Chapter 264 Parent-Child Activity
Amid the crowd’s gasps, Ambrose carried Scarlett through the entire race. When her feet finally touched the ground, her face was flushed bright red.
For Hayden, it was his first time experiencing Ambrose's almost superhuman strength, and he cheered excitedly, "We're first!"
Seeing how happy Hayden was, Scarlett decided it was worth it. Embarrassment be damned, as long as Hayden was happy, that was all that mattered.
With Hayden's race over, it was Yara's turn next.
The rope binding their legs was still tied, and when Ambrose turned to carry Scarlett back, she pounded on him in frustration.
"The race is over. Put me down!"
"If I put you down, you'll still slow us down. There's no point in untying this yet since Yara still has to compete," Ambrose said in a low, coaxing voice.
Yara's race was next, and they still had quite a distance to cover before reaching where she was waiting.
Scarlett reluctantly accepted the situation.
After all, she'd already embarrassed herself once today. One more time wouldn't make much difference.
The crowd's exclamations echoed in her ears, and wave after wave of heat rushed to her face.
"Yara doesn't need to come in first. Don't carry me next time. I'll walk faster on my own," she said quietly.
Ambrose looked down at her with a smile. "That won't do. My son took first place, so my daughter has to as well. I can't play favorites."
Scarlett took a deep breath. He was clearly doing this on purpose.
When Yara saw Hayden being carried the whole way, she reached out her arms and asked Ambrose to carry her too. Of course, he was more than happy to oblige, and he once again raced with mother and daughter in his arms.
Yara loved it. She felt as if she was flying and squealed the entire way.
Everyone at the venue watched Ambrose sprint while carrying Scarlett. The mothers were green with envy, and some even complained to their husbands that they couldn't match Ambrose's speed, even when they were not carrying anyone.
The fathers harbored some resentment toward Ambrose. His performance made them all look weak, but they didn't dare show it. At the same time, they envied him for having such a beautiful girlfriend as Scarlett.
After the event ended, Scarlett led the two children far away from Ambrose, but he followed them. His mood soured when he saw Scarlett handing the kids water.
"They didn't even run. I was the one who ran, so I'm the thirstiest one here."
Scarlett didn't even look at him, her expression impassive. "The water's right there. Don't you have hands?"
There was a trace of petulance in her tone, which delighted Ambrose. This was better than no emotion at all. He casually walked over to the water, grabbed a bottle, twisted it open, and started drinking.
"Mr. Boleyn, hello! You were absolutely amazing just now. We're all so envious," a father said as he approached to make conversation.
Ambrose disliked this kind of flattery, but he was in a good mood, so he answered anyway.
That only encouraged the man to keep talking, but Ambrose had no patience for these people. This was a golden opportunity to break the ice with Scarlett, and they were getting in his way. His expression gradually grew cold.
Scarlett noticed this and, worried he might frighten the others or affect the children's relationships with their classmates at school, she interjected.
"I think the next activity is about to start."
Hearing this, the man tactfully ended the conversation. After he left, Ambrose looked at her.
"You're so considerate of others, yet you never consider me."
Scarlett acted as if she hadn't heard him and wiped sweat from her face with a tissue. Then Octavia, who had been lingering in the crowd, walked over with a sports drink and happily offered it to Hayden.
"Hayden, drink this."
Seeing that it was a sports drink, Scarlett immediately stepped in. How could children drink something like that?
"Children can't have these kinds of drinks."
Octavia glared up at her. "I'm his mother. Would I harm him? What's your agenda, always interfering whenever I try to get close to my son?"
Scarlett ignored her and turned to Hayden instead. "Hayden, you can't drink this. Water is fine for children."
Hayden naturally listened to Scarlett and nodded.
Octavia pointed at Scarlett accusingly. "Scarlett, so it really was you turning my child against me behind my back! My son's cold attitude toward me—it's all your doing! You're truly vicious!"
"Octavia, I'd advise you not to make a spectacle of yourself here," Scarlett said coldly.
As Octavia was about to continue her tirade, Ambrose cut in sharply. "Ms. Mitchell, if you keep making a scene, it'll be the Mitchell family that loses face."
"What do you mean? Are you saying I can't even see my own son?" Octavia glared defiantly at Ambrose.
Ambrose gave a soft laugh, then turned to Scarlett. "Take the kids to the next activity. I'll be there in a moment."
Scarlett guessed he was about to settle things with Octavia. The children couldn't hear this, so she led the two little ones away.
Ambrose looked at Octavia. "I just realized something. When you brought Hayden to me back then, I never had a paternity test done."
Octavia's expression changed. What did he mean? Was he suspicious?
"After all, a biological mother wouldn't gamble with her child's health like this. Don't you know that drinking this could cause premature development in children?"
Octavia panicked and quickly backtracked. "I really didn't know it would have that effect."
"How could a mother make such a basic mistake?"
"It seems a proper test is in order to see whether you're really the child's mother."
"How can you suspect me like this? Just because I brought one drink, I'm unforgivable?" Octavia began to cry pitifully.
"Fine, I won't give it to him, and I won't disturb you anymore. But he is my biological child, so go ahead and do your paternity test if you want!"
Ambrose let out a cold laugh, said nothing more, and left to find the mother and her two children.
Octavia didn't follow. She stood there, breathing a sigh of relief.
He still didn't know about the child.
Since he didn't know, she'd better not stick around here. If he actually insisted on doing the test, that would be very troublesome indeed.
Just then, another parent approached to chat with her.
"Ms. Mitchell, don't be upset. Scarlett is just a little prettier on the outside, which has blinded Mr. Boleyn for now, but eventually he'll get tired of her, and then we'll see how smug she is."
This was the parent who had messaged Octavia about today's parent-child activity.
Seeing this, Octavia immediately put on a pitiful expression.
"Who told me I'm not as capable as she is? She's been turning my son against me and poisoning the relationship between mother and child, which is why my son is so cold toward me."
"She actually does that? And Mr. Boleyn doesn't stop her?"
"He likes her so much right now. How would he listen to me?"
"Men are all the same. It's us mothers who suffer."
Octavia played the victim, badmouthing Scarlett in front of the other parents, and everyone began to dislike Scarlett.
Watching Ambrose gaze at Scarlett with tender affection, the hatred in Octavia's eyes only deepened.
The next activity turned out to be an apple-biting game for parents. Scarlett couldn't understand why, at a parent-child event, they would come up with such an activity. Wasn't this corrupting the children's innocent minds?
Scarlett received several kisses from Ambrose while her two children cheered them on from the sidelines.
Her face turned bright red.