Chapter 2

"Get out of bed! We're heading home!"

With that, Jacinda pushed me aside. Ignoring Benson's wails, she yanked the IV needle from his hand and dragged him off the hospital bed.

I couldn't bear to watch him suffer any longer and quickly told the truth. "He's not Timmy. He's Benny, your precious son! If you discharge him now and his wounds get infected, he could die!"

Jaden looked at Benson with clear malice in his eyes. He let out a deliberate scoff and said, "Vincent, I know you feel sorry for the kid, but there's no need to lie. I had the sitter take Benny to the amusement park early this morning, so how could this possibly be him?

"Forget it, Jacie. Every parent looks out for their own child. I suppose he thinks that Benny deserved to be scared so badly that he cried all night. Anyway, we won't be attending the birthday banquet tonight."

Jacinda shot me a contemptuous look and, without a second thought, yanked hard on Benson's arm as she headed out.

"Vincent Fuller, I can't believe you're still targeting Jay and Benny even at a time like this. You're beyond saving! How did I just come to realize how vicious you truly are?

"Timmy must have picked up on your terrible behavior! This time, I'm going to teach him a proper lesson so he stops bullying Benny at every turn!

"Stand still!"

Already in pain from being dragged, Benson was about to burst into loud sobs, but Jacinda's glare scared him into silence.

"Daddy…" He shot Jaden a pleading look and reached out, wanting to hold his hand.

Jaden gently took Benson's hand, but the very next second, he frowned and flung it away. "Ouch!"

He grumbled in displeasure, "Timmy, I know you don't like me, but you can't hide a needle in your hand just to stab me!"

Benson froze, stunned by the accusation. The next moment, Jacinda kicked him square in the stomach. The sharp heel of her shoe sent him crashing into the wall. He collapsed onto the floor, clutching his stomach and rolling around in agony.

His eyes were filled with confusion, as if he couldn't understand why his parents, who used to dote on him, were acting like this.

Jacinda looked down coldly at him wailing, her face expressionless. "You're crying? You don't get to cry here! When we get home, you're going straight to the basement to think about what you've done. You're not allowed to come out until you understand what you did wrong!"

With that, she grabbed Benson by the collar and went to handle the discharge procedures.

Benson was so terrified that he didn't dare to move. Even as the collar tightened around his neck and his face turned blue, he could only gasp for air, not daring to make another sound.

On the drive home, perhaps because the anesthetic had worn off, Benson couldn't stop crying out in pain, writhing in the seat as tears soaked through the bandages wrapped around him.

Jaden sighed and said in a fake, concerned tone, "Jacie, maybe we should take him back to the hospital. Even if he's faking it, he looks really pitiful."

Jacinda let out a cold snort. As Benson reached out toward her, she stepped on his hand and said with disgust, "He's faking it. Taking him back would just be a waste of medical resources. If it really hurts, maybe he'll finally learn his lesson!"

As she spoke, she deliberately ground her heel into the back of Benson's hand. Already red and swollen from the IV being pulled out, it quickly turned a bruised mess of black and blue. He looked really pitiful.

"Ahh! Daddy, save me! You bitch, I don't want you to be my mommy!" Benson screamed.

Jacinda's expression darkened instantly. She hauled him up and pinched hard on his wounds, her face twisted with rage. "Tell me! Who taught you to say that? Was it Vincent?"

Jaden immediately smiled and put an arm around Jacinda to comfort her. "Jacie, the kid is innocent. He's still young and doesn't know right from wrong. Don't blame him. But if Vincent has been whispering things like that in front of him all the time… could he be seeing someone else?"

"Shut up!" I had just started to rebuke him when Jacinda immediately shielded Jaden, her face full of fury.

"You've got some nerve, Vincent Fuller! I actually felt guilty toward you and Timmy before, but it turns out you were the one who betrayed me first!"