Chapter 101
Charlie struggled under her grip, his little legs kicking wildly.
“Let me go, you evil, vicious witch! Let me go right now p>
“Or I’ll tell Frederick and make him divorce you p>
Maeve was speechless.
Evil? Vicious? Divorce?
It was hard to imagine these words coming out of a four-year-old’s mouth.
It was painfully obvious what kind of upbringing Charlie was receiving.
This wasn’t supposed to be her problem, but since his lack of manners was directed at her, she wasn’t going to go easy on him.
Maeve pinned his legs, hauled him to the door, and spoke with a stern expression.
“Apologize, or not only will you go without dinner tonight, but you’ll also be outside feeding the mosquitoes p>
Charlie puffed his cheeks, stubbornly craning his neck as he screamed.
“Fine! Even if I starve to death out here, I won’t eat a single bite of your food, you old witch p>
Great. In just a couple of minutes, she had earned the new title of ‘old witch p>
Maeve scoffed in disbelief. She deposited Charlie outside the doorway and slid the glass door halfway shut.
“Are you sure you aren’t going to apologize p>
Standing in the backyard patio, Charlie watched Maeve’s hand resting on the door handle, ready to pull it all the way shut. His eyes went wide, and when he spoke again, he didn’t have nearly as much bravado.
“You… you wouldn’t dare p>
Charlie had been sickly since he was a baby, so everyone in the family spoiled him rotten. Even his usually strict grandfather softened up around him.
The household staff were even worse, jumping at his every command.
Even though he hadn’t spent much time with Maeve, he naturally assumed that everyone should cater to his whims and do exactly as he said.
Maeve simply shrugged and slid the glass door completely shut.
Kids were terrible at hiding their emotions. Through the transparent floor-to-ceiling windows, she could see Charlie panicking. He ran up and started slapping the glass with his chubby little hands.
“Open the door p>
“You vicious woman, open the door right now p>
“I’m Grandma and Grandpa’s favorite! If you don’t open the door, I’ll tell them and make them punish you p>
Maeve leaned against the frame, watching quietly. Martha approached holding a plate of the palmiers Charlie had specifically requested. Seeing the boy locked outside, she instinctively looked at Maeve.
“Ma’am, what did Charlie do wrong p>
Maeve was always a reasonable and polite woman. She would never pick on a child for no reason, so Charlie must have done something truly bad.
“He squirted me with a water gun, threw a ball at me, tried to poke me with a toy wand, and called me every nasty name in the book Maeve said, casting a mild glance at the boy still banging on the glass.
“I refuse to believe I can’t put him in his place today p>
Martha looked stunned. “Zoe has always been so gentle and mild-mannered. How did she end up raising Charlie to be so aggressive p>
Maeve’s voice was cool. “He acts like a perfect angel in front of Frederick. Who knows if this aggression is just a special performance meant only for me p>
Martha instantly snapped her mouth shut, not daring to say another word. Maeve continued.
“The more attention you give kids, the more they act up. I’ll keep an eye on him here. You go about your chores and ignore him. He’s probably going to be staying here for the next few days. If we don’t show him who’s boss right now, he’ll turn the house upside down, and we won’t have a moment of peace p>
Martha nodded, set the plate of pastries on the dining table, and left.
Outside, the moment Martha had appeared, Charlie had stared at her with hopeful eyes, praying she would rescue him.
But to his dismay, Martha just gave him a single glance, put down the snacks, and walked away.
And that vicious woman had the nerve to pick up his favorite palmier and eat it right in front of his face.
Charlie couldn’t hold it in any longer and burst into loud, wailing tears.
“Waaah p>
“Mom, Frederick, Grandma, Grandpa! Come save me! This bad woman is bullying me p>
“Waaah… my pastries… my pastries p>
At this point, Maeve actually felt a little bad for him.
Charlie looked a lot like Felix.
Even though Zoe had terrible character, back when Maeve and Frederick were happy together, Felix had always treated her with a lot of respect.
But since she had already taken things this far, she might as well harden her heart and teach Charlie a lesson he would remember.
Maeve forced herself to finish the pastry, then walked over and slid the glass door open. Charlie’s sobs instantly grew louder.
Instead of immediately rushing to comfort him, she picked up another palmier and brought it to her lips, pretending she was about to take a bite.
“This pastry smells amazing. It’s so sweet and crispy p>
After throwing such a huge tantrum, Charlie was already starving. His eyes tracked Maeve’s hand as it moved, and hearing her description, he couldn’t help but lick his lips.
Taking it all in, Maeve let her gaze drop to the plate and said deliberately p>