Chapter 6 You're in Trouble

“Whoa! Mark, your stepmom’s here. She’s so scary!”

One of the boys looked at Amanda’s fierce expression and was so frightened he nearly cried.

Amanda noticed the dirt smeared across her son's small face. A cold glint flashed through her peach blossom eyes—sharp, aggressive, and dangerous.

All three kids were stunned into silence.

“Apologize to Mark!”

Her sudden roar shook the room, and the atmosphere instantly turned still and tense.

The little girl standing nearby burst into tears. “Hmph! I’m not apologizing to a blind brat! He’s not just blind—he’s mute too! I’ve never heard him speak!”

“Shut up!”

Amanda glared at the three children, her expression murderous.

Is this how they’ve been treating Mark all this time?

Heartache surged through her chest.

“Apologize. If you don’t, then all three of you are going to eat dirt before you leave.”

She towered over the three eight- or nine-year-old kids like a queen holding court.

Gently, she pulled out a tissue and wiped the mud off her son's face.

Mark kept his eyes down, cheeks puffed up.

In the past, whenever he was bullied, he just endured it quietly.

Now that someone was protecting him… he felt a little out of place.

“Hmph! We’re not apologizing. Why should we say sorry to a blind kid? My mom says he’s going to die soon anyway.”

Charlie Schmidt—the son of Benjamin’s eldest nephew—had always loved picking on Mark.

Amanda looked at the three spoiled brats with calm disdain.

They were arrogant, fearless, clearly used to getting their way.

She grabbed a handful of mud off the ground, her crimson lips curved into a cold smile. Her eyes were sharp and merciless.

“Fine. Then you can eat dirt before you go.”

She shoved the mud into their mouths one by one.

The terrified kids started crying and ran off screaming.

Amanda didn’t spare them a second glance.

She didn’t go looking for trouble, but the rest of the Schmidt family certainly wouldn’t go easy on her anyway.

Getting justice for her son felt amazing.

After helping Mark rinse his mouth with clean water, she proudly brought out the food she’d made.

“Baby, I made honey-glazed chicken bites, crispy cod nuggets, pan-seared tofu, and cabbage soup. Let’s eat first, okay?”

Mark was a little surprised.

So… she really was his stepmom.

Grandpa must have gone senile to marry this woman to Dad.

But this time, Mark didn’t act up.

He knew someone would be coming soon to cause trouble. If he didn’t eat now, he’d go hungry tonight.

He hadn’t eaten in three days—and he was truly starving.

Besides, he needed to get better so he could go find Mom!

Amanda fed him shrimp porridge first, then gave him bites of the other dishes.

As he ate, Mark’s eyes turned red.

It was so good.

He even suspected that the food he’d eaten before was the reason he lost his sight.

But now… he was already blind.

They fed him whatever they wanted. He had no choice but to eat it.

Amanda watched as he finished every bite, her heart glowing with joy.

“Baby, let’s go rest now, okay?” she asked gently.

Mark didn’t refuse, letting her carry him.

There was a good show coming—he didn’t want to miss it.

Amanda didn’t know her five-year-old son was deceptively cunning.

If it weren’t for his blindness, those bratty Schmidt family kids wouldn’t dare bully him.

Back then, he’d made those same brats cry for days.

Even if the adults didn’t understand him and saw him as a little monster, he didn’t care.

His father was the ruler of Cindale’s business world—the power behind the mighty Schmidt Empire.

As his son, how could he let himself be easily bullied?

Mark didn’t say a word the whole time.

Even while bathing, he was tense and silent.

Amanda gently bathed him, dressed him in clean clothes, and carefully dried his hair.

Looking at her sweet-smelling little boy, her throat grew tight.

“Mark, let’s get some rest.”

Finding her son so quickly after arriving—tonight, she probably wouldn’t be able to sleep from sheer happiness.

Mark clenched his little fists and gave a faint nod.

He liked her embrace—it was warm.

Amanda carried him over and gently placed him on the bed beside Benjamin.

The bed was big, but she didn’t dare lie next to him.

She turned to ask the butler to bring her some bedding—but then—

BANG! BANG! BANG!

A pounding came at the door.

Mark said coolly,

“Hmph. You’re in trouble.”

He was curious to see how she’d handle this.

After all, Charlie’s grandmother… was a terrifying old witch.