I gently touched his cheek with concern. Then, I turned to Irene, sounding upset as I asked, "Mom, how could you hit Owen? He's just a child. How could you strike him so hard?"
Irene stood with her hands on her hips, speaking angrily, "What do you know? I'm doing this for his own good! Look at him—he's gained over 50 pounds in such a short time!
"He's still a kid, but he's already about 150 pounds! From today on, he's not getting any more snacks!"
Jack suddenly seemed to realize something. "We never gave Owen any allowance money. You're the one who bought him all these snacks, aren't you?"
I ignored him and took a cold water bottle from the fridge to press against Owen's cheek. Only after the swelling started to go down did I let out a sigh of relief.
Jack became even more furious at my silence and rolled up his sleeves like he was ready to take matters into his own hands. "Fine! If Simon won't, I'll teach you a lesson myself!"
But before he could take a step, he froze in place. Owen had jumped in front of me, arms spread wide, shielding me. His small frame was trembling, but he stood his ground and shouted, "You're not allowed to bully Mom!"
My heart leaped with joy as I struggled to suppress a smile. Owen had completely taken my side now; in the future, he would become my sharpest weapon against his own family.
I blinked my eyes, forcing out a few tears, and pulled Owen back. "Mom, Dad, if you want to blame someone, blame me.
"But please don't be angry with Owen. I admit I bought him all these snacks, but I didn't mean any harm. I just saw that he enjoyed them, so I bought him more."
"It's my fault for not monitoring his weight," I continued with a remorseful tone. "How about this—starting today, I'll help Owen begin a weight loss program."
Simon's parents' expressions finally softened somewhat. Not wanting to make the situation worse, Irene suggested, "Fine. From now on, take Owen jogging with you after dinner."
