NovelEnglishEven though Nadine agreed to have lunch with Brad, she barely acknowledged him throughout the meal.
Whenever Brad asked her something, she'd respond in the briefest way possible. And if he didn't speak up, she'd keep to herself, focusing on her food.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtNot wanting to make eye contact with him, she tilted her head and concentrated on Sean, occasionally serving him food and making sure he had everything he needed.
Throughout the meal, Brad felt the urge to ask Nadine for an apology multiple times but couldn't bring himself to do it. With Sean around, there were sthings he just couldn't say.
The two adults were especially tense, but Sean was blissfully unaware as he enjoyed his meal. Once he was done, he patted his round belly and asked for dessert. "Mommy, can I please have sdessert? The desserts here are so yummy!" Nadine glanced at his round belly and decisively turned him down. "Sean, just take a look at your belly! If you eat any more, you'll get a stomach ache! I'm sure you wouldn't want that, would you?" Sean was born during the winter, the coldest season of the year. Back then, Nadine was still in her postpartum recovery period while caring for her newborn, and her inexperience caused Sean to catch a cold.
Ever since, his stomach had been sensitive, prone to discomfort from overeating, cold foods, or anything too greasy. Plus, he'd already eaten a lot today. If he had any more, he'd surely end up with an upset stomach. Rather than letting him suffer, it was wiser to turn him down and encourage him to eat less.
After being turned down by his mom, Sean's face fell. "Can't I just have one bite? I really want to eat it, Mommy!" he pleaded.
Nadine was just about to turn him down again when Brad interjected, "Let him have it if he wants! It's not like we can't afford it!" From his perspective, Sean just wanted a bite of something sweet. It wasn't a big deal and wouldn't cost much. He thought Nadine's stinginess was ridiculous.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmBrad not only agreed to let Sean have dessert but also asked the waiter to bring a serving right away. Sean, pleased by the dessert, beamed at Brad. "Thank you, Daddy! You're the best!" However, even as he thanked Brad, he cast a cautious glance toward Nadine. The dessert was right in front of him, but he only took a small bite because he was afraid of upsetting his mom.
Noticing Sean's hesitation, Brad encouraged him. "Go ahead, enjoy it! There's no need to hold back." It was just a dessert-what was the big deal? Nadine was being overly strict with the child.
Noticing that Sean still seemed hesitant, he turned to look at Nadine. "He's a growing boy, so why can't he have another bite? Or are you really that tight on money that you can't even afford to give him a little treat?"
He looked at her with those soft, expressive eyes of his-the king that always seemed full of unspoken emotion. But to Nadine, it seemed to carry more sarcasm than sincerity. Initially, she wanted to stand up, confront Brad, or just walk out. But when she saw Sean, she held herself back.
For six long years, she had raised Sean on her own and knew exactly what he should and shouldn't eat. Yet, Brad, who had been absent for so long, suddenly wanted to act like a doting father-it was truly O ridiculous.
Noticing the derision in his eyes, she took a deep breath to suppress her anger and quietly explained, "Sean has a sensitive stomach. If he overeats, he'll end up with a stomach ache."
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