After the fried chicken incident, Simon's parents strictly prohibited Owen from eating any more "unhealthy food". The dinner table was now filled with traditional home-cooked meals like pot roast, meatloaf, and baked fish every night.
During mealtimes, Owen would force himself to eat while frowning at his plate. However, I had secretly stocked his room with kid-friendly snacks.
At 2:00 am, we would sneak to the stairwell for midnight feasts. I would wait until Owen finished before going back to bed.
"Owen, this is our secret. You can't tell anyone else," I whispered.
He looked at me with gratitude in his eyes. "Mom, you're so nice. You're way nicer than Dad, Grandma, and Grandpa."
Under my secret feeding operation, Owen gained about 30 pounds in just two months.
Irene was pleased with herself, saying, "See, Owen? Grandma's cooking is the most nutritious, isn't it? Just listen to me and stay away from that junk food."
This became our unspoken secret. In this life, I had successfully created an image of the "caring mother" in Owen's eyes.
Unlike my previous life, he no longer rejected me, but I knew the road ahead was long. Nonetheless, I could be patient.
Since fate had given me a second chance, I was determined to witness the downfall of the Lincoln family. However, during this time, I discovered one of Simon's secrets.
Just like in my previous life, Simon kept my infertility test results in the bedroom nightstand drawer. But this time, I found more than just my medical records.
In a hidden compartment of the nightstand, I discovered a hospital bill with Simon's name on it. It was from the men's urology department, indicating that Simon had gotten a vasectomy. This also explained why he could so readily admit the fertility problems were his fault.
As a result, I seriously doubted the truth about my supposed infertility. The next morning, I made an excuse to go to the hospital for a complete physical examination.
After receiving my results, I finally understood that Simon's family had plotted this. I threw the test results in a hospital trash can and acted as if nothing had happened.
When I reached our front door, I heard intense arguing from inside. I paused to listen—Irene had discovered the snacks I had hidden in Owen's room.
"So this is why you hate eating the meals at home? I slave away in the kitchen making different meals daily, and you're hiding in your room eating junk food! Owen, how could you do this to me?" Irene's voice was choked with emotion.
I savored the taste of what I had experienced in my previous life, but this was nowhere near enough.
Jack joined in, playing good cop to her bad cop. "Owen, you need to listen to us. You're still growing and shouldn't eat so much of this stuff."
Sadly, Owen had always been stubborn, and he certainly wouldn't listen to Simon's parents. Sure enough, he stood his ground defiantly.
"I like eating these things, and you can't stop me! You're not my parents, so what right do you have to control me?"
Irene lost her temper and slapped Owen across the face.
Her action completely enraged him, and he shoved her hard. "You old hag, why did you hit me?"
After watching enough of this drama unfold, I slowly took out my keys and opened the door. As soon as Owen saw me, he ran over, crying, "Mom, she hit me!"
