Chapter 6: Breaking the Cycle

Caleb jumped up, pounding on Mr. Smith.

“You ganged up to bully my mom. You should die! Go die, I’ll beat you to death!”

Derek was stunned, instinctively wanting to pull Caleb away.

I stopped him coldly: “Let Cal vent. They hurt his mom, he should have feelings, should take revenge, not be cold and indifferent. If you can’t control your emotions now and let him vent, you shouldn’t expect him to control his emotions. Don’t do to others what you don’t want done to yourself.”

Derek’s eyes deepened.

“The Natalie I know wouldn’t say all this.”

The core’s changed, even the thinking is different.

The only things the same: both are women, both love money.

I said blandly, “Oh, I’m her second personality. She was so mad at you abandoning her on the wedding night that she won’t come out. Now I’m holding the fort. You paid once and got two different wives, what a deal.”

Derek probably never met someone who talks so much nonsense. His eyes were as deep as a dark river, waves surging within, but his face calm.

Finally, Mr. Smith couldn’t stand it, trying to shake off Caleb.

Derek’s two bodyguards restrained him.

Caleb tired himself out.

He cried hysterically, face red, standing there alone like a solitary little tree, weak and helpless, the world vast and stormy, with no one to rely on.

I suddenly understood him a bit.

A child raised with love would seek a hug now.

But he just stood there, probably knowing no one would hold him.

I went up and gently hugged him.

He struggled to push me away in a fit of anger.

I didn’t give up, still held him tight, letting him cry in my arms.

“Cal is good, Cal is the best. If you want to cry, cry. I know you’re a little man, you want to protect mom, take revenge for her. Our Cal is the best kid in the world. If mom knew, she’d be so happy and proud.”

Caleb snuggled into my arms like a pitiful little puppy.

Derek frowned, clearly disapproving, but held back from speaking.

After a while, Caleb cried himself to sleep.

I carried him to his room and tucked him in.

Now it was time for me and Derek to argue.

After closing the door, Derek’s first words were: “You can’t spoil Caleb like this.”

Is he sick?

Normal comfort is called spoiling?

No wonder he’ll be sent to a psychiatric hospital.

Old fool, serves him right.

I ignored him and instead ordered Derek’s assistant, Mark:

“Don’t let Mr. Smith and Mrs. Lewis leave, we haven’t settled the score. Check how many times Mr. Smith put Cal in time-out on the security tapes, check Mrs. Lewis’s cooking, see if she deliberately made green beans and veggies knowing Cal hates them, and what they eat themselves. Find out how they treated Cal’s mom Rachel Song.”

Mark was obviously excited, but unsure if he should agree. He glanced at Derek, saw no objection, and agreed.

I sipped coffee, sighed in relief, then looked at Derek speechlessly.

“What did you say just now? I shouldn’t spoil the kid? How hard was your childhood that you think comforting a kid is spoiling?”

That must have poked a hornet’s nest.

Derek’s eyes turned frosty. He grabbed my wrist and dragged me upstairs.

Inside: kokokokokokokokoko.

Out loud: “Hey hey hey hey hey hey hey.”

Damn.

Derek must have the red-eyed, strangling, domineering CEO script.

Scary.

I’m not good at fighting, martial arts, or taekwondo.

He dragged me into a room, shut the door, pinned me against the wall, and grabbed my neck.

He pinned me to the wall, fingers tight around my throat—just enough to scare, not to kill. My heart pounded, but I stared him down, daring him to go further.

Me: “...”

Right on target.

He choked me until my eyes rolled back. I couldn’t help kneeing him, but before I could, he let go.

I clutched my neck, gasping, my throat burning, probably injured vocal cords, my head a mess, but I still had to listen to his nonsense.

“Natalie, you’ve been too unruly these days. Now that you’re Mrs. Yu, behave yourself and do your duty.”

“If you act out, don’t blame me for being rude.”

“This time you ran around with Caleb, I’ll let it go. But don’t do it again, or you’ll lose your position as Mrs. Yu.”

“Did you hear me?”