Chapter 44: Chapter 45: Mona Is Too Willful

The vendor thoughtfully placed the watermelon in a bag. It was a sturdy bag, so there was no fear of it breaking when carried.

Naomi Kenway took the watermelon and thanked him. Then, she held out her hand. “Annie, it’s all thanks to you that we sold all the watermelons so quickly. Come on, high-five!”

Ian Shaw slapped his small hand against Naomi Kenway’s larger one. “Yay!”

The mother and son both beamed with satisfaction.

Her son had just helped carry a few small watermelons, and he’d gotten some dirt in his hair. Naomi Kenway gently brushed it off.

Naomi Kenway carried the watermelon in one hand and held Ian Shaw’s hand with the other. “Sweetheart, what do you want to eat? We have two hundred yuan now!”

“I want to eat candy…”

“Okay, let’s go buy candy. But you can’t eat it every day, okay? It hurts a lot if you get cavities.”

Ian Shaw nodded obediently.

With the two hundred yuan in hand, Naomi Kenway bought quite a few things. Since they couldn’t cook in the rainforest, she mostly chose instant foods like ramen and ham. But they also needed vitamins, so she went to a fruit stand and picked out some of Ian Shaw’s favorite fruits.

Naomi Kenway didn’t choose many bulky food items. For portability, she also picked up some compressed biscuits. Anything too heavy would be a significant burden on the long walk ahead.

Once she had gathered everything, Naomi Kenway set off for their destination with Ian Shaw.

During the journey, Ian Shaw, worried that Naomi Kenway would get tired, insisted on helping carry some of the load.

Of course, Naomi Kenway couldn’t bear to let her son walk under the scorching sun carrying heavy things. She casually took out an orange and handed it to him, instructing, “This orange is the most precious treasure of all our food. I’m entrusting Annie with the difficult task of looking after it!”

Naomi Kenway looked completely serious, and Ian Shaw, as if accepting a momentous mission, took the orange with a solemn expression. “Annie guarantees the mission will be completed!”

[Naomi is so good with kids, hahaha.]

[This reminds me of when Renee Jennings made Nathan dig for potatoes with her in the field. It was just as sunny, but Naomi won’t even let Annie carry heavy things. I guess a stepmom really can’t compare to a biological mom. No matter how gentle Renee acts toward Nathan, it’s not from the heart. After all, they aren’t related by blood!]

[What kind of feudal thinking is that, person above me? Who says you can’t be close if you’re not related by blood? Rachel is clearly very attentive to the child; she even makes special time to help Nathan with his homework. Then look at Naomi, all she does is run around and play with her kid all day. How can a child grow if you don’t let them do any work? Naomi herself lives in a daze, and she’s raising her child to be a useless little brat just like her, who only knows how to eat, drink, and play!]

[Then how do you explain Nathan getting heatstroke? Have you considered the circumstances? Would you really let a child with that small frame carry a huge watermelon home in this scorching weather?]

[The other guests are all miserable and pathetic, but Naomi’s team has hit the jackpot! I can’t wait to see Renee Jennings’s reaction. Didn’t she just tell Naomi not to mooch food off her?]

…

“Five forty,” Margaret Jennings said, glancing at her watch. She couldn’t sit still, so she stood up and paced a few steps. “It’s almost the agreed-upon time. Why isn’t Naomi Kenway back yet?”

Hearing this, Ruby Preston also glanced into the distance. There was only a vast expanse of forest, with not a single person in sight.

“Pearl, don’t be so anxious. Don’t you think it takes time for Naomi to beg for food?” Chelsea Raines sneered. The thought of how Naomi had played her for a fool by not giving her the insect repellent made her furious. Her own son’s long-lasting discomfort was all thanks to Naomi Kenway.

Renee Jennings, however, had no time to think about Naomi Kenway. She was facing a huge crisis of her own: Nathan Lynch had stopped talking to her.

With the cameras practically pointed straight at her face, Renee Jennings didn’t dare threaten him. Instead, she tried to indirectly probe Nathan Lynch’s thoughts.

When Nathan Lynch didn’t respond, she didn’t get annoyed. She remained gentle and patient. “Nathan, Mommy is also thinking about our future. Can you try to understand, please? You haven’t spoken to me in so long. Didn’t you want that Transformer? Mommy will buy it for you when we get back, okay? Don’t be mad at Mommy anymore. We have to solve our food and shelter problem before we can think about playing, don’t you agree?”

Chelsea Raines overheard and turned her head. “A Transformer? When did this happen?”

Renee Jennings’s expression didn’t change. “Oh, it was when I took Nathan to the bathroom. On our way back, we saw a toy stall. He insisted on buying something, but I didn’t let him, so now he’s sulking.”

Renee Jennings knew there were always blind spots in the camera coverage, and Nathan Lynch never contradicted her. No one would be able to expose her lie.

In just a few words, she had instantly shifted the blame onto Nathan Lynch.

Chelsea Raines frowned and chimed in, “Nathan, you can’t be so willful. You have to pick the right time to ask for toys. Your mom is in a difficult position too. You need to be more considerate of her, Nathan.”

Ruby Preston had never liked coddling children, so hearing this, she also felt that Nathan Lynch was being too headstrong and added a few words of persuasion.

With everyone telling him he was in the wrong, Nathan Lynch felt even more aggrieved. He buried his head in his arms.

’Teacher said that liars get long noses,’ he thought. ’Why hasn’t Mommy’s nose grown yet? Is it because she’s not a kid?’

Renee Jennings pulled Nathan Lynch into her arms and gently patted his back. “Nathan, when you cry like this, it breaks Mommy’s heart. Please don’t be upset with me anymore, okay?”

[Oh my god, Rachel is so patient! Who was it that said she wasn’t good enough?]

[I originally thought Nathan was a sensible and polite little gentleman, but who knew he could be so willful? Rachel is doing the right thing. You can’t spoil a child who shouldn’t be spoiled!]

[Why didn’t they air the part about the Transformer? Did they not record it?]

“You’re lying!” Nathan Lynch cried out, accusing her. “Mommy, you don’t love Nathan at all!”

Renee Jennings hadn’t expected Nathan Lynch to lose control like this and hurriedly tried to soothe him.

Nathan Lynch sobbed, “Mommy, I want my mommy… I miss my mommy so much…”

Renee Jennings’s movements froze. Of course, she knew the “mommy” Nathan Lynch was crying for wasn’t her, but Nathaniel’s ex-wife—Nathan’s biological mother.

“Excuse me, my son is having a bit of an issue. We’re just going to sort it out in private.”

Faced with a sudden emotional breakdown from one of the young guests, the director could only nod in agreement.

Renee Jennings quickly carried Nathan Lynch to a secluded corner and took a deep breath. “Nathan, have you forgotten what I told you? Your mother has already gone abroad and abandoned you. She hasn’t come to see you in half a year!”

This made Nathan Lynch even sadder, and he started crying so hard he hiccuped.

“Don’t cry, don’t cry!” Renee Jennings played her trump card. “Nobody likes a crybaby who doesn’t listen. If you keep this up, Mommy won’t want you anymore. I’ll throw you out to fend for yourself!”

Children are most afraid of topics like abandonment, but who would have thought that this time, Nathan Lynch would cry and retort, “That’s not true! Aunt Kenway said I’m smart and cute, and that nobody would dislike Nathan!”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep