"Kiki..." Seeing Kiki trying to get off the bed, Mika turned and grabbed him, her voice thick with helplessness and heartache.

’This is my son! But my son just doesn’t like me. He hates me. And now he’s calling me a bad woman.’

Kiki struggled hard, saying, "You hit someone! You’re a bad woman! Let go of me!"

Listening to Kiki’s words and watching him struggle so desperately, she felt as if she really were some irredeemably evil woman...

She let go of Kiki, a bitter smile touching her lips as she got off the bed.

"Where are you going?" Tristan grabbed her arm anxiously.

She didn’t struggle or try to slap his hand away. She simply stared at him, her gaze cold, and said in a low voice, "Tristan, I’m exhausted today. Can you please just leave me alone for a little while?"

"Fine. If you want to rest, then rest. I’ll take Kiki to the guest room," Tristan said, nodding in concession. He was worried she might leave.

Without waiting for Mika’s reaction, he bent down, lifted her, and placed her back on the bed. Then, shooting an irritated glare at the dazed Kiki, he scooped the boy up and left.

Mika only snapped out of her daze after Tristan closed the door behind him.

The coldness on her face was gone, replaced by an expression of pure exhaustion and pain. She turned, about to lie down, but her eyes landed on the ointment on the nightstand. She froze for a moment, her expression turning incredibly complex...

’Did I really misunderstand him? Did he just want to check on my injuries?’

’I think I really did misunderstand him. If Tristan had actually wanted to do something to me, there’s no way he would have let Kiki watch.’

The memory of slapping Tristan made her head ache. ’Sometimes, things just spiral out of my control. The last two years have made me so suspicious. That’s why the moment I opened my eyes and saw him, I didn’t think. I just struck out on instinct.’

She shook her head, trying to force herself to stop thinking about Tristan. ’If I keep thinking about him and his words, I’ll go crazy sooner or later.’

’I’ll have a complete breakdown.’

’I have to get Kiki to like me as soon as possible. I know it’ll be difficult, but I have to hurry...’

’Then, I’ll take Kiki and leave this place, never to return...’

With these thoughts in her mind, she got out of bed and walked to the bathroom.

***

After putting Kiki down on the guest bed, Tristan sat beside him, glaring coldly at the boy.

Kiki pulled back the covers, slid into bed, and leaned back leisurely against the pillows, sipping his milk. He was completely oblivious to the fact that he had made his father angry.

Tristan stared at Kiki for about two minutes before asking in a heavy voice, "Kiki, do you really not like your mother?" 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

"Yeah, I don’t," Kiki replied in his small, childish voice, nodding as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"Why don’t you like her?"

"Since she came, Daddy doesn’t like me anymore. You don’t play with me anymore either."

"But she’s your mother. You can’t just decide not to like her. And weren’t the things you said to her just now a little too harsh?"

Hearing Tristan’s words, Kiki looked up with a wounded expression and yelled, "She hit you! She’s a meanie, and I hate her!" ’Only stepmoms hit people, so she must be a stepmom. I’ll never like her.’

"There’s no getting through to you! Regardless, you are going to apologize to your mother tomorrow."

Kiki’s eyes reddened. He tilted his chin up defiantly and huffed, "I won’t!" ’I didn’t do anything wrong. Why should I have to apologize?’