Chapter 190: The "Bad" Boy

Chapter 190: The "Bad" Boy
In the final moments of his life, Theodore’s mind drifted back through the years. He remembered everything.

He remembered the day Ivy died. He had been so young, but he had already been full of jealousy. He hated that Eleanor had to split her love between two children. He wanted to be the only one. He wanted to be the center of her world. When Ivy was gone, a dark part of him felt a sense of victory. He thought, Now she only has me.

But he was wrong. Eleanor didn't love him more after Ivy died. She became a shadow of herself. She was always crying, always looking past him as if searching for someone else. Theodore didn't understand grief then. He only understood that he was being ignored.

He began to act out. He thought that if he was loud, if he was bad, if he was difficult, she would have to look at him. He started to follow Claudia because it made Eleanor angry. He liked the way her eyes flashed when he chose another woman over her. At least then, she was looking at him.

But then came the day she told him she wasn't his mother anymore.

He had acted like he didn't care. He had stayed with Sebastian, thinking Eleanor would eventually come crawling back. But she didn't. Days turned into months, and months turned into years.

Then came the bankruptcy. The big house was gone. The toys were gone. The servants were gone. Theodore remembered the day the debt collectors came. They grabbed everything. He had tried to save a Lego set that he and Eleanor had built together. It was the only thing he had left of her.

The men had laughed at him. They snatched the box from his arms and threw it on the floor. They crushed the plastic pieces under their boots and slapped him across the face when he tried to fight back. Theodore had spent hours on the floor of that empty house, picking up the broken pieces of plastic, crying for a mother who wasn't there to protect him.

Life in the public school was a nightmare. The other kids knew he used to be rich. They called him a "fallen prince" and beat him up for his lunch money. Every time he was pushed into the dirt, every time he bled, he wished Eleanor would appear and save him. He would close his eyes and imagine her singing a lullaby to him.

Sometimes, he would sneak over to the neighborhood where she lived. He would hide behind a tree and watch her through the window. He saw her holding Eva. He saw her laughing and playing. He saw the way she looked at Eva with pure, untainted love.

It broke his heart. He realized he had been replaced. He was the "bad boy" who had been discarded, while Eva was the perfect new child. He felt like he had no right to go to her. He was too dirty, too broken.

On her birthdays, he would save up his meager coins to buy a single piece of bread. He would stick a tiny candle in it and sit in the dark, whispering "Happy Birthday, Mama" to the walls. He never knew that Eleanor sent him gifts every year. Sebastian had always sold them to buy alcohol. Theodore grew up thinking his mother had truly forgotten he existed.

Then came the day at the mall. Seeing her face-to-face after four years was the highlight of his life. He wanted to run to her. He wanted to tell her he was sorry. But his pride was a wall he couldn't climb. He saw the pity in her eyes, and it made him angry. He didn't want her pity. He wanted her love.

When he saw Eva in the park being bullied, his first instinct was to walk away. He was jealous of her. But then he heard her cry, and he couldn't do it. She looked so much like Ivy. He chased the bullies away, but when Eleanor arrived and accused him of hurting Eva, the last string in his heart snapped.

He went along with Sebastian’s plan because he was desperate. He thought that if Eva was gone, the "wall" would be gone. But when he saw the candy in Eva’s hand, when he heard her call him "brother," he realized he couldn't be a monster. He couldn't kill the only person who looked at him with kindness.

Taking the bullet was the easiest thing he had ever done. For the first time, he felt like he had done something right. He had protected his mother’s happiness.

Two days after the funeral, Eleanor stood in front of Theodore’s grave. The sky was grey, and a cold rain was starting to fall. She held a black umbrella over herself and Eva.

She had visited the apartment where Theodore had lived for the last four years. It was a tiny, dark hole. She couldn't believe her son had lived in such a place. While she was packing his few belongings, she found a small bundle hidden under his mattress.

Inside were old photos of them together. There were also four small scraps of paper. Eleanor opened them, and her heart shattered.

Year 7: It’s my birthday. Mama isn't here. I think she forgot. I hate her... no, I love her. I miss her.

Year 8: I saw Mama today. She looks happy. I wish I could tell her happy birthday. I watched her from the trees.

Year 9: Dad sold the watch Mama sent. I tried to stop him but he hit me. I just want to go home. I’m sorry, Mama. Please come get me.

Year 10: I managed to hide the gift this year. I’m so happy. It’s the best birthday ever.

Eleanor collapsed against the headstone, her tears mixing with the rain. She had thought he was cold and heartless. She had thought he hated her. She never knew he had been suffering in silence, loving her from afar while she lived her perfect life.

"I’m so sorry, Teddy," she sobbed. "I was the bad mother. Not you. You were never the bad child."

Alexander stood a few feet back, his heart heavy. He had always been wary of Theodore, but seeing the evidence of the boy’s love made him feel a deep sense of guilt. He promised himself he would never let Eleanor feel this kind of pain again.

Eva stepped forward and placed a small white flower on the grave. "I’ll come see you every year, Brother. I’ll bring you the best Legos."

As they turned to leave, a small gust of wind blew through the cemetery. It picked up the white flower from Theodore’s grave and carried it a few feet over, dropping it gently onto the grave next to his.

It was Ivy’s grave.

Eleanor stopped and looked back. She saw the two graves side-by-side, the flower resting between them. A soft, sad smile touched her lips.

"They’re together now," she whispered. "He’s finally sharing with his sister."

She leaned into Alexander’s side and walked away. She carried the pain of her loss, but for the first time in a long time, she also felt at peace. Her son had come home.