Chapter 2

But Jon snatched the laptop back and slammed it shut.

"Don't waste your time. I'm never changing my choice. I love Naomi, and I'm going to be with her!"

At that, I couldn't hold back anymore. I raised my hand and slapped him across the face.

"How old are you? What do you know about love? You want to throw away your future for some good-for-nothing delinquent? I won't allow it!"

Jon shouted even louder, "Being with Naomi makes me happy! She understands me, and I'm going to be with her!"

A deep sense of helplessness washed over me.

"Jon, when your father cheated, I divorced him and took you with me, and I never remarried. I poured everything I had into you all these years, just so you could have a good future.

"Now you want to give up Hoovard for a vocational school because of Naomi. Is that how you repay me? Is that fair to all the hard work you've put in yourself?"

Every word came straight from my heart. All I wanted was for him to come to his senses before it was too late.

But my son didn't appreciate it one bit.

"Stop making yourself sound so noble. My whole life, you've used 'it's for your own good' as an excuse to control me. Who I'm friends with, what time I come home every day, everything needs your permission.

"I bet that's exactly why Dad cheated. He couldn't stand it either! From now on, don't even think about controlling me again!"

His words pierced me like a thousand blades, leaving me wounded all over.

I had raised Jon, and I knew him well. He was gifted and bright, but he lacked resolve and was easily swayed by the people around him.

That was exactly why I interfered with his choice of friends. I wanted to keep people with bad intentions from leading him astray.

And yet, he thought I was trying to control him?

In the middle of our standoff, the doorbell rang.

I was still wondering who would come by so late when Jon raced over and opened the door.

Naomi walked in, her hair dyed blond. She threw her arms around my son and planted a kiss on him.

"What took you so long? I've been waiting downstairs forever."

Jon answered a little bashfully, "It's my mom. She found out I put vocational school on my application, and she's throwing a fit trying to make me change it!"

Naomi looked at me, a provocative smile curling her lips.

"Ms. McTeer, why'd you go to all that trouble to break us up?

"Jon's scores are top ten in the state, and he's still coming to vocational school with me.

"I'll work hard and try to give you two grandbabies in three years, so you can become a grandma early and stay home babysitting. That way, you won't have so much free time on your hands to go around breaking couples up."

My reason vanished in an instant. I lunged at Naomi, hitting and kicking her.

"Get out! Get out of my house right now! I will never let Jon be with you!"

Naomi hadn't expected me to attack so suddenly and took a slap from me. But she quickly recovered and kicked me hard, knocking me to the floor.

My insides hurt so badly that they felt like they'd been knocked out of place.

Then Naomi came right after me, grabbed me by the hair, and forced my head up.

"You old hag, I call you Ms. McTeer to give you some respect, and you actually think you're somebody.

"You slapped me once before, and now you slapped me again. Today, I'm getting it all back from you, with interest!"

Back then, she and Jon had been caught on a nighttime date in the woods behind the school, and both sets of parents, the principal, and their teachers had all been called in.

To get herself off the hook, she claimed in front of everyone that my son had pressured her into it.

To protect my son's reputation, I slapped her to shut her up.

Now, Naomi raised her hand and slapped me back and forth across the face. Searing pain exploded on both my cheeks.

Jon just stood to the side and watched, unmoved.

I spat out a mouthful of blood and looked at him. "You're just going to let someone beat your own mother like this?"

Jon stepped forward. "Mom, you should've gotten rid of your habit of hitting people a long time ago. I'm your son, so I can't hit you back, but Naomi isn't going to put up with it."

He cupped Naomi's hand and blew on it gently.

"Naomi, did that hurt your hand? I'll get you an ice pack in a bit."