Chapter 7 Mother and Son's Night Talk
When I said that, I clearly felt Ava's body stiffen for a moment. Her mother forcefully pushed me away, then anxiously checked on her.
"Ava, my indifferent attitude before made you think I was a pushover, but now, I'm telling you, the old Sophia is gone."
The muscles on Ava's face trembled with anger, her chest heaving with each breath.
"Sophia, what gives you the right to blame Jasper's situation on me? I cried so hard this afternoon, I was worried too! What gives you the right to hit me!"
I looked at Ava coldly and exposed her without hesitation. "So, according to you, you still had the mood to put on a face mask and watch TV that evening?"
Instantly, Ava's breathing became uneven, her fingers unconsciously clenched. She panicked for a moment, her words stumbling out.
"I... I have a performance the day after tomorrow. My face was swollen from crying in the afternoon, I was just putting on a mask to help with that. I... I was planning to call Tyler later to ask."
I was disgusted by Ava's nonsense and didn't want to hear her say Tyler's name anymore.
My jawline tightened as I stared into her eyes and warned, "This is my first warning to you, and also my last. Jasper is my bottom line. You rely on Tyler to back you up, so you think you can do whatever you want, but you've overlooked one thing—Jasper is his bottom line too."
With that, I turned and left her house.
After I left, Ava collapsed onto the sofa in fear, trembling all over, while her mother kept shouting about calling the police.
"That crazy woman, what gives her the right to hit you! She looks so familiar. Does she know Tyler too?"
Ava didn't speak, just sat stiffly on the sofa, feeling a chill from head to toe. Her hands were shaking badly, her heart pounding like a drum.
-
When I got home, I was exhausted. In just one evening, my mental state had gone through extreme ups and downs. I couldn't imagine what I would become if something had happened to Jasper today.
Without even changing my clothes, I dragged myself to Jasper's room.
I gently turned the doorknob, thinking Jasper would be asleep, but he was sitting on the bed playing with toys.
"Mommy." Jasper called out to me, his eyes fixed on me.
I sat down by the bed and reached out to hold his little hand. "Jasper..."
"Mommy, Daddy said you weren't back yet. I've been waiting for you. I wanted you to tell me a story."
Hearing Jasper's words, my eyes gradually became sore, tears about to spill out. I looked up at the ceiling, trying hard to hold back all the tears.
Even so, my emotions still surged up to my nose, waves of sadness washing over me, making it hard to breathe.
"Mommy, are you crying?" Jasper asked in surprise, then threw himself into my arms, wiping away my tears with his little hands.
I held Jasper, my vision blurred, tears streaming down.
"Jasper, can you promise me something?" I choked out.
"What is it, Mommy?" Jasper was very obedient.
"From now on, after school, don't go with anyone except Mommy and Daddy who comes to pick you up, okay?"
Jasper tilted his little head, seeming to understand. "Not even Ava?"
At the mention of Ava's name, resentment surged in my heart. I forced down the bitterness inside and nodded.
"Yes, only Mommy and Daddy."
Jasper puffed out his cheeks. "Does Mommy not like Ava?"
I didn't answer Jasper's question, but said, "Can you promise me?"
Jasper looked at me without blinking, then nodded. "Okay..."
"Shall I tell you a story?"
"Yes!" Jasper was very happy.
The warm yellow wall lamp was on by the bedside. I held Jasper and gently told him his favorite fairy tale, and Jasper would look up at me from time to time and give me a kiss.
These little gestures were like warm currents, slowly flowing through my heart.
-
Three days later, at the Thompson Villa.
Today was Tyler's grandmother Cleo's eightieth birthday. The Thompson family gathered at the Thompson Villa.
Since I married into the Thompson family, due to class differences, not many people in the Thompson family liked me. Tyler's parents looked down on me even more. The only one who was good to me was Cleo.
Because of her advanced age, Cleo's health was declining. She spent most of her time at home, with a private doctor checking on her daily to maintain her health indicators.
Jasper was downstairs playing with the elders. I went upstairs to visit Cleo. Just as I reached the door, before I could knock, I heard a scolding voice inside.
"Jasper was lost a few days ago? If I didn't know the person in charge of the amusement park, were you never going to tell me!"
"You're not in good health. We didn't tell you because we were worried about you. I won't let this happen again."
"Promise? You treat Jasper as important as your own life, and you still managed to lose him? I think this was deliberate by that woman Ava! I will definitely settle accounts with her!"
"Grandma! She didn't mean it. She's been blaming herself terribly. It's all in the past now."
Cleo laughed coldly. "I think you've been bewitched by that woman. Let me tell you, Tyler, everyone's been saying you're having an affair, but you won't admit it. Since you're my grandson, I believe you. But if you're really being unfaithful to your marriage, I'll be the first one who won't let you off!"
Hearing this, my heart filled with bitterness. An indescribable sourness welled up from the bottom of my heart, rising to my throat. I wanted to spit it out but couldn't, and could only swallow it back down with difficulty.
I couldn't tell if this was touching or helpless, but I knew that even Cleo couldn't control Tyler's feelings.
What I didn't expect was that Tyler still refused to admit it in front of Cleo.
"Grandma, Sophia and I have a good relationship. Don't worry about it. What you need to do now is take care of your health. I just talked to the doctor, and the most important thing for you now is to stay happy."
"As long as you and Sophia can be good together, that's my greatest wish. I promise to be happy every day."
I lowered my head, a silent sigh escaping from my throat. I even thought of myself as a failure, unable to protect my own marriage.
Just as I was lost in thought, the door suddenly opened. Tyler stood in the doorway.
"When did you get here?"