“One game only.”
“Yes! You’re the best, Mom!”
Watching our interaction, John’s eyes
reddened. He dabbed at his tears and started
piling food onto our plates. “It’s been so long
since our family had dinner together like this.”
I put down my chopsticks and sighed. “John, we
15
11
Suddenly, a figure darted towards our table and
splashed a bowl of hot soup at me. David
reacted instantly, shielding me with his body.
The scalding liquid landed on his chest and
arm, his skin turning red immediately.
Melissa screamed, “Sarah, have you no shame?
Are you that desperate to steal other women’s
men?”
<
“Honey, are you okay? Does it hurt? Are you
burned?” I ignored Melissa and the stares from
the other diners, frantically checking David.
“Mom, I’m fine,” he reassured me.
Thankfully, the soup had cooled down a bit. His
skin was red and swollen, but he wasn’t
seriously hurt. I breathed a sigh of relief.
John had pulled Melissa away. “Melissa, what
the hell is wrong with you? It’s over between us.
I’ve already compensated your parents. What
more do you want?”
Melissa’s face contorted. “Money can’t bring
back my baby! Why should your family be
happy while I’m suffering?”
I was about to turn and confront her when I saw
a flash of metal in her hand. Instinctively, I
stepped in front of David.
<
A sharp pain shot through me. I vaguely saw
David kick Melissa, sending her flying
backwards. My vision blurred. As I lost
consciousness, a strange thought drifted
through my mind: “All those years of
Taekwondo lessons finally paid off. That was
money better spent than tutoring!”
16
I don’t know how long I was out. I woke up to
David’s voice, chattering beside my ear.
“Don’t play the hero if you don’t have my ninja
reflexes, okay? I have a ton of homework, and
now I have to take care of you in the hospital.
How are you going to make it up to me? Three
days of unlimited screen time, minimum.”
The words “screen time” must have triggered
something in my mom–brain. I sat up abruptly,
hands on my hips. “David Thompson! Don’t
even think about it, mister!”
く
He grinned, looking like a sly fox.
A nurse walked in with a tray. “Awake now?
Room twenty–four, you need to watch your
blood sugar. It was dangerously low.”
Huh?
“What blood sugar? What are you talking
about?” I avoided David’s gaze.
He smirked. “If your blood sugar hadn’t been so
low, you wouldn’t have fainted from being
poked with a dull fork.”
I clung to my last shred of dignity. “I was
overwhelmed, that’s all. You wouldn’t
understand.”
