of groceries.
It was Sunday, and her son, Zayne Fuller, had been asking for fresh chicken wings. As such, she dragged herself under the scorching sun to get them.
When she unlocked the door with her hands full, the laughter in the house suddenly stopped.
Noelle froze. Without telling her, her husband, Clifford Fuller, had invited a group of friends over to the house. He was sitting on the couch, pressed close to his secretary, Lola Perez, with Zayne beside them.
There was a smear of lipstick on Clifford's neck, and the three of them looked like a perfect family.
Everyone turned when they heard the sound, and suddenly, all eyes were on Noelle.
"Who's this, Mr. Fuller? Your housekeeper?" someone blurted out.
Lola covered her mouth to hide a snicker. "You've got it wrong. This is Mr. Fuller's wife, so we should call her Mrs. Fuller."
The crowd's eyes widened in clear surprise as they sized Noelle up from head to toe. Almost instinctively, Noelle glanced down and checked her outfit, suddenly self-conscious.
As a full-time housewife for six years, Noelle spent her days doing household chores and caring for her child. Comport and practicality had long become her only criteria when she was choosing clothes.
But she could see the obvious disdain and unspoken judgment in their eyes. Even Clifford's gaze held nothing but lingering disgust.
"Why don't you ever bother to dress up, Mom?" Zayne complained, frowning. "Look at Ms. Perez. She's always so stylish in her pretty dresses and heels. She's even an amazing amateur racer!"
Pursing his lips, he continued, "Unlike you, you just cook and clean. You don't know how to do anything else."
Just then, an awkward tension filled the air. Noelle never expected her own son would humiliate her in front of so many strangers.
Her heart sank, and her gaze turned cold as she looked at Zayne. "Zayne, are you judging me?"
Zayne wasn't intimidated. He defiantly straightened up and shot back, "I'm just telling the truth! It's embarrassing to have a mom who can't do anything, and I'd rather have Ms. Perez as my mom!"
Clifford, who'd remained silent until that moment, snapped, "Zayne!"
Even if Zayne disliked Noelle, those words should never have been said aloud.
Noelle's eyes reddened, and her heart ached sharply. "Zayne, I'm asking you. Did you really mean that?"
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